National Football League: Cork have made some enforced changes for Saturday's final regulation match against Fermanagh. Noel O'Leary and Anthony Lynch are missing from the defence because of injuries - knee and hamstring respectively. They are replaced by Noel O'Donovan and Gary Murphy.
With Roscarbery involved in the All-Ireland junior club championship, Micheál O'Sullivan and Kevin McMahon are also ruled out. Derek Kavanagh is O'Sullivan's indirect replacement, allowing Graham Canty to centrefield whereas Maurice McCarthy comes in for McMahon.
Meanwhile, there is worrying news for Laois with the disclosure that Pádraig Clancy will be absent for between six and eight weeks. Manager Mick O'Dwyer confirmed that the tall centrefielder may miss the county's first defence of their Leinster title against Carlow or Longford on May 30th. "He cut himself on a machine at work and he's just had to have an operation to graft ligaments from his arms onto the thumb. He'll be a loss, no doubt about that."
Dublin county board have confirmed that Diarmuid Healy, less than a year into his tenure as Director of Hurling in the capital, will significantly reduce his input from now on. "He feels that the commuting from Kilkenny is very stressful," according to Dublin Chief Executive John Costello, "and he has been offered a position in the commercial department of the new radio station in Kilkenny. We have no immediate plans to review the situation but are anxious to get coaches into the field and will be proceeding with those appointments."
Fast food chain McDonald's joined with the GAA yesterday to launch a campaign to improve the hurling and camogie skills of primary school children across Ireland. The Lift and Strike campaign, part of the GAA's Underage Strategic Plan, will see 40,000 hurling manuals, 20,000 sliotars and 10,000 hurls distributed to 2,000 primary schools covering both the traditionally strong and the developing hurling and camogie counties.
CORK (v Fermanagh): K O'Dwyer; S O'Brien, D Kavanagh, N O'Donovan; O Sexton, G Murphy, M Cronin; G Canty, D Hurley; A Cronin, C McCarthy, M McCarthy; P Clifford, F Murray, C Crowley.
TODAY
Munster MFC (6.30): Limerick v Tipperary, Fermoy, P Casey (Waterford); Clare v Kerry, Ennis, M Meade (Limerick); Waterford v Cork, Lemybrien, B Tyrell (Tipperary).
SATURDAY
National Football League - Division One A: Cork v Fermanagh, Páirc Uí Rinn, 7.30, S Doyle (Wexford). Leinster MFC: Kilkenny v Wexford, Kilkenny, 3.00, C Costelloe (Offaly); Longford v Carlow, Longford, 3.00, G McKenny (Louth). All-Ireland IFC club semi-final: Dundalk Gaels v St Michael's/Maghery, Clontibret, 6.45, F Flynn (Leitrim) et if necessary.
SUNDAY
National Football League (matches 3.30 unless stated), Division One A: Dublin v Longford, Parnell Park, F Barrett (Kildare); Tyrone v Kerry, Omagh, J Bannon (Longford) live TG4; Westmeath v Mayo, Mullingar, J White (Donegal). Division One B: Sligo v Meath, Markievicz Park, M Hughes (Tyrone); Limerick v Armagh, Gaelic Grounds, P Fox (Westmeath); Laois v Wexford, Portlaoise, E Murtagh (Longford); Cavan v Galway, Kingspan Breffni Park, P Finnegan (Louth). Division Two A: Clare v London, Cusack Park, 1.00, P Lyons (Kerry); Donegal v Carlow, Ballyshannon, B Crowe (Cavan); Roscommon v Leitrim, Hyde Park, M Brady (Cavan); Offaly v Monaghan, Tullamore, G Haugh (Limerick). Division Two B: Louth v Waterford, Drogheda, 2.30, M Henry (Cavan); Down v Kildare, Newcastle, S McCormack (Meath); Antrim v Wicklow, Casement Park, M Kolbohm (Tyrone); Tipperary v Derry, Thurles, E Whelan (Wexford). Division Three B: Fermanagh v Tyrone, Enniskillen, 3.30, RA Quinn (Derry).
SCHOOLS' FIXTURES: TOMORROW
All-Ireland Schools' semi-finals Senior 'B' Hurling: Nenagh CBS v Cistercian College, Roscrea, Templemore, 2.00, P Horan (Offaly) et if necessary. Senior 'C' Football: Presentation Carlow v St Joseph's Borrisoleigh, Portlaoise, 1.30, N Cooney (Offaly) et if necessary.
FRIDAY
All-Ireland VS Junior 'A' Football semi-final: Athlone CC v St Brendan's College, Belmullet, Ballyhaunis, 5.00. Junior 'A' Hurling semi-final: Roscrea CC v St Colman's HS, Draperstown, St Claire's DCU, 2.00.
