Cooney replaces Burke for Tribesmen’s battle with Banner

By Michael Moynihan

All-Ireland champions Galway make one change for this evening’s All-Ireland SHC semi-final against Clare (Croke Park, 5pm), with Conor Cooney starting up front in place of Niall Burke.

Suggestions earlier this week that in-form full-back Daithi Burke would struggle to be fit for this evening’s game proved unfounded, as manager Micheál Donoghue named 14 of the 15 who won the Leinster title.

Cooney is named at full-forward, but may be moved to accommodate Jonathan Glynn, named at wing-forward.

Cork will field the same side which started the Munster final against Limerick in tomorrow’s All-Ireland semi-final (Croke Park, 3pm) hoping to go one better than last year, when they lost to Waterford at the same stage.

The only doubt in the Cork camp related to captain Seamus Harnedy, who was believed to be under pressure to prove his fitness earlier in the week, but who is down to start tomorrow at full-forward. David Griffin makes way for Billy Hennessy in Cork’s match-day 26.

Limerick boss John Kiely has made no changes to the team which beat Kilkenny in the All-Ireland quarter-final, but there are two changes to the match-day squad. The experienced Tom Condon and Kevin Downes return to the 26, with David Dempsey and Paddy O’Loughlin out.

In other news, the GAA’s management committee met last night and is understood to have recommended that Páirc Uí Chaoimh be opened for the Liam Miller charity match. That recommendation is to be brought to the GAA’s Central Council today for approval.

The Irish Examiner understands that former Cork senior hurling selector Pat Ryan has dropped out of contention to replace Derek McGrath as Waterford senior hurling manager. Ryan, part of Kieran Kingston’s backroom team last year as Cork won the Munster senior title, was tipped to take over as Waterford boss but is understood to have ruled himself out.

GALWAY (SH v Clare):

J. Skehill, A. Tuohy, Daithi Burke, J. Hanbury, P. Mannion, G. McInerney, A. Harte, J. Coen, David Burke, J. Cooney, J. Canning, J. Glynn, C. Whelan, C. Cooney, C. Mannion.

CORK (SH v Limerick):

A. Nash, S. O’Donoghue, D. Cahalane, C. Spillane, C. Joyce, E. Cadogan, M. Coleman, B. Cooper, D. Fitzgibbon, D. Kearney, C. Lehane, L. Meade, S. Kingston, S. Harnedy, P. Horgan.

Subs:

G. Collins, C. O’Sullivan, M. Ellis, B. Hennessy, D. Brosnan, R. O’Flynn, J. O’Connor, M. Cahalane, B. Lawton, R. O’Shea.

LIMERICK (SH V Cork):

N. Quaid, S. Finn, M. Casey, R. English, D. Byrnes, D. Hannon (c), D. Morrissey, D. O’Donovan, C. Lynch, G. Hegarty, K. Hayes, T. Morrissey, A. Gillane, S. Flanagan, G. Mulcahy.

Subs:

B. Hennessy, P. Casey, T. Condon, S. Dowling, K. Downes, S. Hickey, R. McCarthy, B. Nash, W. O’Donoghue, D. Reidy, P. Ryan.

KILKENNY (MH v Tipperary):

J. Brennan, P. Dempsey, J. Young, D. Crehan, D. Maher, S. Staunton, J. Harkin, C. Kelly, C. Kenny, J. Morrissey, C. Brennan, G. Murphy, C. O’Leary, D. Coogan, J. Buggy.

Subs:

S. Keoghan, H. Walsh, P. Moylan, D. Fogarty, C. Korff, K. Rudkins, W. Halpin, K. Hogan, E. Guilfoyle.

TIPPERARY (MH v Kilkenny):

A. Browne, C. O’Dwyer, C. Whlan, K. Hayes, J. Ryan (c), S. Phelan, F. Hanafin, M. Hackett, J. Campion, S. Hayes, C. O’Farrell, K. O’Kelly, D. Ryan, R. Renehan, J. Devaney.

Subs:

E. Dunphy, K. Maher, M. O’Shea, K. Ryan, J. Morrissey, B. O’Connor, J. Lanigan, J. Synnott, D. Flood.