Kildare footballers will line out as they did in their Leinster final against Meath when they face Kerry in Sunday's All-Ireland football semi-final at Croke Park. Clare and Offaly have delayed naming their sides for the replay of their controversial hurling semi-final replay until later in the week.
Kildare's main injury worries concerned goalkeeper Christy Byrne and centre forward Declan Kerrigan. Both were declared fit after last night's training session at Newbridge. Byrne was seen to have recovered from a leg injury which he suffered in training and Kerrigan was also in fine fettle after taking a heavy knock to the head during the Leinster final against Meath.
The selectors have, however, kept their powder dry insofar as their list of substitutes is concerned. The Kerry team to face Kildare is expected to be named later today.
Clare hurling selectors are thought to be delaying their selection process until later in the week, apparently waiting for better news about their injured players, Ollie Baker and Fergus Tuohy.
Hopes are also building up in Clare also that Colin Lynch's three-month suspension be reduced by the Games Administration Committee of the GAA when they meet tonight.
Lynch, who was suspended following a perusal of videos of the Munster final replay against Waterford - in which he was not sent off - has already missed the drawn All-Ireland semi-final and replay. Public opinion has drifted in favour of Lynch after two Offaly players were clearly seen to commit bad fouls in last Saturday's semi-final replay.
Meanwhile it would appear that there is unprecedented interest in Sunday's football semi-final between Kildare and Kerry. Extra trains from the south have been laid on to cope with the demand for seats.
An executive class train from Tralee was booked out almost as soon as tickets went on sale. Patrons (limited to 80), on this luxury train, for which the trip costs £110, will be served breakfast on the outward trip, and dinner on the way back. A video recording of the match will be shown on the return journey.
Iarnrod Eireann will allow Saturday travellers to Dublin from Kerry and Cork to break their journey at Thurles should they wish to see the hurling semi-final replay. They can then complete the journey to Dublin for the football.
It seems amazing but Kerry and Kildare have not met in the championship since 1931. That was their fifth meeting within the space of five years. They had first met in the championship in the "Home" final of 1903 which was not played until 1905 when it took three matches to decide the issue.
Kerry had won the first match in Tipperary town by 1-4 to 1-3, but there was a dispute about the Kerry goal and a replay was ordered. This was played in Cork and ended in a draw, 0-7 to 1-4. The replay was also in Cork and Kerry won by 0-8 to 02. The 1905 final was also delayed but when the teams met in 1907 in Thurles, Kildare won by 1-7 to 0-5.
They did not meet again until 1926 when they played another draw in Croke Park with Kerry winning the replay by 1-4 to 0-4 also at Croke Park. They met in the final again the following year with Kildare winning by 0-5 to 0-3.
They met once again in the final of 1929 with Kerry again on top 1-8 to 1-5 and their last meeting was in the final on September 27th, 1931 when Kerry won by 1-11 to 0-8.
It is generally agreed that this extraordinary series of matches did much to popularise the GAA and to give it a national profile.
The Tyrone senior football championship semi-final, between Omagh and Donaghmore, has been postponed. It was due to have been played this Sunday, but has been deferred to September 4th due to the Omagh bombing. One of Omagh's top players, attacker Niall McSorley, is definitely out of the game after sustaining leg injuries in the bombing.
