Kearns happy to let the players decide

All-Ireland qualifiers: Limerick football manager Liam Kearns has expressed confidence in the ability of the county's dual players to work out for themselves where their futures lie.

Stephen Lucey and Conor Fitzgerald lined out for the hurlers in the two Munster championship matches with Tipperary, but will be back with the footballers for Sunday week's Munster semi-final against Kerry. Last year the county board banned players from playing both games.

"I always felt that the decision should be up to the players," said Kearns. "They're well able to look at their performances and decide whether they're able to play both."

The dual issue is causing difficulties with the Limerick hurlers due to play a qualifier the day before the Kerry match.

County PRO Denis Carroll confirmed Limerick would be seeking a postponement of the hurling match, but that according to an agreement reached earlier in the year, a championship match has precedence over a qualifier and so neither Lucey nor Fitzgerald would be called on to play on Saturday.

Meanwhile, GAA president Seán Kelly has warned of the consequences for any teams pulling out of the intercounty championships.

Asked would Croke Park consider intervention in such a case, he replied: "I would say so. A team would have to be fielded."

The past 12 months have seen Kerry hurlers and Tipperary footballers scratching from senior championship matches and for a time lt looked like the Dublin hurlers were opting out also.

Kelly pointed out that Kerry and Tipperary were punished for pulling out of the qualifier series 12 months ago and warned any disruption to the qualifier formats would be severely dealt with.

"Teams that withdrew last year paid a hefty penalty. They were refused a share from the qualifier pool and fined. That's a cost of between €45,000 and €50,000.

"If a withdrawal upset one of

the hurling qualifier groups that would be absolutely chaotic and any penalties imposed would reflect that."

The semi-final venues for the Ulster championship have been decided. The Tyrone-Cavan semi-final on June 16th will be in Clones with a 3.30pm start. The semi-final between Derry and either Armagh or Donegal will be played on June 26th with a 2.15pm start. If it is Armagh the game will be at Casement Park, but if it is Donegal the game will be in Clones.

There was bad news for Meath yesterday, with the revelation that Daithí Regan will miss the rest of the county's football campaign this season. It has been confirmed that the corner forward suffered a serious back injury during last Sunday's Leinster tie with Dublin.

Regan came on for Joe Sheridan in the match and did sufficiently well to stake a claim for Meath's first-round qualifier on June 18th.

But he suffered a knock in the concluding moments of the game and was later admitted to hospital in severe discomfort. The injury was diagnosed as three cracked bones in the back. Regan will play no further football this year as a result of the fractures and joins the ever-lengthening injury list in the Royal County.

Shane McKeigue broke his collarbone after being introduced as a blood substitute in the second half of Sunday's game, while Trevor Giles is still recovering from a dislocated shoulder.

Ollie Murphy is struggling to overcome an ankle injury, while both midfielders, Nigel Crawford and Anthony Moyles, were forced to play on Sunday despite not having regained full match fitness after similar injuries.

DUBLIN SFL: Divisiion One: St Vincents 2-9, Thomas Davis 3-6; Ballinteer St Johns 0-13, Raheny 0-5; Round Towers 1-13, St Judes 0-11; St Marks 3-9, Kilmacud Crokes 2-8; Trinity Gaels 1-13, Lucan Sarsfields 1-11; St Brigids 1-13, Erins Isle 1-8; St Margarets 1-18, Ballymun Kickhams 1-8; Clontarf 0-10 Parnells 0-9; St Finians 0-11 Naomh Barrog 0-9; Naomh Mearnog 1-12, St Maurs 1-8 Fingallians 1-9, St Annes 0-12. Whitehall Colmcille 2-7; Naomh Olafs 1-7.