News: Kildare veterans Glenn Ryan and Dermot Earley are expected to shake off recent injuries ahead of John Crofton's first Leinster championship match as football manager on May 28th.
Ryan pulled a hamstring playing club football with Round Towers recently but has since returned to training.
The 33-year-old has been a fixture at centre back during the national league. Earley broke his collarbone against Derry in the league encounter on March 5th.
"I've been back running for four weeks with a bit of contact and a small bit of football two weeks ago," said Earley, speaking at yesterday's All-Ireland under-21 football final launch.
"Glenn is shaping up fine. They'll be ready. Himself and Anthony Rainbow have been around for a long time. They are the senior men on the panel but they are as fit as I've ever seen them and I've been in the panel since '97. It's great to have them there," added Earley.
Rainbow and Ryan are the most senior players in the Kildare panel and despite being dinosaurs in football terms, show no sign of fading.
"They were my age now when I started. It's in the blood. They are just so passionate about it. They are doing a job and have been all through the league," said Earley.
Kildare play the winners of Westmeath and Offaly in the Leinster quarter-final at Croke Park on May 28th.
Westmeath are having a disastrous lead up to this match on Sunday week, in Croke Park, as their best player, Dessie Dolan, is certain to miss a summer of football due to a recurring groin problem.
Down manager Paddy O'Rourke has selected a full strength side for the Ulster championship preliminary round tie against Cavan.
Benny Coulter leads a side, at Casement Park this Sunday, that has been tipped to potentially make a breakthrough in Ulster after a 12-year gap since their last title.
Right-half forward Eoin McCartan is the only player not to have played regularly during last year's championship.
The Cavan team will be revealed later today as manager Martin McElkennon gives Jason O'Reilly and Larry Reilly time to recover from niggling injuries. Cavan have not won an Ulster title since 1997. The winner on Sunday will play Donegal on June 4th.
The opening hurling championship game takes place in London this Sunday as Antrim travel to Ruislip on Saturday night ahead of the meeting with the Nicky Rackard champions.
London have four Antrim men in their panel; Kevin McMullan, Seán Kelly, Seán Quinn and Mark Trainor. The absence of full-back and captain Tom Simms (groin) and centreback Fergal McMahon (ankle) may be detrimental to the home team producing a shock.
Meanwhile, the Ulster Council of the GAA launched the Casement Park floodlighting project at the Belfast ground last night.
Mayo and Cork have named the same teams that played in the semi-finals of the All-Ireland under-21 championship for Sunday's final in Ennis.
DOWN (SF v Cavan): B McVey; M Cole, B Grant, D McCartan; P Murphy, J Clarke, D Rafferty; A Molloy, D Gordon; E McCartan, A Rogers, D Hughes; L Doyle, B Coulter, M Walsh.
CORK (Under-21 v Mayo): K O'Halloran; R Carey, C Murphy, S O'Donoghue; D Limerick, M Shields, E Cadogan; A O'Connor, P Kelly; F Goold, C Keane, P Kerrigan; D Goulding, P O'Flynn, J Hayes.
MAYO (Under-21 v Cork): K O'Malley; T Howley, G Cafferky, K Higgins; C Barrett; T Canniffe, C Boyle; S O'Shea, B Moran; A Campbell, J Dillon, A Kilcoyne; M Ronaldson, M Hannick, M Conroy.
