SENIOR STARS DECLAN Hannon, Shane Dowling and Jason Forde will all be in action in tomorrow night’s Bord Gáis Energy Munster U21HC quarter-final between Tipperary and Limerick.
The game takes place in Semple Stadium at 7.30pm with Forde lining out at wing-forward for the Premier while the travelling Limerick side will feature Hannon at wing-forward and Dowling at full-forward.
The trio are the most recognisable names for the eagerly-awaited clash between the two counties that marks the start of this year’s U21 hurling fare.
Hannon and Dowling will both be in line to start when Limerick face Tipperary in the Munster senior hurling championship on Sunday week. Forde – who featured as a substitute against Kilkenny in the recent league final – is a contender for Eamonn O’Shea’s side.
There are other senior panelists involved in tomorrow’s U21 tie like Limerick’s Alan Dempsey, Mark Carmody, Thomas Ryan and Adrian Breen and Tipperary centre-back Tomás Hamill.
Hamill is one of two Tipperary players to start that featured on last year’s All-Ireland minor winning team with the other being his defensive colleague, full-back Michael Breen.
Tipperary clashed with Limerick at the quarter-final stage of the U21 hurling championship last year with Andrew Ryan, Niall O’Meara, Justin Cahill, Forde, Dan McCormack, Brian Stapleton and Liam McGrath all having featured at some stage during that encounter.
Limerick have nine survivors from that game in Dempsey, Carmody, Dan Morrissey, Ryan, Shane Kenny, Hannon, John Fitzgibbon, Dowling and Breen.
Former senior goalkeeper Ken Hogan is the manager of the Tipperary team while former county defender TJ Ryan is at the helm of the Limerick side.
LIMERICK: Owen Webb O’Rourke (Kilmallock); Alan Dempsey (Na Piarsaigh), Mark O’Loughlin (Kilmallock), Mark Carmody (Patrickswell); Dan Morrissey (Ahane), Barry O’Connell (Kildimo/Pallaskenry), Kevin O’Donnell (Kilmallock); Thomas Ryan (South Liberties), Shane Kenny (Ballybrown); Declan Hannon (Adare), William Hickey (South Liberties), David Reidy (Dromin/Atlacca); John Fitzgibbon (Adare), Shane Dowling (Na Piarsaigh), Adrian Breen (Na Piarsaigh).
TIPPERARY: Darragh Mooney (Eire Og Annacarty); Cathal Barrett (Holycross Ballycahill), Michael Breen (Ballina), Andrew Ryan (Toomevara); Joe O’Dwyer (Killenaule), Tomás Hamill (Killea), Seamus Kennedy (St. Marys Clonmel); Niall O’Meara (Kilruane MacDonagh’s), Justin Cahill (Kilruane MacDonagh’s); Jason Forde (Silvermines), Dan McCormack (Borris-Ileigh), Brian Stapleton (Templederry Kenyons); Aidan McCormack (Thurles Sarsfields), Bill Walsh (Carrick Swan), Liam McGrath (Loughmore Castleiney)
The Limerick substitutes have also been named for the game with the Tipperary subtitutes yet to be announced.
Limerick Subs: Darragh Stapleton (Doon), Barry Lynch (Feohanagh/Castlemahon), Shane Irwin (Bruff), Diarmuid Byrnes (Patrickswell), Robbie Egan (Kilmallock), Kevin O’Brien (Patrickswell), Michael Ryan (Murroe/Boher), Jack Aherne (Kileedy), Brian Griffin (Ballybrown).
Tipperary’s Dan McCormack and Justin Cahill in action against Limerick’s Shane Dowling.
Pic: INPHO/Cathal Noonan
