SUNDAY’S CROKE PARK stalemate involving the Dublin hurlers will have an impact on club football in the capital.
Next weekend’s glamour club football championship fixture between Ballyboden St Enda’s and Kilmacud Crokes has been postponed as the county’s hurlers prepare to replay against Galway in Tullamore.
Conal Keaney is the stand-out dual player for ‘Boden at club level, while Simon Lambert and Shane Durkin have played senior football for the club in recent times.
Paul Ryan and David ‘Dotsy’ O’Callaghan are the other two Ballyboden clubmen who featured for Dublin against Galway on Sunday but they are exclusively club hurlers.
A Dublin county board statement reads: ‘Due to the involvement of Ballyboden St Enda’s players in next Saturday’s Leinster Hurling Championship replay against Galway in Tullamore (4.45) the Dublin Senior Football Championship Round 2 fixture between Ballyboden St Enda’s and Kilmacud Crokes has been postponed.’
Dublin senior football boss Jim Gavin had hoped to run the rule over Kilmacud Crokes pair Cian O’Sullivan and Rory O’Carroll against ‘Boden, with both players on the comeback trail from injury.
Gavin also confirmed that Ballymun Kickhams defender James McCarthy is close to a return, and could feature for the Sky Blues against Laois or Kildare in the Leinster SFC semi-final at Croke Park on 28 June.
“James has really improved over the last number of weeks,” said Gavin after yesterday’s thumping victory over Longford.
“The 26-man rule forced the hand a number of ways.
“If we had named him and he wasn’t fit, someone else would lose out.
“That rule will probably deny a couple of guys a chance to represent their counties.”
