Hickey makes return for Cats

NOEL HICKEY makes his long-awaited comeback from injury for Kilkenny tomorrow afternoon after he was named at full-back for their NHL Division 1 clash against Limerick.

Hickey’s inclusion is one of seven changes made by Kilkenny boss Brian Cody from the team that lost to Galway last Sunday. Hickey replaces Brian Hogan at full-back, and is flanked by Damien Fogarty and PJ Delaney, with Richie O’Neill starting in goal. PJ Ryan, John Dalton and Paddy Hogan are the other players to make way.

At midfield Pat Hartley replaces Niall Walsh, while in attack established players Derek Lyng and Eoin Larkin start in place of Michael Rice and Richie Power. Dublin boss Anthony Daly has made one change for their NHL Division 1 match against Galway tomorrow in Pearse Stadium. Simon Lambert comes back into the side after injury at left half-forward with Liam Ryan the player to make way.

Waterford manager Davy Fitzgerald has drafted Maurice Shanahan in at left half-forward for tomorrow’s NHL Division 1 clash against Offaly. Shanahan’s inclusion sees Shane O’Sullivan going to midfield, Richie Foley switching to centre-back and Aidan Kearney dropping to the bench.

Limerick boss Justin McCarthy has made four changes for their NHL Division 1 clash against Kilkenny in the Gaelic Grounds.

Former Cork minor Shaun O’Riordan, who is a native of Ballyagran but plays his club hurling with Cork senior champions Newtownshandrum, makes his inter-county senior debut at right half-back in place of the injured Lorcan O’Dwyer. Cathal King starts on the other wing in a change that prompts a positional reshuffle with Nicky Quaid going to midfield, Brian O’Sullivan moving to centre-forward and Dean Madden dropping to the bench. Cathal Mullane replaces Tommy O’Brien at left half-forward, while Sean Herlihy starts at right half-forward. Herlihy’s introduction sees Paudie McNamara switch inside to full-forward with Anthony Owens the player to lose out.

The Laois hurlers have made one change for their crucial NHL Division 2 tie against Wexford in Portlaoise tomorrow as Zane Keenan replaces John Rowney at centre-forward. Limerick manager Mickey Ned O’Sullivan has delayed naming their side for today’s NFL Division 4 clash against Clare while Waterford boss John Owens has made no changes for their clash against Kilkenny.

In U21 football news, Dublin boss Jim Gavin has made three changes for tomorrow afternoon’s Leinster decider against Westmeath in Parnell Park. Midfielder Cian Mullins is ruled out through injury with Sean Murray starting in the no. 8 position, James McCarthy moving to centre-back, Johnny Cooper playing in the left corner and Daragh Nelson coming into the side at right half-back. The other two switches are in attack with Ciaran Dorney and Barry O’Rourke given starting berths at right half and right corner-forward respectively with David Quinn (Lucan Sarsfields) and Niall Brogan dropping out. Westmeath manager Brendan Hackett has gone with an unchanged team while for the Connacht U21 final Sligo’s Daniel Maye comes into the team at left corner-back in place of Johnny Kelly. Roscommon have also made one change with Darren McDermott starting at left corner-forward instead of Alan O’Hara.

Meanwhile next Tuesday’s Cork County Board meeting is to discuss a major change to underage structures in the county which is causing unrest among Leeside clubs. It is proposed the abolition of competitive championships for U12s be replaced with non-competitive Go games, but this has met with opposition from many clubs and significantly the Cork Bord na nOg has also opposed the move.

KILKENNY (SH v Limerick): R O’Neill; D Fogarty, N Hickey, PJ Delaney; T Walsh, J Tyrrell, J Tennyson; P Hartley, J Fitzpatrick; J Mulhall, D Lyng, TJ Reid; E Larkin, M Comerford, A Fogarty.

DUBLIN (SH v Galway): G Maguire; N Corcoran, T Brady, O Gough; S Hiney, J Boland, M O’Brien; J McCaffrey, S Durkin; P Kelly, L Rushe, S Lambert; D O’Callaghan, D Treacy, A McCrabbe.

