O'Shea gives chances to old and new

New Kerry manager Pat O'Shea has announced his first team selection for Sunday's league opener against Mayo at Castlebar - the rematch of last year's All-Ireland final when Kerry proved convincing winners.

As expected for this time of the year there is a blend of old and new - partly enforced through the retirements of Seamus Moynihan and Mike McCarthy. This helps give starting places to corner back Killian Young from the Renard club and also to wing back Brendan Guiney, while Paddy Kelly returns to the forwards, all members of last year's panel.

Also missing are forwards Paul Galvin and Declan O'Sullivan, who have taken a break from the game and are in Australia at present - although they will return in March in time for the latter rounds of the league.

Kieran Donaghy is named at midfield rather than at full forward, where he starred last summer, and instead it's fellow basketball star Michael Quirke who gets to wear the number 14 shirt.

Seán O'Sullivan and Aidan O'Mahony are also named and were both part of last week's All Star tour to Dubai, and as a result may be a little short of match fitness. Colm Cooper is named at right corner forward with Bryan Sheehan in the other corner, who has also been named as captain.

Otherwise the team has an established feel, with all three Ó Sé brothers - Marc, Tomás and Darragh starting - as well as experienced goalkeeper Diarmuid Murphy and defender Tom O'Sullivan, who moves from corner back to full back to take over from McCarthy.

Opponents' Mayo look set to be without midfielder Ronan McGarrity because of injury, with Pat Harte, Keith Higgins and Liam O'Malley also carrying injuries. Definitely absent will be Ciarán McDonald, who will be sidelined for several more weeks with a back injury.

In hurling, Tipperary manager Babs Keating has restored Eoin Kelly to his customary corner forward position for Sunday's Waterford Crystal Cup hurling final against Cork at Páirc Uí Chaoimh.

KERRY (SF v Mayo):D Murphy; M Ó Se, T O'Sullivan, K Young; T Ó Se, A O'Mahony, B Guiney; D Ó Se, K Donaghy; S O'Sullivan, E Brosnan, P Kelly; C Cooper, M Quirke, B Sheehan.

OFFALY (SF v Leitrim).K Meehan; G Rafferty, J Quinn, N Grennan; K Slattery, S Sullivan, E Byrne; C McManus, K Hogan; S Brady, PJ Ward, A McNamee; T Deehan, N Coughlan, N McNamee.

LIMERICK (SF v Fermanagh):S Kiely; D Carroll, J McCarthy, S Gallagher, P Ahern, P Browne, P Ranahan; T Cahill, J Galvin; J Ryan, D Horan, J Cooke, M Crowley, J Stokes, M Reidy.

TIPPERARY (SH v Cork):B Cummins; E Buckley, P Maher, D Fanning; V Doheny, S Maher, D Fitzgerald; C Morrissey, S Lillis; T Scroope, D Egan, L Corbett; E Kelly, M Webster, P Kelly.