O hAilpins: The Ó hAilpíns might not be the first brothers to play for Ireland, but they're certainly the first to be picked while not playing intercounty football.

The inclusion of Setanta was expected once his injury concerns had cleared up, given his year's experience of the AFL, but the call-up a few weeks ago of Seán after a summer that yielded an All-Ireland and top shot at hurler of the year was a surprise.

"When I was asked to come up I was under no illusions," he said at yesterday's Vodafone Player of the Month presentations, where he was picking up the hurling award for September.

"Pete McGrath said there's no guarantees but we'd just like to see you.

"So I went up the last three weekends, and if anything I found it enjoyable and a break from the hurling. The real thing at the back of my mind was the opportunity to represent Ireland, which in GAA you don't get."

He's also looking forward to playing again with his brother, whose switch to AFL has given him useful insights into the opponents.

"He's more adapted to it after his year out in Australia. He's more familiar with the mark, the tackle. His problem - ironically enough - is trying to convert to the round ball, because he's been kicking the oval ball for the past year.

"He's been able to give me good tips for the past three weekends in terms of the Australian psyche, and there's one or two of his team-mates who trained with Australia and he has a knowledge of their top players."

Manager Peter McGrath outlined what commended the older Ó hAilpín to him and his selectors over the past number of weeks.

"He's a very accomplished Gaelic footballer and would walk on to most intercounty teams if he wasn't concentrating on hurling. He performed exceptionally in the trial matches, especially in Croke Park on Friday. He's a natural athlete, fit and strong, and exceeded the expectations I had of him. I was taken by his focus, determination to do well and willingness to listen."

The player hasn't played football for Cork since the 2000 Munster championship against Kerry in Killarney but still plays with his club.

"I'm still active in club football. I intended to continue the two in 2003, but when Donal came in there were about three or four dual players, and he said, 'look, it's either one or the other', and we respected what he said. Being from Cork City I would tend towards the hurling."

Meanwhile, the expulsion of two camogie clubs after they were involved in a mass brawl in a match in July has been overturned on appeal to the National Committee.

Kiltegan - reigning Wicklow senior champions - and Annacurra received their life-bans from the county committee after their championship semi-final had to be abandoned as a result of unseemly scenes involving almost all the 30 players.