Galway get the final go-ahead

Galway look to be finally about to unveil their representative in this year's Connacht football championship. The county final between Annaghdown and Corofin goes ahead on Sunday, the same day the winners were originally due to play Sligo champions Eastern Harps in the preliminary round of the provincial championship.

Last night the Connacht Council decided to postpone that championship fixture another week, until November 10th, with the winners then progressing to meet Roscommon champions Strokestown in the semi-final (to be take place on November 17th). In both cases extra-time will be played if necessary.

Crossmolina (Mayo) will play Allen Gaels (Leitrim) in the first semi-final, on Sunday. The final will be played on December 1st, two weeks later than scheduled.

The main reason for the hold-up, according to Connacht Council secretary John Prenty, was Killererin's ultimately unsuccessful objection last month to their disqualification from the Galway championship (for refusing to play extra-time against Carraroe in the quarter-final).

Last Sunday's semi-final between Annaghdown and Mountbellew-Moylough had also been delayed because of the involvement of Mountbellew's Joe Bergin in the International Rules series with Australia.

Donegal had already failed to get their football championship concluded before their Ulster championship fixture. Two other county football titles still have to be decided on Sunday week, in Kerry (Kerins O'Rahillys against Kilcummin) and in Meath (Dunshaughlin versus Trim), but both counties have received the necessary extensions to make their provincial championship dates.

The annual interprovincial championship (Railway Cups) are also set for this weekend, with the football acting as a curtain-raiser to the Galway football final at the revamped Pearse Stadium in Galway.

Both interprovincial football semi-finals will be played at Pearse Stadium (Munster v Ulster, and Connacht v Leinster), with the final set for Sunday at 1.30. The Galway final follows at 3.0.

The competition will also represent the first major event to be played in the stadium since its extensive redevelopment and Connacht, under the management of John Tobin, are expected to draw a respectable crowd.

Nowlan Park in Kikenny will stage the hurling, featuring Munster against Ulster and Connacht against Leinster in the semi-finals. Leinster, under the management of former Kilkenny goalkeeper Noel Skehan, will be favourites.

Also to be decided on Sunday is the Tipperary hurling final between Mullinahone and Thurles Sarsfields, with the winners going on to play Mount Sion in the Munster club semi-final. Thurles have the greater tradition, having won 27 senior county titles, the last of which came in 1974.

Mullinahone have yet to win the title, but only entered the senior grade in 1992. There from the beginning was player-manager John Leahy.

Almost all the Mullinahone panel has come through from the club's under-12 grade, including key player Eoin Kelly. His brother Paul, along with fellow intercounty players Brian O'Meara and Paul Curran will also line out on Sunday, as will Leahy, who featured at full forward in the one-point semi-final win over holders Toomevara.

ULSTER SF SQUAD: S McGreevy (Antrim), E McNulty (Armagh), C Lawn (Tyrone), C Gormley (Tyrone), R McMenamin (Tyrone), P McFlynn (Derry), K Cassidy (Donegal), P McGrane (Armagh, capt), J Gildea (Donegal), K Hughes (Tyrone), Rory Gallagher (Fermanagh), M Hegarty (Donegal), A Sweeney (Donegal), R Clarke (Armagh), D Marsden (Armagh), B Grant (Down), J McNulty (Armagh), R Sweeney (Donegal), A McCann (Armagh), F Doherty (Derry), B Coulter (Down), L Doyle (Down), T Freeman (Monaghan), J McGuinness (Donegal), L Reilly (Cavan), P Reilly (Cavan), M Walsh (Down), Ronan Gallagher (Fermanagh).