Three Kilkenny players have been named among the substitutes who will travel with the Eircell GAA All Star hurling team to Boston for their exhibition game against the newly crowned All-Ireland champions Cork next month. The All Star team itself is the same as the 1998 All Stars announced last December.

Brian McEvoy, Peter Barry and Andy Comerford were central to Kilkenny gaining a place in a second consecutive All-Ireland final and were selected as substitutes on that basis.

Also included are Clare's Niall Gilligan, who was something of a lone star at full forward throughout a season when the Munster team fired fitfully, Offaly's Simon Whelahan - considered unlucky not to receive an All Star last year - and his team-mate, midfielder Johnny Dooley.

Selection was based on displays over the past two seasons and thus players from Offaly, Kilkenny and Clare feature heavily. D J Carey is a noticeable absentee; the Kilkenny star was selected for the replacement bench but was unable to travel. Tipperary's Tommy Dunne was unlucky given his brilliantly consistent performances throughout the league and in the early part of the Munster championship, but it is in general difficult to argue with the selections in the 21-strong squad.

The fact that the current All Star team is devoid of Cork players (who would have been replaced to facilitate their availability to the county had such a scenario arisen) highlights how sweeping their re-emergence as the sport's pre-eminent force has been.

The selection process means that the All Star squad will feature two sets of brothers; Simon Whelahan joins his brother Brian, while Johnny Dooley will accompany his brother Joe.

The team departs on Thursday, October 14th and the match takes place in the Irish Centre in South Canton, Boston on Sunday, October 17th. Brian Cody, the Kilkenny manager, will travel with the team as manager. The match will be followed by another meeting of the All-Ireland football champions Meath and beaten finalists Cork.

Meanwhile, with the All-Ireland championship settled, the attention immediately switches to the club competition.

The first round of the Ulster championship is scheduled for Sunday with reigning All-Ireland champions Crossmaglen Rangers opening their defence with a visit to Cavan to play county champions Gowna.

Other favourites to emerge from Ulster include Bellaghy of Derry, who are away to Monaghan representatives Castleblayney and Carrickmore from Tyrone, who will be expected to overcome Cargin, the Antrim champions.

The Galway county champions Killererin must await the outcome of Saturday evening's Mayo county final to discover who their opponents will be in the first round of the Connacht club championship.

Ballina Stephenites, the beaten All-Ireland finalists this year, are again on the threshold of another run; their opponents are Crossmolina.

Kilmacud Crokes, the current Dublin county champions who were beaten by Eire Og in the Leinster club final this year, are still in line to defend their title; they take on Na Fianna in the county semi-final on Saturday at Parnell Park.

St Brigid's of Blanchardstown, meanwhile, face Ballyboden St Enda's in the other semi-final.

Other prominent club names yet again feature in the latter stages of the local championships. Birr, the All-Ireland club hurling champions two seasons ago, have again qualified for the senior final and face St Rynagh's on Sunday.

St Joseph's Doora-Barefield, the reigning club hurling All-Ireland champions from Clare, unsurprisingly will feature in the semi-finals in that competition; they are due to face Clarecastle on Sunday week.

Cork, despite their protracted and successful involvement in the All-Ireland championship, have already reached the semi-final of the local competition.

Cork captain Mark Landers will be in action for divisional side Imokilly, who take on a UCC side featuring sharp-shooter Joe Deane. The Blackrock All-Ireland defensive trio of Fergal Ryan, John Browne and Wayne Sherlock all line out in the other semi-final against St Finbarr's, Jimmy Barry-Murphy's local club.

Galway will be without the services of Sean Og de Paor, Shay Walsh and Derek Savage for the first round of the league campaign. De Paor, who travels on Sunday to Australia with the International Rules squad, intends taking an extended holiday Down Under.

Walsh and Savage are also spending a couple of months in Australia. All three will be back in training and available for selection in the new year.