GAA: Kerry full back Barry O'Shea may yet be fit to resume his defensive duties in Sunday's league game at home to Dublin. The Tralee man, attempting to rehabilitate his inter-county career after a season and a half's absence through injury, was carried off in a derby championship encounter between his club Kerins O'Rahillys and Austin Stacks.
It was initially thought O'Shea's injury, close to the knee for which he received cruciate ligament surgery, might prove a huge setback. While the leg was heavily swollen on Sunday evening, second opinions have cast a brighter prognosis.
"I am informed that the knock was not as bad as originally feared and we would be hopeful Barry will be available for Sunday," said Kerry PRO Willie O'Connor.
However, it was expected O'Shea would sit out last night's training session and may rest until the weekend. If he is not fit it would mean a probable return to the edge of the square for Seamus Moynihan.
Rumours of the return of Maurice Fitzgerald are still just that. Since the maestro's sublime performances for St Mary's, Cahirciveen, before Christmas, it has been daily predicted Fitzgerald would again line out for Kerry. This weekend, it was reported he would be participating in Páidí Ó Sé's training sessions in the next fortnight after persuasion from Moynihan and Darragh Ó Sé.
However, in a radio interview he gave on Sunday morning, Páidí Ó Sé confirmed he had received no word from the enigmatic Fitzgerald. He stressed the door to the training camp was permanently ajar where the Cahirciveen man was concerned.
O'Connor said: "There has been non-stop speculation about the subject since the panel met up again. I have absolutely no idea as to what Maurice's intentions are."
The rumour and counter-rumour will be anathema to Fitzgerald, who maintained a veil of privacy throughout his years with Kerry. He last played for Kerry in the 2001 All-Ireland semi-final devastation to Meath, a game that closed an allegedly stormy relationship between the Kerry legend and manager Ó Sé, whose preference for using the player as an impact substitute was controversial, although not without success. His role from the bench during Kerry's 2000 All-Ireland success was arguably pivotal to the county capturing the championship. Hopes for another success will be heightened if Fitzgerald shows up with his boots in the next few weeks.
DUBLIN County Chairman, John Bailey last night reacted to criticism of the county's approach to the SRC Report at the Leinster GAA Convention in Carlow.
Leinster Council Secretary, Michael Delaney, in his annual report, referred to "the subject of the GAA in Dublin and the unique issues surrounding it," which he said was "neither being seriously discussed or seriously addressed. He added: "It's time now to finish with the bluff, bluster and baloney. We must decide if the issues are national, provincial, or simply a matter for Dublin themselves."
Bailey said Dublin had engaged fully with the SRC, adding: "We are proud of our county. We will not sell to anyone. We have not heard one county coming forward and supporting Dublin, but there are a lot of people attacking us. It is shameful behaviour for anyone to suggest that Dublin is always blustering. We want the tools to do the job in Dublin and want the opportunity to do that."
