Kelleher won't be derailed by dual blows

This weekend marked yet another sign of the impending death of the dual player at senior intercounty level, with Dublin's Conal Keaney - arguably the finest hurler in the county - deciding to concentrate solely on football for the new season.

Keaney was due to play in Sunday's Blue Stars hurling challenge, and while he pulled out of that game through illness, he'd also informed Dublin hurling manager Humphrey Kelleher of his decision to commit to football for the foreseeable future.

Keaney's decision follows that of another Dublin dual player, David O'Callaghan, who has also abandoned his hurling at county level for the time being.

Kelleher was yesterday adopting a philosophical attitude towards their decision, but clearly the loss of a player of Keaney's calibre has deprived him of the sort of talent not easily replaced in Dublin.

"Well, I'd spoken with Conal at the end of the week," said Kelleher, "and he'd indicated to me that he was concentrating on football. Obviously I was very disappointed, but I accept his decision and wish him the best of luck.

"Conal didn't go into detail, except that it was totally his own decision. He had his mind made, and had thought long and hard about it over the Christmas. And it was the same with David O'Callaghan.

"But this is not new to Dublin hurling, and I've done a lot of work in getting new players into our squad. So I'll just have to get on with the players I have."

Kelleher has yet to sit down with new Dublin football manager Paul Caffrey to discuss the issue of dual players. "It was quite hectic on Sunday, so I didn't get to speak to Paul about this. Ultimately, though, it boils down to the individual player. Last year Conal played both, and that was his decision."

In reality, only two other Dublin players, Shane Ryan and David Henry, are still in contention to play both codes. Right now Kelleher doesn't expect to have either of them. "Still, my philosophy is that the door is open to these people all the time. And the door is definitely open to Conal to return whenever he wants, as it is for David O'Callaghan. But they'll have to decide what they want for themselves."

Wexford's first football All Star, Matty Forde, recently announced his plans to play both football and hurling for the new season, and football manager Pat Roe has said he won't stand in his way. Yet it remains to be seen if Forde can handle both codes when the season truly takes off.

The Leinster Council, meanwhile, have confirmed the schedule for this Sunday's O'Byrne Cup semi-finals. Laois with host Kildare at Portlaoise, while Louth will host Westmeath at Drogheda. Both games will have a 2.0 start.

Laois manager Mick O'Dwyer is dealing with the loss of another of his main play-makers with the news that centre back Tom Kelly broke a collarbone in Sunday's landslide O'Byrne Cup victory over Kilkenny.

Laois came out with a 5-22 to 0-1 victory, but there was some cost incurred as Kelly will now miss at least the first three rounds of the National football league - against Limerick, Sligo and Armagh. The 2003 All Star came off midway through the second half, and an X-ray at Tullamore Hospital confirmed the break.

O'Dwyer is already planning his league campaign without the services of Joe Higgins and Beano McDonald, who remain on their long roads of rehabilitation following the injuries sustained in last summer's championship.

The weekend's O'Byrne Cup matches in Leinster did produce €35,000 towards the Asian tsunami fund from the gate receipts alone, and the Leinster Council will also be adding their own contribution as well as that from individual county boards.