Ó Sé confirms interest in Mayo position

Páidí Ó Sé became a candidate for the recently vacated Mayo job when he confirmed his interest in replacing John Maughan this week. The Ventry man only stepped down from a two-year stint with Westmeath after defeat to Clare in the qualifiers last month.

Speaking on Mid West Radio, based in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, to presenter John O'Mahony, currently the favourite for the job in question, Ó Sé gave a positive answer to the idea of bring his managerial career to a third province.

"I would definitely be interested in the Mayo job," he said. "This is not a party political broadcast on behalf of Páidí Ó Sé but any former manager who has ambitions of getting back into management, definitely Mayo would be looked at.

"They have a good panel of players and one thing you don't have to do in Mayo is teach them how to play football, there's buckets of football up there."

Ó Sé won two All-Irelands as Kerry manager in 1997 and 2000 before moving to Westmeath where he delivered their first Leinster title last season. O'Mahony declined to give such a forthcoming reply when asked about the possibility of a second stint in charge of his native county.

Antrim have become the latest county to turn their nose up at the Tommy Murphy Cup as the much maligned competition took yet another blow.

"Due to club hurling championships this weekend, injuries and players on holiday, Antrim are unable to field a team against Tipperary in the Tommy Murphy Cup on Saturday," read a county board statement.

The game had been scheduled for Thurles tomorrow but Tipperary will now be awarded a bye into the semi-final of a competition that has sparked minimal interest around the country.

Carlow also pulled out of the competition this year and both county boards could lose in the region of €50,000 in grants because of their decisions not to take part.

Tyrone have made just one change from the team that eventually overcame Monaghan last Saturday for tomorrow's All-Ireland quarter-final against Dublin with Ryan McMenamin returning to the side in place of Joe McMahon.

"Its great that he is available again," said coach Mickey Harte. "His availability is a great boost but you don't win games in a virtual courtroom. It still has to be played on the pitch this Saturday.

"Of course, it is a bonus. Ryan should have won an All-Star in 2003 and 2004, while this year he was well on course to finally being recognised until missing last week's game."

McMenamin's companions in the full back line, Chris Lawn and Shane Sweeney, were both substituted against Monaghan so his return is sure to firm up this recent problem area. Another option would have been to pull Conor Gormley back from midfield but Harte feels his presence there is essential.

As in the Ulster final and replay, Peter Canavan is named as a replacement while Owen Mulligan holds off Martin Penrose for a starting spot.

Clare manager Anthony Daly has been able to name his strongest team for what promises to be the toughest assignment this current panel will face when they meet Cork in the All-Ireland hurling semi-final in Croke Park on Sunday.

There are no changes from the 10-point victory over Wexford on July 24th with Alan Markham recovering from a hamstring complaint and all the panel's dual players coming through county football championship matches with their clubs last week.

CLARE: D Fitzgerald; F Lohan, B Lohan, G O'Grady; D Hoey, S McMahon, G Quinn; B O'Connell, C Lynch; D McMahon, T Carmody, A Markham; B Nugent, N Gilligan, T Griffin.

TYRONE: P McConnell; R McMenamin, C Lawn, S Sweeney; D Harte, G Devlin, P Jordan; C Gormley, S Cavanagh; B Dooher, B McGuigan, O Mulligan; R Mellon, S O'Neill, E McGinley.