Fennelly to ease into post

Kevin Fennelly will not be in charge of the Dublin hurling team to face Wexford in Sunday's Walsh Cup semi-final in Ferns. He is to make a gradual transition to the post and only met the players for the first time at training in Belfield last night.

UCD manager Dave Billings has looked after Dublin's training sessions and team selection since the start of the year and he will continue in that role for Sunday's game.

"We didn't want to push Kevin too quickly, and put him under any immediate pressure," said Dublin county board secretary John Costello yesterday. "Of course he will be there on Sunday, but he won't play any active part in the selection or decision-making on the sideline."

Fennelly was officially unveiled as Dublin manager last Monday but the selectors have yet to be finalised.

Wexford manager Tony Dempsey has juggled a number of positions, most notably by naming Rod Guiney at full-back as they seek a seventh consecutive Walsh Cup.

Joining Guiney in the full back line is twin brother David, and with Darragh Ryan on holidays with his club St Anne's, the centre back position has been left vacant. There is a new midfield pairing of Rory Stafford and Colm O'Loughlin.

The Dublin footballers, meanwhile, travel to Wicklow for their opening game in the O'Byrne Cup. Manager Tom Carr will finalise his team this evening but he is set to be without Wayne McCarthy and Alan Brogan, who are involved in a challenge match with the under-21 side.

Wicklow manager Mosses Coffey won't name his side until Sunday morning as a number of under-21 players are also on duty the day before.

As the competitive season gradually gets back in motion, the GAA's Games Administration Committee has already started to deal with a number of fixture problems. The opening National Hurling league fixture between Kilkenny and Cork has been moved from February 4th to Saturday February 24th.

Kilkenny have just departed for a holiday in Thailand and don't return until four days before they were due to start their league campaign.

Cork agreed to the change and the All-Ireland champions will start their season against Laois on February 11th.

Still to be sorted out is the twice postponed Dublin-Kerry National Football League fixture. February 4th was mooted as the new date but Dublin have a first round game in the under-21 championship that same day and instead have suggested March 4th.

Elsewhere, the Connacht Council met last night to discuss the offer from the New York Board to play the first round of the Connacht football championship against Roscommon in New York.

The board are willing to pay $30,000 towards the cost of Roscommon's trip. The problem for New York is that a number of players are unwilling to travel home due to fears of not getting back into the US. The offer is expected to be rejected.

A full-size indoor hurling pitch is part of a £20 million sports complex being planned for the Tipperary Institute at Thurles. The complex will also cater for indoor rugby/soccer, badminton and basketball and the IRFU and FAI have expressed interest.

Wexford (SH v Dublin): D Fitzhenry; C Kehoe, R Guiney, D Guiney; L Dunne, AN Other, M Jordan; C O'Loughlin, R Stafford; K Furlong, M Byrne, M Jacob; R McCarthy, L Murphy, R Keogh.