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Cork goalkeeper Ken O'Halloran. INPHO/James Crombie.
Rebel Rookies

5 Cork players set for championship debuts as Galvin lines out for Limerick

There’s plenty new faces in the Rebels line-up to play Limerick on Saturday night.

THERE ARE 5 newcomers to championship football on the Cork senior side to face Limerick in Saturday’s Munster quarter-final in the Gaelic Grounds.

Manager Conor Counihan has drawn heavily on the county’s recent successful U21 teams as there have been starting berths handed to goalkeeper Ken O’Halloran along with the defensive pair of Damien Cahalane at corner-back and Tomas Clancy at wing-back.

In attack there are new faces in wing-forward John O’Rourke and corner-forward Brian Hurley for a game that will start at 7pm. Eoin Cadogan has been named at full-back after enduring injury difficulties since he picked up a knock to his Achilles against Donegal in March.

Cahalane, O’Rourke and Hurley were all on the county U21 team that lost the All-Ireland final to Galway earlier this month and have won provincial U21 medals for the past three years.

Both Cahalane and O’Rourke started in Cork’s first two Division 1 league games in February against Dublin and Kildare in what was their competition bows at senior level. Hurley will be tasting action in the senior grade for the first time ever on Saturday night.

Wing-back Clancy from Fermoy was on the Cork U21 panel that reached the All-Ireland U21 semi-final against Galway in 2011 and played regularly this spring in the league in his first senior campaign.

Tomas Clancy.
Pic: INPHO/Donall Farmer

Goalkeeper O’Halloran was an All-Ireland U21 medal winner with Cork in 2007 and has played extensively in the league in recent seasons for the senior side. But he has been forced to play the role of understudy to Alan Quirke in the championship over the past few campaigns.

O’Halloran, who has also represented his county in hurling at underage level,  had a chance to establish himself this spring after Quirke – who has since returned to the panel – departed to the Lebanon last November as part of his job with the Defence Forces.

There are nine players who started against Donegal in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat included in the Cork side with the five debutants – along with midfielder Pearse O’Neill – the players parachuted into the line-up.

CORK: Ken O’Halloran (Bishopstown); Eoin Cadogan (Douglas), Michael Shields (St Finbarr’s), Damien Cahalane (Castlehaven); Paudie Kissane (Clyda Rovers), Graham Canty (Bantry Blues), Tomas Clancy (Fermoy); Aidan Walsh (Kanturk), Pearse O’Neill (Aghada); Ciaran Sheehan (Éire Óg), Patrick Kelly (Ballincollig), John O’Rourke (Carbery Rangers); Daniel Goulding (Éire Óg), Brian Hurley (Castlehaven), Paul Kerrigan (Nemo Rangers).

The Cork subs have also been named for Saturday night’s tie.

Subs: David Lordan (Ballincollig), John McLoughlin (Kanturk), Noel O’Leary (Cill na Martra), James Loughrey (Mallow), Alan O’Connor (St Colm’s), Andrew O’Sullivan (Castletownbere), James Fitzpatrick (Carbery Rangers), Fintan Goold (Macroom), Liam Shorten (Ballingeary), Mark Collins (Castlehaven), Donncha O’Connor (Ballydesmond).

Limerick

Opponents Limerick have handed out two championship debuts to goalkeeper Donal O’Sullivan and midfielder Bobby O’Brien. Both players featured in the recent Division 4 league final win over Offaly, a game where star attacker Ian Ryan incurred an ankle injury that rules him out of Saturday’s match.

John Galvin returns to the team for his first championship outing since he played against Cork in the 2010 All-Ireland qualifiers after cruciate ligament injuries ruled him out for the past two seasons.

There are three changes in all from that league final victory with Andrew Lane and Johnny McCarthy coming into the defence at the expense of Stephen Lucey and Lorcan O’Dwyer. While Ger Collins returns from illness to slot into the attack instead of Ryan.

LIMERICK: Donal O’Sullivan (Monaleen); Andrew Lane (St. Senan’s), Johnny McCarthy (St Kieran’s), Mark O’Riordan (Croom); Stephen Lavin (Adare), Paudie Browne (Fr Casey’s), Pa Ranahan (Ballysteen); Bobby O’Brien (Bruff), John Galvin (Croom); John Riordan (Fr Casey’s), Thomas Lee (Ballylanders), Seanie Buckley (Dromcollogher-Broadford); Ger Collins (Monaleen), Iain Corbett (Newcastlewest), Eoghan O’Connor (St Mary’s/Sean Finns).

Limerick’s John Galvin.
Pic: INPHO/Cathal Noonan

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