Clare appoint Considine, Dublin football championship in turmoil

Tony Considine was ratified as the Clare hurling manager for a two-year period at last night's county board meeting.

Clare chairman Michael McDonagh proposed Considine, a selector during the Ger Loughnane era, to the 13-man executive committee who unanimously supported the candidate. The county delegates subsequently ratified Considine by 37 votes to six.

Considine has never managed an intercounty team. His most successful achievement at club level came last year when he guided Limerick's Garryspillane to their first county title, a feat that put him in pole position to become the next Limerick boss.

Mike McNamara, also a selector under Loughnane, had been widely expected to succeed Anthony Daly, but discussions over the weekend led to Considine accepting the role that will require a rebuilding process following the retirements of Brian Lohan and Seánie McMahon. Considine has been afforded a free rein to select a backroom team.

Meanwhile, the Dublin football championship has been thrown into turmoil after an objection by St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh on the eligibility of Na Fianna player Gary Mullin, who played in the clubs' quarter-final meeting last Saturday.

The Dublin GAC have postponed tomorrow's semi-final between Na Fianna and St Vincent's until after Friday night's hearing.

Regardless of the hearing's outcome, appeals to the Leinster Council and eventually the disputes resolution authority are expected to last several weeks.

Mullin was a second-half substitute for Na Fianna in their 1-15 to 3-8 victory over Plunketts, after the Glasnevin club received an interim clearing for him to play despite his suspension earlier this season in Chicago.

The Dublin GAC informed Kilmacud Crokes and UCD that the other semi-final will go ahead as planned at Parnell Park.

However, Kilmacud have requested an emergency meeting of the county board after a request to postpone the fixture was rejected. "It is club policy in Kilmacud Crokes that we will not play our semi-final until we know the date of the other semi-final," said spokesman Martin Glynn.

"A similar situation happened to us two years ago in the intermediate championship when an incident in the other semi-final between St Brigid's and Parnells held up the final for six weeks. We played our semi-final, but were left waiting."

He added: "The winners from our semi-final would be inactive for at least three to four weeks before the final."