Mulligan earns recall for Tyrone

MICKEY HARTE has made three changes to the Tyrone team that beat Roscommon for tomorrow’s All-Ireland quarter-final against Dublin. Justin McMahon replaces Ryan McMenamin, while Martin Penrose and Owen Mulligan come in for Tommy McGuigan and Kyle Coney.

Surprisingly, there is no place for McMenamin on the named bench despite him starting last weekend’s qualifier. Similarly, Stephen O’Neill, who came on late in the same game and declared his fitness during the week, has been omitted from the named 26-man panel.

Mulligan’s return three weeks after leaving the panel frustrated with lack of game time is a remarkable turnaround. Penrose’s recall is also surprising as he wasn’t brought on against Roscommon.

Meanwhile, James Horan says he has no problem with Mayo County Board running off a round of senior football championship fixtures this weekend. There had been rumours the Mayo management were unhappy at the decision. But manager Horan said: “No, all we’re hoping is for everybody to get through the weekend okay.”

County champions Ballintubber, home of Horan, will rest their county players for their SFC group 1 game against Crossmolina tomorrow as both clubs have already qualified for the knockout stages. That means Mayo captain Alan Dillon and Cillian O’Connor won’t be lining out.

Elsewhere, Micheál McDermott has confirmed to Clare GAA that he is interested in continuing as senior Clare team manager for another year.

TYRONE (SF v Dublin): P McConnell; M Swift, Joe McMahon, Justin McMahon; Seán O’Neill, C Gormley, P Jordan; K Hughes, S Cavanagh; C Cavanagh, B McGuigan, P Harte; M Penrose, M Donnelly, O Mulligan.

Subs: J Devine, D Carlin, A Cassidy, K Coney, B Dooher, D Harte, C McCarron, D McCaul, A McCrory, E McGinley, T McGuigan.