Clancy and Lavin get Limerick call-ups against Laois

LIMERICK made six changes from the side that lost to Kilkenny in last season’s All-Ireland final for Sunday’s NHL opener against Laois at the Gaelic Grounds.

There are senior debuts for wing back David Clancy and Stephen Lavin at wing forward. Last weekend Lavin was inspirational for the county footballers, as he scored two points from centre-back in their NFL win over Louth.

Another new face from last season is Alan O’Connor, who lines out at wing forward after a year long absence from the squad. Paudie O’Dwyer has been named at centre back in the absence of Brian Geary, who will miss the entire league campaign with a cruciate ligament injury.

The team includes Limerick’s three All Stars; Brian Murray, Ollie Moran and Andrew O’Shaughnessy.

Meanwhile Clare introduce seven new players for their opening league game against Galway at Pearse Stadium on Sunday.

Receiving their call-up papers are corner backs Tadgh Keogh and Conor McMahon, younger brother of Diarmuid’s, right half back Darragh Clancy, right half forward David Barrett, centre forward Cathal Lafferty and corner forwards Mark Flaherty and Ger Arthur.

The older McMahon, Gerry O’Grady and Tony Griffin are out of the country at present while Colin Lynch was not considered because of injury.

John Mitchell has made several positional switches as Wicklow’s hurlers face May in their opening league game on Sunday at Arklow and he also gives Kilcoole’s Stephen Kelly, back after injury, his first start.

John Connors loses out in defence as Kelly is brought in a corner-back with Geoffrey Bermingham switching to his customary wing-back position.

Tipperary man Colm Ryan has been moved from midfield to centre-back and John Mitchell has picked a new full-forward line of Cork’s Adrian Shanahan, Ronan Keddy and Eamonn Furlong, who had worn the number six jersey throughout the Kehoe Cup.

TJ Byrne holds his place on the team after his promising performance against Meath last weekend, while Eamon Kearns has been drafted to midfield to partner Jonathan O’Neill.

The St Oliver Plunkett’s/Eoghan Ruadh trio of Ross McConnell and the Brogans — Alan and Bernard — return to the Dublin team for Friday night’s O’Byrne Cup final against Longford in Parnell Park (7.30).

Dublin have made seven changes from the team which defeated Carlow in their semi-final replay.

LIMERICK (SH v Laois): B. Murray; M. O’Riordan, S. Lucey, S. Hickey, P. Lawlor, P. O’Dwyer, D. Clancy; M. O’Brien, D. O’Grady; S. Lavin, O. Moran, A. O’Connor; A. O’Shaughnessy, S. O’Connor, P. Tobin.

CLARE (SH v Galway): P. Brennan; T. Keogh, F. Lohan, C. McMahon; D. Clancy, G. Quinn, B. Bugler; B. O’Connell, J. Clancy; D. Barrett, C. Lafferty, D. O’Rourke; M. Flaherty, N. Gilligan, G. Arthur.

LONGFORD (SF v Dublin): D. Sheridan, D. Brady, D. Masterson, D. Reilly; S. Mulligan, A. O’Connor, N. Farrell; L. Keenan (capt), E. Farrell; D, Barden , P. Barden, P. Berry; B. Kavanagh, D. Farrell, F. McGee.

Subs: S Watters, G Murphy, E Williams, K Mulligan, S Phillips, A Rowan, J Martin, P McDonnell, P Dowd, C Casey, C Conefrey.

WICKLOW (SH v Mayo): TR Finn, E O’Neill, G Keogh, S Kelly, G Bermingham. C Ryan, G White, J O’Neill, E Kearns, E Mason, TJ Byrne, A O’Brien, A Shanahan, R Keddy, E Furlong.

DUBLIN (SF v Longford): J. Leonard; D. Henry, R. McConnell, S. O’Shaughnessy; P. McMahon, P. Casey, D. Murray; E. Fennell, S. Ryan; B. Cullen, A. Brogan, B. McManamon; J. O’Brien, B. Brogan, K. Bonner.