After a special trip to Croke Park last night to attend a meeting of the GAA's Central Hearings Committee, Kieran Donaghy has been cleared to play for Kerry in tomorrow night's floodlit Division One A match with Cork. Seán Moranreports
Donaghy was sent off for a second yellow card during last weekend's defeat by Mayo in Castlebar. Although this doesn't carry a suspension of itself, the fact the player had been sent off in similar circumstances within the previous 48 weeks meant he earned a fortnight's ban.
This was the second time this has happened to the player in the past seven months as he picked up a previous two-week suspension after being sent off in last July's drawn Munster final.
Confirming the appeal had been successful county PRO Willie O'Connor said he wasn't aware of the grounds for the decision: "I wasn't there myself but I've been informed that he's been cleared to play."
Manager Pat O'Shea makes a number of changes, including the replacement of his entire half-forward line. Seán O'Sullivan picked up an injury earlier in the week and together with Eoin Brosnan and Paddy Kelly is replaced by Tommy Griffin, Eamon Fitzmaurice and Donncha Walsh.
Brosnan, along with his clubmate Colm Cooper, is being rested ahead of Dr Croke's All-Ireland club semi-final next weekend. The former's place goes to Declan Quill whereas Michael Russell comes in for Micheál Quirke.
Meanwhile, Dublin and Tyrone make changes from the teams that lined out in last weekend's floodlit match at Croke Park. Dublin make two switches including replacing captain Colin Moran whereas Mickey Harte has overhauled his defence in a radically altered team.
Moran makes way for Bryan Cullen, last year's championship centre back, who has been recovering from injury throughout the close season. The other change for tomorrow's trip to Limerick sees Cullen's DCU colleague Ross McConnell make his competitive debut at centrefield in place of the injured Declan O'Mahony. Last year's centrefield pair of Ciarán Whelan and Shane Ryan is still not match fit but both are named in the replacements.
Tyrone's defence has been cleared out for tomorrow evening's visit of Fermanagh. Included are three league debutants Damien McCaul, Brendan Boggs and Justin McMahon who come in for Ryan McMenamin, suspended for four weeks for kicking at Dublin's Kevin Bonner, and wing backs Davy Harte and Martin Penrose.
Dermot Carlin is the only member of last week's starting defence to retain his place but he moves to the more familiar position of corner back with 2005 All Star centre back Conor Gormley putting on the number six jersey having made a successful return from his broken ankle when coming off the bench against Dublin. Stephen O'Neill is back after suspension and is expected to come on at some stage.
All-Ireland finalists Mayo, who went some way to redressing last September's defeat by beating Kerry last weekend, have named an unchanged side for the visit to Donegal. There had been concerns about full back James Kilcullen, who has been suffering from a virus during the week, but last night manager John O'Mahony decided his Ballaghaderreen club-mate would be fit for the weekend.
Damien Healy has been recalled to the team for Sunday's Division One B match with Derry. He will line out at midfield as forward Peter Tormey loses out in the reshuffle. The experiment of playing former wing-back Michael Ennis at full back continues. Captain Dessie Dolan is named despite an injury worry.
KERRY (NFL v Cork):D Murphy; M Ó Sé, T O'Sullivan, K Young; T Ó Sé, A O'Mahony, B Guiney; D Ó Sé, K Donaghy; T Griffin, E Fitzmaurice, D Walsh; D Quill, B Sheahan, MF Russell.
DUBLIN (NFL v Limerick):S Cluxton; D Henry, N O'Shea, P Griffin; P Casey, B Cullen, G Brennan; D Magee, R McConnell; D Murray, A Brogan, D Connolly; D O'Callaghan, K Bonner, C Keaney. Subs: J Leonard, B Cahill, S Ryan, C Goggins, J Magee, B Brogan, C Moran, T Quinn, S O'Shaughnessy.
TYRONE (NFL v Fermanagh):P McConnell; D McCaul, P Donnelly, D Carlin; B Boggs, C Gormley, J McMahon; K Hughes, S Cavanagh; R Mulgrew, O Mulligan, C Cavanagh; R Mellon, C McCullagh, E McGinley.
MAYO (NFL v Donegal):D Clarke; L O'Malley, J Kilcullen, K Higgins; D Heaney, BJ Padden, P Gardiner; D Brady, P Harte; A Moran, T Mortimer, A Dillon; C Mortimer, K O'Neill, A O'Malley.
WESTMEATH (NFL v Derry):G Connaughton; F Boyle, M Ennis, K Gavin; A Rigney, D O'Donoghue, D Heavin; M Flanagan, D Healy; F Wilson, P Bannon, J Smyth; D Dolan (capt.), A Mangan, Denis Glennon.
ARMAGH (NFL v Louth):C McKinney; A Mallon, E McNulty, F Moriarty; P McCreesh, C McKeever, T McClelland; G Swift, C Vernon; P Toal, J Lavery, P McKeever; S McDonnell, M Mackin, M O'Rourke. Subs: P Rodgers, B Donaghy, K Dyas, M Ferris, P Forker, S Forker, P Keenan, G McCreesh, JP Donnelly, K McGeeney, P McGrane, Martin O'Rourke, K Toner.
LOUTH:S Reynolds; D Brennan, C Goss, D Finnegan; J O'Brien, P McGinnity, R Finnegan; P Keenan, M Fanning; C Grimes, M Brennan, B White; A Hoey, S Lennon, D Clarke. Subs: S Connor, D Reid, R Carroll, J Doyle, S O'Neill, C Kearney, JJ Quigley, N McDonnell, T O'Brien, J Neary, M Stanfield, A Page, JP Rooney.
KILDARE (NFL v Down):E Murphy; E Callaghan, D Lyons, T Dowling; M Scanlon, M Hogarty, A Rainbow; K Brennan, D Earley; D McCormack, J Doyle, K Donnelly; P O'Neill, T O'Connor, M Donnelly.
TIPPERARY (NFL v Wexford):P Fitzgerald; M Phelan, A Foley, A Morrissey; G Hannigan, N Curran, C Maher; K Mulryan, M Peters; B Hickey, H Coughlan, D O'Brien; P Austin, M Lynagh, D Browne.
CLARE (NFL v Leitrim):J Hayes; L Healy, C Whelan (capt), G Kelly; N Hogan, D Kelly, N Considine; D Russell, G Quinlan; D Molohan, M O'Shea, E Coughlan; S Monaghan, G Brennan, R Donnelly.
DERRY: (NFL v Westmeath):B Gillis; R Murray G O'Kane, J Keenan, P Cartin, S M Lockhart, L Hinphey, P Bradley, J Conway, R Wilkinson, E Muldoon, M Lynch, Paul Bradley, Paddy Bradley, Eoin Bradley.
