Team news: O’Mahony and O’Connell back for Cork's semi-final showdown with Galway

The Rebels' favoured midfield duo missed the quarter-final win over Offaly.

BACK IN THE SWING: Cork's returning midfielder Tommy O’Connell. Pic: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Both Tommy O’Connell and Tim O’Mahony come back into the Cork midfield for Saturday’s All-Ireland semi-final, but there is no return to the starting line-up for William Buckley as Alan Walsh holds on for just a second-ever championship start.

Cork’s favoured midfield partnership of O’Connell and O’Mahony sat out the quarter-final win over Offaly because of a broken thumb and dead leg respectively. That those injuries have cleared up in time for the weekend’s semi-final action sees Brian Roche and Hugh O’Connor return to the bench.

In the battle for the third spot in the inside line, the nod has gone to Alan Walsh. The Kanturk clubman seized his first championship start, last time out against Offaly, by shooting 2-1. William Buckley, who owned that particular shirt for the entirety of the Munster campaign, is again kept in reserve.

The return of O’Mahony and O’Connell, as well as Cormac O'Brien among the subs, has resulted in Pádraig Power, Micheál Mullins, and Ethan Twomey dropping out of the matchday 26.

CORK (All-Ireland SHC v Galway): Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig); Niall O’Leary (Castlelyons), Damien Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), Seán O’Donoghue (Inniscarra); Eoin Downey (Glen Rovers), Robert Downey (Glen Rovers), Mark Coleman (Blarney); Tim O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum), Tommy O’Connell (Midleton); Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville, captain), Shane Barrett (Blarney), Diarmuid Healy (Lisgoold); Alan Walsh (Kanturk), Alan Connolly (Blackrock), Brian Hayes (St Finbarr’s).

Subs: Paudie O’Sullivan (Fr O’Neill’s), Ger Millerick (Fr O’Neill’s), Eoin Roche (Bride Rovers), Cormac O’Brien (Newtownshandrum), Brian Roche (Bride Rovers), Hugh O’Connor (Newmarket), Robbie O’Flynn (Erin’s Own), Shane Kingston (Douglas), Séamus Harnedy (St Ita’s), William Buckley (St Finbarr’s), Barry Walsh (Killeagh).

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