Dublin, Tyrone tickets go on sale

TICKETS FOR the National Football League game between Dublin and Tyrone at Croke Park on January 31st are now on sale. The match has been switched to GAA headquarters as part of the 125th-year anniversary celebrations.

The floodlit spectacle starts at 7.30pm. Tickets can be purchased from the participating county boards, www.gaa.ie or Ticketmaster outlets nationwide. A stand ticket costs €20, €5 for juveniles and €10 for senior citizens, while a terrace ticket is €15.

Jason Sherlock, Tomás Quinn and Bernard Brogan are the notable exclusions from the 30-man Dublin football panel released by new manager Pat Gilroy yesterday that will play the Blue Stars in the annual fixture on New Year's Day at Páirc Barróg, Kilbarrack.

The trio have been included in the Blue Stars line-up along with other intercounty players Ross McConnell and Darren Magee.

Kilmacud Crokes' leading marksman Mark Vaughan is the only current Dublin player not included in either panel but this may be due to a recurring injury and the need to keep him in shape ahead of the All-Ireland club semi-finals in February.

The throw-in is 2pm and the match will be preceded, at 12.30, by Anthony Daly's first game in charge of the Dublin hurlers.

Meanwhile, Wicklow manager Mick O'Dwyer appears to have lost two decent players ahead of his third season at the helm after midfielder James Stafford from Rathnew and Derek Daly of newly crowned champions Kiltegan both emigrated to Australia in search of work.

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has named nine newcomers in his squad for the Dr McKenna Cup.

Aidan Cassidy of Augher, Gareth Devlin from Stewartstown, Colm Doris and Ryan O'Neill from county champions Clonoe, Omagh pair Jason McAnulla and Conor O'Donnell, Killyman's Peter McGahan, Niall McGinn of Eskra and Killyclogher's Martin Swift will get their chance to impress in the pre-season competition.

DUBLIN PANEL: Denis Bastick (Templeogue Synge St), Kevin Bonner (St Brigid's), Seán Breheny (St Jude's), Gerard Brennan (St Vincent's), Alan Brogan (St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh), James Brogan (St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh), Barry Cahill (St Brigid's), Paul Casey (Lucan Sarsfields), Stephen Cluxton (Parnells), Paul Conlon (St Vincent's), Diarmuid Connolly (St Vincent's), Bryan Cullen (Skerries Harps), Colin Daly (Skerries Harps), Tiernan Diamond (St Vincent's), Eamon Fennell (O'Toole's), Paul Flynn (Fingallians), David Henry (Raheny), Alan Hubbard (Ballymun Kickhams), Conal Keaney (Ballyboden St Enda's), Thomas McGrath (Fingal Ravens), Brendan McMenamon (St Jude's), David Mooney (O'Toole's), Colin Moran (Ballyboden St Enda's), Derek Murray (Round Tower's, Clondalkin), Stephen O'Shaughnessy (Lucan Sarsfields), Donal Ryan (Raheny), Shane Ryan (Naomh Mearnóg), Michael Savage (St Vincent's), Seamus Walsh (St Mary's, Saggart), Ciarán Whelan (Raheny).

BLUE STARS: D Nestor (Kilmacud Crokes); R O'Connor (St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh), K Nolan (Kilmacud Crokes), H Gill (St Vincent's); B Sexton (St Sylvesters), C O'Sullivan (Kilmacud Crokes), E Dolan (Ballymun Kickhams); R McConnell (St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh), D Magee (Kilmacud Crokes); P Burke (Kilmacud Crokes), T Furman (Ballymun Kickhams), G Smyth; B Brogan, J Sherlock (all St Oliver Plunkett's/Eoghan Ruadh), T Quinn (St Vincent's).