PETERS CANAVAN returns to inter county football on Sunday, coincidentally against Meath - the county against which he played his last full match. In that controversial All-Ireland semi-final last August, Canavan sustained the injury that has kept him out of action until recently.
Canavan is named at centre forward for Sunday in a team that shows six changes from the side beaten by Cavan - a result that forced Tyrone into this relegation play-off series.
Another former captain making a comeback is Ciaran Corr, who led Tyrone in the 1995 All-Ireland final. Corr is named at midfield, where he made such an impact earlier in his career, particularly when Tyrone reached the 1992 National Football League final.
The changes see the following dropped: Fay Devlin, Sean McLaughlin, Matt McGleenan, Brian Gormley and goalkeeper Finbarr McConnell. Jody Gormley is injured.
Into the side along with Canavan and Corr come Joe Cassidy, Paul Devlin, Noel Donnelly and Eoin Gormley.
Gerard Cavlan is in for a busy weekend after it was agreed that he could play for the Tyrone under-21 team in the Ulster championship against Armagh tomorrow.
Cavlan, who captains the side, is named on the senior team for their game against Meath at Clones.
Galway hurlers make only one change from the side that comfortably beat All-Ireland champions Wexford on the opening day of the National Hurling League season. Rory Gantley, who came on a substitute in Wexford Park, starts this weekend in place of Vinnie Maher.
None of the Athenry team who won the All-Ireland club championship final on St Patrick's Day were considered for selection. As Athenry's celebrations began, there were intimations of mortality elsewhere in the county with the confirmation last weekend that Kiltormer, All-Ireland champions only five years ago, had been relegated to intermediate status.
Given that there are 20 senior clubs in Galway, Kiltormer - whose epic semifinal against Cashel in 1992 could be legitimately described as the most memorable club tie of the 1990s so far - now rank no better than 21st within their county.
This Saturday sees further action for some of the Athenry players with the schools' finals. Both the Colleges' and Vocational Schools' deciders are between Athenry and Loughrea.
In the Colleges' encounter, Eugene Cloonan - Man of the Match in the club final and still a schoolboy - plays for Presentation Athenry against St Raphael's, which is the school where Galway manager Cyril Farrell is principal. St Raphael's are managed by John Hardiman, who came on as a substitute for Athenry against Wolfe Tones in the club final.
The Vocational School final is between Athenry and St Brigid's Jimmy Barry Murphy and his Cork selectors have made two changes for Sunday's NHL National Hurling League, Division Two trip to Belfast. Diarmuid O'Sullivan comes in at left corner back corner-back for the injured Liam Meaney and Seanie McGrath replaces Mick O'Connell on the left wing of the attack.
O'Sullivan was a minor last year and enjoyed a fine championship season with both Imokilly and Cloyne as the club and the division reached intermediate and senior finals respectively. Glen, Rover's McGrath captained last year's under-21s and was, according to Barry Murphy, "the best forward on view in Cork" during last year's championship.
More recently he distinguished himself with some lovely hurling for UCC as the college retained the Fitzgibbon Cup in the final weekend in Cork earlier this month. The only real question over his ability to make the grade at senior level is his slight build.
