HANNAH TYRRELL AND Jennifer Dunne are back in the Dublin starting team for the first time since last year’s All-Ireland final win over Kerry.
The All-Star duo sat out the first three rounds of the league, but return for tomorrow’s clash against Galway at Parnell Park.
Dunne, who helped Brisbane Lions to AFLW glory in her debut season, confirmed to The 42 that she was back on board last month.
“The goal, ambition and drive within the group is still there, so everyone wants to keep pushing on,” she said. “Once I discussed it with people over in Australia, they were happy with it.
“There’s a good few other Irish girls that are playing with their counties. At the moment, it’s still feasible to do so, so once I was given the green light and had said that that was my priority, there were no major issues.”
Tyrrell, meanwhile, was left to weigh up her future and enjoyed an extended break thereafter. The former rugby and soccer star has thrown her lot in with the Sky Blues once more in a major boost.
Fellow experienced forward, four-time All-Ireland winning captain Sinéad Aherne, is understood to be back in training.
Tyrrell and Dunne are among four changes to the Dublin starting team to face the Tribe tomorrow: Chloe Darby and Hannah Hegarty are also in from the off, with Niamh Donlon, Lauren Magee, Caoimhe O’Connor and Claire Kirwan making way.
Elsewhere, Cork have been dealt a major blow with Katie Quirke recently suffering a knee injury. The extent of the setback is unclear but it’s understood the star forward injured her knee in O’Connor Cup colleges action.
She had excelled for Shane Ronayne’s side through the league to date, scoring 1-16 (9f) in three games.
One of three changes for the Rebels meeting with Waterford tomorrow, Amy McDonagh and Emma Cleary also drop out as Aoife Healy, Anna Ryan and Ellie Jack all start.
Elsewhere in Division 1 of the league this weekend, two of the top three go head to head as Meath and Armagh put their 100% records on the line, while the other team with maximum points, defending champions Kerry, have a home fixture against Mayo.
Full team news for this weekend’s Division 1 LGFA action is below:
Kerry (v Mayo): C Butler; E Lynch, D Kearney, A Dillane; B O’Connor, C Lynch, C Murphy; M O’Connell, A Galvin (capt.); J Gill, D O’Leary, A Harrington; H O’Donoghue, J Lucey, N Ní Chonchúir.
Mayo (v Kerry): L Brennan; A Fitzpatrick, N O’Malley, S Lally (capt.); K Sullivan, D Caldwell, J Mortimer; A Geraghty, H Reape; F McLaughlin, L Cafferky, M Cannon; T Needham, F McHale, S Walsh.
- Saturday, 2.30pm, Fitzgerald Stadium
Cork (v Waterford): S Murphy; M Duggan, S Leahy, D Kiniry; K Redmond, A Healy, A Ryan; M O’Callaghan (capt.), S Cronin; E Jack, L Coppinger, L O’Mahony; S O’Leary, H Looney, D Kiely.
Waterford (v Cork): E O’Brien; H Power, E Power, A Murray; C McCarthy, A McNulty, A O’Neill; E Murray, K Hogan (capt.); K McGrath, C Carroll, M O’Brien; B McMaugh, K Murray, L McGregor.
- Sunday, 2pm, Páirc Uí Rinn
Dublin (v Galway): R Fleming; N Crowley, L Caffrey (capt), M Byrne; H Hegarty, O Carey, K Murray; O Nolan, J Dunne; K Sullivan, C Darby, E Gribben; A Timothy, H Tyrrell, N Hetherton.
Galway (v Dublin): K Connolly; E Gavin, S Ní Loingsigh, E O’Riordan; K Geraghty, M Jordan, A Ní Cheallaigh; M Glynn, A Davoren (capt.); L Booth, S Hynes, M Walsh; L Coen, A O’Rourke, R Leonard.
- Sunday, 2pm, Parnell Park
Meath (v Armagh): M McGuirk (capt); K Newe, A Sheridan, N Troy; N Gallogly, M.K. Lynch, A Cleary; M O’Shaughnessy, S Melia; M Thynne, E Moyles, C Smyth; M Byrne, M Farrelly, E Duggan.
Armagh (v Meath): A Carr; G Ferguson, C McCambridge (capt.), R Mulligan; C Towe, L McConville, D Coleman; N Coleman, C O’Hanlon; E Druse, A McCoy, S Quigley; A Mackin, L Kenny, K Mallon.
- Sunday, 2pm, Ashbourne
