Darragh exits centre stage after 14-year link

FOR the first time since he began his illustrious career 14 years ago, Darragh O Sé has been excluded from the Kerry team to meet Cork in Sunday’s glamour Munster SFC semi-final clash with Cork at Fitzgerald Stadium, Killarney.

On the other side of the coin, Tadhg Kennelly makes his first senior championship appearance for the Kingdom, having returned from a successful Aussie Rules stint. Kennelly and Michael Quirke form a new midfield partnership, taking over from O Sé and Seamus Scanlon.

Both Scanlon and Killian Young, recovering from injury, are included in the substitutes, while Kieran Donaghy was ruled out of contention because of a long term injury.

From the team that lost to Tyrone in last year’s All-Ireland final, Tommy Griffen takes over at centre-back from Young, while Kennelly and Quirke replace O Sé and Scanlon.

Paul Galvin returns to championship football at right half-forward in place of Eoin Brosnan. and Donnacha Walsh is preferred to Brian Sheehan on the left flank of attack. Tommy Walsh now fills the full-forward role vacated by Donaghy with team captain Darran O’Sullivan introduced at top of the left.

With both Anthony Lynch and Alan O’Connor passed fit, Cork have made only one change from the team that overwhelmed Waterford in the previous round.

Lynch and O’Connor are named in their customary left corner-back and midfield positions, while Patrick Kelly of Ballincollig is preferred to Ballyclough wing forward Paul O’Flynn.

KERRY (SFC v Cork): D. Murphy; M. O Sé, T. O’Sullivan, P. Reidy; . T. O Sé, T.Griffen, A. O’Mahony; T. Kennelly, M. Quirke; P. Galvin, Declan O’Sullivan, D. Walsh; C. Cooper, T. Walsh, Darren O’Sullivan.

CORK (SFC v Kerry): A. Quirke; R. Carey, M. Shields, A. Lynch; J. Miskella, G. Canty, G. Spillane; A. O’Connor, N. Murphy; P. Kelly, P. O’Neill, P. Kerrigan; D. Goulding, J. Masters, D. O’Connor.

CORK (JFC v Kerry): P. O’Shea (St Vincent’s); P. Gayer (Castlemagnier), E. Wiseman (Castletownbere), M. Prout (Shamrocks); R. O’Sullivan (Kinsale), A. Fenton (St. Vincent’s) M. Fehily (Diarmuid O’Mathunas); A. O’Sullivan (Castletownbere), C. O’Donovan (Valley Rovers); D. O’Donovan (Kilmacabee), C. Keane (Newcestown), C. O’Driscoll (Thadgh Mac Cartaigh); V. Hurley (Courcey Rovers), F. Lynch (Valley Rover), J.P. Murphy (St. Vincent’s).