Club duty rules out Walsh as Finlay steps up

INTERNATIONAL RULES NEWS ROUND-UP:THE RARE GAA conflict between club and international duty has denied Kerry forward Tommy Walsh the chance to represent Ireland in the International Rules series with Australia later this month.

Ireland manager Seán Boylan yesterday announced Walsh would be replaced on his 27-man panel by Monaghan's Paul Finlay, with the team departing on Saturday. Walsh was one of four Kerry players announced on the panel earlier this month, but since then his club Kerins O'Rahilly's have progressed to the county semi-final, set for Sunday week, and with the Kerry County Board unable to move that fixture, Walsh thus misses out. "We are disappointed Tommy is unable to travel," explained Boylan, "but in Paul Finlay we have a very capable and experienced replacement."

Finlay was one of six reserve players announced along with the original 27-man squad. Yet it still looks as if there will be some club and international conflict with Finlay, as his club, Ballybay Pearse, are due to play in an Ulster club intermediate championship game against the Tyrone champions on October 26th, with the player in question therefore likely to miss out on that.

Earlier this week, Kerry county secretary Eamonn O'Sullivan explained the situation surrounding Walsh's potential conflict: "There's no way to accommodate a change in fixtures because this Sunday we have a junior championship quarter-final and Renard are involved in that, so the South Kerry game can't be brought forward. Then the Kerry representatives are meant to be playing Nemo Rangers in the Munster championship on November 9th so our final has to be on the week after the semi-finals."

Walsh's county team-mate Killian Young is still set to travel even though he was on the South Kerry team that defeated Feale Rangers at the weekend. Young will remain behind to play with Renard in their quarter-final replay against Cromane but is still planning to travel to Australia after that.

Despite the difficulties in getting club fixtures postponed to accommodate international duty, GAA president Nickey Brennan was yesterday adamant club duty had to be the priority. He said: "We've said that anyone on the International Rules team has to play for their club this weekend, if they have too, and if it's possible to accommodate games without undue hassle to the fixtures structure then fine, but club games take priority over International Rules."

It appears Dublin forward Bernard Brogan will also miss the trip. He scored three late points to send St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh into the Dublin county final on Monday night, and with the other semi-final going to a replay, that final has been rescheduled for October 23rd - the day before the first test in Perth.

The semi-final replay between Kilmacud Crokes and St Vincent's has been confirmed for this Sunday at Parnell Park (2.15pm) - with the remaining fixtures also confirmed yesterday - Dublin SFC final: Thursday, October 23rd in Parnell Park (7.45pm); SHC semi-finals: October 26th in Parnell Park, Crumlin v Kilmacud Crokes at 2-15pm and Ballyboden St Enda's v Lucan Sarsfields (4pm); SHC final: November 2nd in Parnell Park at 4pm