This weekend sees the start of the Bus Eireann Fitzgibbon Cup with three preliminary matches tomorrow. Holders Waterford IT are strong favourites to retain their title with the bulk of their line-up from a year ago intact, including Henry Shefflin, whose rise to fame in the last championship surprised no one who'd been following his scoring exploits at under-age and for WIT.
As well as a potent attack, Waterford will have home advantage this year as they are the hosts of the competition. Next week they will face the winners of tomorrow's TCD-MICL clash in Santry.
Last year's beaten finalists, UCC, did well to suffer a major talent-drain a year ago and still reach the final in pursuit of a fourth successive title; this time around, they are reasonably undisturbed.
Semi-finalists UCD and the Garda College have experienced contrasting fortunes since last spring. The guards have lost a number of influential players, including Clare All Star and All-Ireland winner Ollie Baker who captained the club last year, although injury kept him out of the semi-final defeat by WIT. They don't have a terrifying draw, but nonetheless aren't expected to improve on last year's showing.
UCD, on the other hand, hang on to most of the team who did duty then and have added Galway hurler Conor O'Donovan, who captained the county to a minor All-Ireland in 1992. He is studying in Belfield for a H Dip. Another famous recruit is Sean O'Neill, who played for Limerick in the 1996 All-Ireland final against Wexford. A former teacher and UCC hurler, O'Neill has decided to study veterinary science and so returns to Fitzgibbon action.
He faces a stiff test back home next week in Limerick against UL, who have All-Ireland medallist Conor Clancy from Clare and his team-mate Niall Gilligan, who is coaching the side.
Meanwhile, Offaly have named a combination of new and old for Sunday's Walsh Cup meeting with Dublin at Parnell Park. The only competitive debut goes to Brendan Murphy, one of three brothers hurling with UCD, who lines out at left corner forward.
Also named in the side at left wing back is Danny Kelly, a nephew of All-Ireland stalwart Joachim, whose club is St Rynagh's rather than Lusmagh where his uncle played. Birr players were not considered in advance of their All-Ireland semifinal with Athenry in a fortnight.
Dublin give three competitive debuts for the match, with Derek McInerney coming in at centre back, Damien Russell at left wing forward and Dermot Daly at full forward. Manager Michael O'Grady is without a number of first-team players: both Liam Ryan and Shane Martin are in plaster, Shane Ryan and Stephen Perkins miss out because of an exhibition match, and there are also a couple of Fitzgibbon Cup participants who aren't being called on.
"It's more or less the strongest team available," said O'Grady.
Galway's football board is expected to rule next week that there should be no relegation from the county football league. This decision follows controversy at the end of last year when Abbeyknockmoy and Killererin played out a studied draw - a result which saved both sides from the drop.
The referee, Pat McGovern, subsequently resigned over the issue. Now it has been decided that no clubs will be relegated, a narrow escape for 1991 All-Ireland finalists Salthill who had already earned the drop.
Limerick's county board has received the go-ahead for plans to redevelop the Gaelic Grounds. The project had been appealed to An Bord Pleanala who approved it. When completed, the venue's capacity will have risen significantly to around 50,000.
Dublin (SH v Offaly): B McLaughlin; J Finnegan, S Power, D McCormack; L Walsh, D McInerney, L O'Donoghue; D Sweeney, M Fitzsimons; T McGrane, D McMullen, D Russell; E Carroll, D Daly, K Flynn.
Offaly: S Byrne; W Comerford, M O'Hara, C Cassidy; A Mannion, H Rigney, D Kelly; M Duignan, P Mulhare; J Dooley, G Oakley, J Troy; C Gath, J Ryan, B Murphy.
Louth (SH v Meath): E McArdle; D Black, P Dunne, J O'Flaherty; E Quigley, A Carter, J Kennedy; C Connolly, B Murphy; D Callan, D Dunne, P Dyas; T Corcoran, P Sharkey, J Murphy. Subs: P Murphy, S McDonagh, I Sommerville, D Murphy, N McEneaney, S Byrne, T Hillard, P Ward, M O'Connor.
Fitzgibbon Cup (tomorrow, 2.00): Limerick IT v Carlow IT, Limerick, P Horan (Offaly); IT Tralee v Athlone IT, Tralee, J Kearney (Cork); TCD v MICL, Santry, E Morris (Dublin).
