Team Check: Fitzgerald starts for Kerry

Kerry SF:

Sunday's meeting with Tipperary will give Maurice Fitzgerald his first championship start for Kerry since the Munster final of 1999. Having played all last year's championship as the county's wonder substitute, Fitzgerald will line out at centre forward.

This will be Fitzgerald's 40th championship appearance in what is his 14th championship campaign with the senior team. He has scored a total of 12-196 in that period, easily making him the top scorer among current players. Liam Hassett's knee operation has put him on the longterm injury list and that helped clear the way for Fitzgerald.

There are three other changes from the team that started in the All-Ireland final last October. Minor injuries to Mike Hassett (hamstring) and Michael McCarthy (ankle) ruled them out of contention for selection. Barry O'Shea returns from his long lay-off to take over at corner back and Mossie Lyons takes over in the other corner. Denis O'Dwyer also comes in for Noel Kennelly on the half-forward line, the latter being named among the substitutes.

Kieran Scanlon and Enda Galvin were ruled out of consideration through injury, but John Crowley, who struggled with a back injury through the league, has recovered and takes his place at corner forward.

KERRY (SF v Tipperary): D O'Keeffe; B O'Shea, S Moynihan, M Lyons; T O Se, E Fitzmaurice, T O'Sullivan; D O Se, D Daly; D O'Dwyer, M Fitzgerald, A Mac Gearailt; MF Russell, D O Cinneide, J Crowley. Subs: P O'Leary, N Kennelly, E Brosnan, W Kirby, T Griffin, D Quill, K Burns, S O'Sullivan, P Laide.

Fermanagh SF

Five debutants will feature in the team for the trip to Ballybofey to face Donegal. Goalkeeper Ronan Gallagher, defenders Ryan McCloskey and Martin McGrath, midfielder Ollie Mulligan and forward Shane McDermott all get their first championship start under manager John Maughan.

Ray Gallagher's troublesome back injury ruled him out of contention for selection. He has a bulging disc, and having missed the last seven weeks wasn't even named among the substitutes.

Other members of last year's championship team missing are Tommy Callaghan, Tony Collins, Paul Courtney and Barry Carty. Despite worries over a shoulder injury, team captain Tom Brewster is able to take his place, as is Shane King, who is over his knee injury.

FERMANAGH (SF v Donegal): Ronan Gallager; MK Lilly, P McGuinness, R McCloskey; R Johnson, M McGrath, N Cox; P Brewster, O Mulligan; K Donnelly, R Gallagher, T Brewster; S McDermott, S Maguire, S King. Subs: S Boyle, P Quinn, B Owens, L McBarron, B McBrien, S Quinn, N Keenan, A Moohan, M O'Donnell.

Cork SF

There are six changes in the team to face Waterford compared to Cork's last championship match last June. Back comes Podsie O'Mahony and also getting starting places this time out are Graham Canty, Brendan Jer O'Sullivan, Alan Quirke, Michael O'Sullivan and Fionan Murray.

CORK (SF v Waterford): A Quirke; S O hAilpin, R McCarthy, A Lynch; O Sexton, G Canty, M Cronin; N Murphy, M O'Sullivan; BJ O'Sullivan, C O'Sullivan, P O'Mahony; F Murray, C Corkery, A Dorgan.

Ulster championship

Fears of another outbreak of footand-mouth disease could be a further threat on the Ulster championship. Sheep in farms near Ballycastle in north Antrim and Magherafelt in Derry have displayed symptoms consistent with the disease and samples from the Antrim farm have been sent for testing.

The Ulster football championship has already been adjusted because of the outbreak in Ardboe in Tyrone three weeks ago in that the DerryAntrim game, originally set for May 13th, was put back to June 3rd. Further adjustments might be necessary if either of the cases prove positive.