Geraghty starts up front

Meath have named Graham Geraghty at full forward for Sunday's Leinster football championship first-round clash against Louth at Croke Park.

Having briefly played in the defence in the latter stages of the league, Geraghty is back in his more familiar position for Eamonn Barry's first championship team as Meath manager.

There are two championship debutants in forward Peter Curran and defender Niall McLoughlin, while Mark Ward will make his first championship start at midfield alongside team captain Nigel Crawford.

Fit-again Daithi Regan starts at corner forward, with Brian Farrell in the other corner, while Joe Sheridan starts at centre forward.

The experienced Damien Healy captains Westmeath in their meeting with Offaly, also in Croke Park, with manager Tomás Ó Flaharta also introducing four championship debutants.

Gary Glennon retains his place at left half back after some impressive showings in the league. In the half-forward line, Castledaly's Gordon Duffy starts at right half forward, while John Smyth from county champions The Downs will play his first senior competitive match for the county, at left half forward. PJ Ward, a Leinster minor medallist in 2000, also gets his first start, at right full forward.

The absence of groin injury victim Dessie Dolan, however, robs Westmeath of their main scoring threat. "It's a huge, huge loss," said selector and county secretary Paddy Collins. "It's really impossible to fully quantify the loss. I think Dessie is a player that would walk into any team, but we'll just have to hope the other players can make up for it."

There was some good news in that Alan Mangan was passed fit top start at corner forward. There is still considerable experience elsewhere, including 2004 Leinster championship winners Gary Connaughton in goal, James Davitt and John Keane in the full-back line, midfielder David O'Shaughnessy, and full forward Denis Glennon.

Monaghan manager Séamus McEnaney has named his strongest team for Sunday's Ulster quarter-final with champions Armagh. Three key players make their return - Gary McQuaid, Raymond Ronaghan and James McElroy - and there are no championship debutants among the starting 15.

McQuaid has returned to full fitness after injury and plays at corner back, with Ronaghan and McElroy starting at full forward and wing forward respectively after being recently recalled to the panel. Captain Damien Freeman reverts to half back, and defender Donal Morgan, a regular during the league, loses out.

MEATH (SF v Louth): B Murphy; N McLoughlin, K Reilly, N McKeigue; S Mac Gabhan, C King, S Kenny; N Crawford, M Ward; P Curran, J Sheridan, P Byrne; D Regan, G Geraghty, B Farrell.

WESTMEATH (SF v Offaly): G Connaughton; J Davitt, M Ennis, J Keane; D Healy, D O'Donoghue, G Glennon; D Duffy, D O'Shaughnessy; G Duffy, G Dolan, J Smyth; PJ Ward, D Glennon, A Mangan.

MONAGHAN (SF v Armagh): S Duffy; G McQuaid, J Coyle, C Flanagan; D Freeman, V Corey, D McArdle; E Lennon, P Finlay; D Clerkin, S Gollogly, J McElroy; T Freeman, R Ronaghan, R Woods.