MICHAEL RYAN HAS made two changes to his Tipperary team for Sunday’s All-Ireland senior hurling championship semi-final clash with Galway.
Goalkeeper Darren Gleeson returns in place of Darragh Mooney while Michael Cahill slots in at corner-back with Tomás Hamill losing out.
James Barry moves to full-back to accommodate the defensive switch.
It means that the reigning champions will take to the field with 14 of the players who started the 2016 All-Ireland decider against Kilkenny.
Meanwhile, Galway boss Michael Donoghue has kept change to a minimum.
Cathal Mannion returns from injury and takes his place at wing-forward with Jason Flynn stepping aside.
Tipperary team
1. Darren Gleeson (Portroe)
2. Donagh Maher (Burgess)
3. James Barry (Upperchurch-Drombane)
4. Michael Cahill (Thurles Sarsfields)
5. Séamus Kennedy (St Mary’s Clonmel)
6. Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields)
7. Pádraic Maher (Thurles Sarsfields, captain)
8. Brendan Maher (Borris-Ileigh)
9. Michael Breen (Ballina)
10. Dan McCormack (Borris-Ileigh)
11. Patrick Maher (Lorrha-Dorrha)
12. Noel McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
13. John O’Dwyer (Killenaule)
14. Séamus Callanan (Drom & Inch)
15. John McGrath (Loughmore-Castleiney)
Galway team
1. Colm Callanan (Kinvara)
2. Adrian Tuohy (Beagh)
3. Daithi Burke (Turloughmore)
4. John Hanbury (Rahoon/Newcastle)
5. Padraic Mannion (Ahascragh/Fohenagh)
6. Gearoid McInerney (Oranmore/Maree)
7. Aidan Harte (Gort)
8. Johnny Coen (Loughrea)
9. David Burke (captain, St. Thomas)
10. Cathal Mannion
11. Joe Canning (Portumna)
12. Joseph Cooney (Sarsfields)
13. Conor Whelan (Kinvara)
14. Niall Burke (Oranmore/Maree)
15. Conor Cooney (St. Thomas)
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Here’s another anomaly in the whole hurling relegation/promotion structure. Winners of the Christy Ring Cup have to play the bottom team in the Joe McDonagh in a play-off. Seems the only place where there’s automatic relegation is in the Leinster group. Why not use the same system everywhere, so either there are playoffs, or there’s not?
Incidentally, and no offence intended to the late Joe McDonagh, but I can’t help wondering why his name was given to the new second tier competition, thereby elevating him above Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard. McDonagh was a great GAA man all right, but is he really worthy of a place higher than those other two in history?
I hope this victory helps to popularise the game of Hurling in Kildare
@Noel Martin: Well to be honest the last one in 2014 didn’t, the county board need to be the ones to stand up and take note. There’s plenty of interest in Kildare for Hurling, a lot of great work going in at underage level in clubs. It needs the backing from the county board, their attitude towards the game is desperate.