WATERFORD (SH v Offaly): C Hennessy; E Murphy, M O’Brien, N Connors; S Fives, R Foley, J Nagle; E Kelly, S O’Sullivan; S Prendergast, K Moran, M Shanahan; S Molumphy, D Shanahan, T Ryan.

KILKENNY (SH v Limerick: R O’Neill; D Fogarty, N Hickey P.J. Delaney; T Walsh, J Tyrrell, J Tennyson; P Hartley, J Fitzpatrick; J Mulhall, D Lyng, T.J. Reid; E Larkin, M Comerford, A Fogarty

LIMERICK (SH v Kilkenny): T Flynn; D Lynch, D Kenny, S O’Neill; S O’Riordan, A Brennan, C King; N Quaid, P Browne; S Herlihy, B O’Sullivan, C Mullane; G Mulcahy, P McNamara, R McKeogh.

DUBLIN (SH v Galway): G Maguire; N Corcoran, T Brady, O Gough; S Hiney, J Boland, M O’Brien; J McCaffrey, S Durkin; P Kelly, L Rushe, S Lambert; D O’Callaghan, D Treacy, A McCrabbe.

LAOIS (SH v Wexford): E Reilly; B Stapleton, D Maher, C Healy; C Dunne, M Whelan, JA Delaney; M McEvoy, J Walsh; J Fitzpatrick, Z Keenan, W Hyland; T Fitzgerald, N Foyle, E Costelloe.

WESTMEATH (SH v Clare): B McLoughlin; C Jordan, A Price, P Greville; J Shaw, A Mitchell, D McCormack; E Price, L Smyth; J Clarke, D McNicholas, A Dowdall; C Curley, B Murtagh, D Carthy.

WATERFORD (SF v Kilkenny): T Wall; M O’Gorman, T O’Gorman, K Connery; T Grey, S Briggs, N Hennessy; M Ahearne, T Prendergast; B Wall, C McGrath, M Donnelly; L O’Líonáin, R Ahearne, W Hennessy.

LEITRIM (SF v Longford): E Lyons; D Beck, J McKeon, D Reynolds; J Glancy (St M), G Reynolds, W McKeon; S Canning, T Beirne; P McGuinness, D O’Connor, M Foley; P Howard, J Glancy (G/M), D Gilhooly.

DUBLIN U21F: V Whelan; E Culligan, R O’Carroll, J Cooper; D Nelson, J McCarthy, N Devereux; S Murray, M Coughlan; C Dorney, G McIntyre, G Sweeney; B O’Rourke, D Quinn (Na Fianna), D Rock.

WESTMEATH U21F: D Quinn; B Moran, K Maguire, R Doyle; G Egan, K Martin, J Dolan; J Durkan, D Corroon; P Sharry, J Heslin, C Lynam; I Coffey, C McCormack, J Egan.

SLIGO U21F: B McGovern; N Gaughan, G Gilsenan, Daniel Maye; R McGarigle, B O’Boyle, K Cawley; C Davey, C Burns; P Kelly, P Clarke, D Gilsenan; N Judge, David Maye, A Dunne.

ROSCOMMON U21F: D O’Malley; J Sharkey, N Collins, M Higgins; J McKeague, N Daly, E Bannon; N Carty, K Higgins; Paul Gravey, C Shine, B Murtagh; N Kilroy, D Shine, D McDermott.

WESTMEATH (SH v Clare): B McLoughlin; C Jordan, A Price, P Greville; J Shaw, A Mitchell, D McCormack; E Price, L Smyth; J Clarke, D McNicholas, A Dowdall; C Curley, B Murtagh, D Carthy.

LEITRIM (SF v Longford): E Lyons; D Beck, J McKeon, D Reynolds; J Glancy (St M), G Reynolds, W McKeon; S Canning, T Beirne; P McGuinness, D O’Connor, M Foley; P Howard, J Glancy (G/M), D Gilhooly.