John O'Mahony sets out on a new venture this weekend when he takes charge of the Galway team for their National Football League tie with his former team, Leitrim in Tuam. By the end of the league and championship season he may have achieved the distinction of having led three different counties to Connacht titles. O'Mahony was in charge of the Mayo teams which won Connacht titles in 1988 and '89 and he managed Leitrim when they won the title in 1994.
The managerial roundabout is nowhere more pronounced that in Connacht at present, where the manager of the Mayo team, John Maughan, was previously successful with Clare; O'Mahony scored successes with Mayo and Leitrim; Mickey Moran, now with Sligo, was influential in Derry. Meanwhile, the former Fermanagh All Star performer Peter McGinnity is now in charge in Leitrim.
O'Mahony introduces three newcomers into the Galway team for Sunday's match. Michael Geoghegan comes in at left corner back while Derek Savage and Padraig Joyce come in at right corner forward and full forward, respectively. Savage and Joyce are students and were impressive during last season's Sigerson Cup campaign - Savage with UCD and Joyce with the winners, Tralee RTC.
O'Mahony is in the enviable position of having three towering players in his team who would not be out of place in a basketball side. One of these is Kevin Walsh, who returns to action after a long lay-off with a groin injury. He is 6ft 4ins and is slotted in at centre half forward. Boyce, who made a big impression as a minor and under-21 player, has recovered his appetite for the game and will play at midfield on Sunday. He is 6ft 3ins tall, while his partner at midfield will be Sean O Domhnaill, a Dublinbased Garda, who is 6ft 5ins. This pair should increase Galway's ability to mop up possession at midfield.
Mayo will have 11 of the players who started in the All-Ireland final on duty when they travel to Irvinestown to take on Fermanagh. Liam McHale is included among the list of substitutes. Also missing will be Maurice Sheridan, who is injured, Pat Fallon, who is on honeymoon, and Dermot Flanagan, who is on holiday.
Derry will be without several stalwarts when they take on Westmeath at Ballinascreen. Missing will be Joe Brolly, who has tonsilitis, Seamus Downey, who has been automatically suspended following the controversial hurling match between Dunloy and Lavey a couple of weeks ago, and Fergal McCusker and Brendan McCormack, who are both injured. Dermot Heaney is still nursing a knee injury, but he is included among the substitutes and may be called upon in the event of an emergency.
Into the side comes Eamonn Burns at full forward after a stint in England and Benny Murray and Gary Doyle from the successful under-21 side. Adrian Heaney, a cousin of Kevin and Dermot, is introduced at left corner forward.
Antrim will again include Gerry Adams (junior) in their side for the trip to play Armagh in Lurgan. Adams has made a big impression since coming into the side from the under-21 ranks.
The selectors have made two changes from the side which lost to Louth in the B championship two weeks ago. Andy McGowan comes in at left corner back in place of Emmett McCorry and Terry McCrudden replaces Paddy Graffan at centre half back. Graffan was sent off in a club match and is under suspension. Down will be without Burren pair John Treanor and Sean Ward for the trip to Aughrim to play Wicklow. The duo failed to show up for training and appear to have been dropped.
