A new club competition received its official launch in Tralee last night when the Munster club football league was unveiled in the clubhouse of Kerins O'Rahilly's. The competition, which has been in progress since just before Christmas, is being contested by 22 clubs, drawn from every county in the province.
The competition is designed to afford clubs, particularly the bigger urban clubs, an outlet for competitive action in the relatively quiet months at the beginning of the year. As any sort of overlap with the inter-county season is to be avoided, teams will fulfill their fixtures regardless of the availability of their county players.
Yesterday's function was organised by competition sponsors AIB to mark the presentation of a trophy by the family of the late John Dowling to commemorate the renowned former Kerry footballer, who captained his county to victory over Dublin in one of the most famous of All-Ireland finals, in 1955.
Sean Kelly, chairman of the Munster Council, stressed at the launch that although the competition is not yet an official provincial council event, that it has the blessing of the council.
"It's not officially a Munster Council competition, but we will be overseeing it. Disciplinary matters will be dealt with by the council and it has the support of the counties. This year, entry has been by application and we'll see how that goes. "It's organised in the off-season so as not to interfere with intercounty competition, but it has been aimed at the larger urban clubs because they have the playing resources to keep going in the absence of their county footballers."
Kelly also confirmed his intentions in relation to the GAA presidency which will be on the clar of this year's Annual Congress in April when the successor to Joe McDonagh, whose term concludes next year, will be elected. A former chairman of the Kerry County board, Kelly would be the first person from his county to contest the highest office in the association.
So far, the front-runners are Sean McCague from Monaghan, who was runner-up to McDonagh three years ago; Longford's Albert Fallon, a former Leinster Council chairman; and Clare's Noel Walsh, Kelly's predecessor as Munster chairman. Kelly re-iterated his intention to become Kerry's first candidate, but maybe not this time around.
"I have stated that I will not run unless Noel Walsh withdraws, but I will definitely stand in the following election," he said.
Meanwhile, in Connacht, Mayo and Galway have named their team for tomorrow's Connacht League match in Clonbur. The reprise of last May's acclaimed Connacht championship first-round match sees both sides in seasonally experimental form. Galway will field only six of the team that started last year's All-Ireland final, and Mayo feature a number of players yet to play championship.
Good news for the champions is the return of centre back John Divilly for his first match since the victory over Kildare last September. Divilly had been troubled with injury but completed a successful comeback for UCD in their pre-Sigerson Cup warm-up match with Leinster club finalists Eire Og last Sunday and resumes at the heart of the defence for the county tomorrow.
John Donnellan, brother of Michael, lines out again at left corner forward after his six-point haul in last week's Connacht League victory over Sligo. Donnellan missed the championship because of a cruciate injury but played very well against Mayo in the 1997 first-round meeting in Tuam when he scored four points from play.
Carlow have confirmed the appointment of Frank Keenan, of Laois, as manager to the county senior hurling team. The new man replaces Kilkenny's Brendan Fennelly, who brought Carlow to a Leinster intermediate final against his native county in 1997, which Kilkenny won.
Holder of 14 Laois senior championship medals with his club, Camross, as well as one Leinster club title won in the late 1970s, this is Keenan's first crack at senior inter-county management. Keenan (48) is an accomplished corner forward and free-taker for both club and county.
Galway (SF v Mayo): L Kelly; R Doyle, J Killeen, T Meehan; R Silke, J Divilly, AN Other; D Mitchell, J Fallon; T Joyce, P Joyce, D Meehan; C McGauran, N Finnegan, J Donnellan.
Mayo (SF): P Burke; P Holmes, K Cahill, P O Raghallaigh; A Higgins, A Roche, F Costello; P Fallon, C McManamon; M Sheridan, J Nallen, J Casey; D Quinn, J Horan, D Nestor.
Sligo (SF v Leitrim): P Walsh; T McGuinn, C White, M Cosgrove; D Durkin, G McDermott, R Keane; C O'Meara, R Brennan; K Killeen, D Sloyane, B Walsh; E O'Hara, P Taylor, J McPartland.
Limerick (SH v Galway): J Quaid; S Lucey, B Begley, D Ryan; D Nash, C Carey, M Foley; O Moran, B Tobin; J Moran, M Fitzgerald, T J Ryan; M O'Brien, O O'Neill, M Galligan. Subs: A Shanahan, B Foley, C Smith, G Kirby, J O'Halloran, J Cormican,
Limerick (SF v Kerry): T McMahon; M Dineen, D Sheehy, G O'Connor; Damien Reidy, T McLoughlin, T McGarry; J Quane, J Stokes; D Ryan, M O'Doherty, J O'Donovan; P Galvin, N Mulvihill, M Reidy.
Galway (SH v Limerick): D Howe; M Healy, P Huban, V Maher; N Shaughnessy, L Hodgins, G Glynn; T Kavanagh, P Walsh; A Kerins, C Moore, N Kenny; K Broderick, M Kerins, O Fahy.
