Gilroy vows to keep open mind on potential Dublin dual stars

DUBLIN football manager Pat Gilroy has vows to keep an open mind on any players who may be looking to achieve dual star status this summer.

The county hurlers have lost the services of a host of players, including Conal Keaney and Shane Ryan, to their footballing counterparts in seasons past with Ross O’Carroll the latest player to be caught between the two camps.

Noted primarily as a hurler, the Kilmacud Crokes player has earned a growing reputation with the Stillorgan outfit on their path to Tuesday’s All-Ireland club football final.

The main obstacle to O’Carroll, or anyone else, double jobbing for the Dubs this summer is the fact that both the senior hurlers and footballers are down to play Leinster Championship fixtures in Croke Park on June 7.

“If the fella feels that he can do it I would be (open to a dual player),” Gilroy said yesterday after naming his side for Saturday’s NFL clash with Derry. “We would have to work out the logistics of it and how it would work.

“One big problem is that we are due to play the same day in the first round of the championship. That is not going to be the easiest thing to figure out. I don’t have a problem with it but the logistics make it very difficult.”

Gilroy meets O’Carroll after St Patrick’s Day to ascertain his plans for the summer but none of the Crokes players will be press ganged into returning immediately.

“There is plenty of time between the league and championship to look at guys. We’ll have plenty of challenges. I think they will need a break. It would be silly of us to ask them to come back and play the following Sunday.”

As well as the Crokes contingent, Gilroy is still operating minus Paul Flynn, Eamonn Fennell, Collie Moran, Tomas Quinn and others involved with the U21s but Alan Brogan returned to action last week as a replacement against Donegal.

A full 70 minutes will have to wait until at least round five as Dublin have chosen an unchanged team for this weekend’s date with Derry at Parnell Park. The rotating armband has landed with Ciaran Whelan.

Meanwhile, John McEntee has scotched suggestions that he was on the verge of returning to duty with Armagh once Crossmaglen Rangers’ All-Ireland campaign comes to a halt next week.

McEntee and twin brother Tony were invited back onto the county panel by manager Peter McDonnell last year with the former apparently being ‘quite keen’ on the idea before a knee injury ruled him out.

“I am too old. I’m done,” John has declared. “I’m not fit for inter-county football anymore, no. My days are numbered with Cross let alone the county. There are plenty of young fellas in Cross and throughout the other clubs in the county to provide county players. I have had my chances.”

DUBLIN (SF v Derry): S Cluxton; P Andrews, D Bastick, A Hubbard; J Brogan, G Brennan, B Cahill; C Whelan, R McConnell; D Connolly, C Keaney, D Henry; B Kelly, K Bonner, B Brogan.