Hurlers lend helping hand

The Offaly senior hurling panel yesterday offered their full support to their football counterparts, who last month withdrew their services over grievances with the county board. The hurlers met the footballers for the first time on Thursday night, and yesterday hurler Brian Whelahan explained the outcome.

"We realised we do share a lot of common ground, share the same sort of concerns, and also felt we had to offer our full support," he said.

"But I wouldn't go as far as to say it is a withdrawal of services, simply because the county team isn't training at the moment, we don't have a manager, and so you can't withdraw from something that you're not doing.

"But there are ongoing discussions, and we are ready to meet now with the county board, who are already in the process of appointing a new manager. And I honestly feel the whole thing can be resolved shortly."

The hurlers' statement issued earlier yesterday added: "A process of mediation has taken place to try to resolve these differences and during this process a list of terms and conditions are being drawn up."

It added representatives of both squads would meet the Offaly County Board soon.

Meanwhile, the GAA have announced the Irish senior and under-21 hurling-shinty panels that will play Scotland on Saturday week at Ratoath, and also the camogie-shinty panel.

IRISH SENIOR PANEL: M Brennan (Meath), P Mahon (Laois), J Bermingham (Wicklow), B Murtagh (Westmeath), G Savage (Down), P Reidy (Kildare), G Clarke (Down), M Connaughton (Roscommon), D McCormack (Westmeath), P Seevers (Sligo), J Young (Laois), A Mitchell (Westmeath), A McAndrew (Kildare), N Campbell (Donegal), M McHugh (Monaghan), M Cole (Meath), F Bannon (Fermanagh), JM Dooley (Kerry).

UNDER-21 PANEL: S Kavanagh (Carlow), I McCarthy (Kerry), M McEvoy (Laois), D Carty (Westmeath), K Higgins (Mayo), P Beirne (Kildare), K McGarry (Fermanagh), S Clynch (Meath), B O'Brien (Monaghan), C McErlean (Tyrone), B McGourty (Down), J Donnelly (Donegal), M McGrath (Donegal), S Curley (Roscommon) P Breen (Armagh), K English (Carlow), L Himphey (Derry), J Rowney (Laois).

CAMOGIE-SHINTY PANEL: D Twomey (Cork), E O'Riordan (Cork), P Hayes (Galway), D Codd (Wexford), M Leacy (Wexford), R Buckley (Cork), C Kelly (Galway), K McAuley (Derry), A Geary (Cork), S McAuliffe (Limerick), U Jacob (Wexford), C McCloy (Derry), B Hanney (Galway), B Corkery (Cork), C Bowes (Galway), M Tynan (Galway), M Finnerty (Galway), B Convery (Derry), S O'Kane (Antrim), M McGuigan (Armagh), J Frisby (Kilkenny), B Furlong (Wexford), C O'Connor (Wexford), M Ryan (Tipperary), E O'Doherty (Derry).