GAELIC GAMES: Kerry forward Dara Ó Cinnéide has announced his retirement from intercounty football. The three-time All-Ireland winner is the last Kerryman to lift the Sam Maguire Cup, when he captained the Kingdom in 2004, but his career in green and gold ended on a low ebb after defeat to Tyrone in last September's final. Teenager Darren O'Sullivan replaced him that day after 61 minutes.
Although never recognised with an All Star, Ó Cinnéide was a key figure in the Kerry forward lines that landed All-Ireland titles in 1997, 2000 and 2004. It was his free-taking qualities that kept Mike Frank Russell out of the Kerry full-forward line for last year's final.
A member of An Ghaeltacht GAA club, with whom he won two county titles, the 30-year-old made his Kerry debut against Donegal in 1994, and his first championship outing came against Limerick in 1995. He has also won two under-21 All-Ireland titles and two National League medals.
Manager Jack O'Connor must plan without several senior players ahead of Kerry's McGrath Cup opener against University of Limerick tomorrow, and, presuming they win that tie, Waterford in Dungarvan on Sunday. Liam Hassett and Séamus Moynihan are not expected to rejoin the panel at least until the league campaign gets under way.
Meanwhile, Mick O'Dwyer confirmed this will be his last year in charge of the Laois footballers. The 69-year-old guided the county to their first Leinster title in 57 years in 2003, but they are yet to build on this achievement, losing recent provincial deciders to Westmeath and Dublin.
Speaking to the Laois Nationalist, O'Dwyer made it clear he didn't want to finish his tenure without some silverware and would certainly not entertain the reappearance of the old demons of Laois football.
"It is there for them (the players) and they know what they have to do. No player can be satisfied with a single Leinster medal to show for their efforts - they have to have a bigger goal than that and they are well capable of doing it.
"There is no room for players who are not prepared to make the sacrifices, and that means full attendance at every training session and complete discipline off the field. Drinking is finished, and a player who I find out breaks that rule from now on will be gone off the panel in a flash, with no exceptions. There are a few players who want to have a good social life and drink and go to nightclubs and still play for Laois, but you are going nowhere with fellows like that."
O'Dwyer also expressed hope that the 12-week suspension handed down to star forward Ross Munnelly by the Higher Education Council would be overturned at next week's appeal: "I hope . . . common sense prevails. He would not have played for the college if he had thought there was any doubt about his eligibility. His first priority is Laois."
Laois play Kildare in the O'Byrne Cup quarter-final at Newbridge on Sunday.
The O'Tooles club will again play host to the Dublin footballers against Wexford, also in the O'Byrne Cup this Sunday. The management are expected to field a similarly experimental side to that which overcame UCD after extra-time on Wednesday.
Ciarán Whelan was a spectator at the game, while Coman Goggins and Peadar Andrews remained on the bench, as several players attempted to stake a claim for a place in the revised panel come the start of the National League on February 5th.
"It was as good as playing three or four challenge matches, especially when it went into extra-time," said selector Brian Talty.
Under-21 pair Kevin Leahy and Ger O'Meara - both part of the Dublin minor side that reached the 2003 All-Ireland final - will be considered for selection if they recover from influenza.
Wexford, managed by 1995 All-Ireland winning Dublin midfielder Paul Bealin, have made two changes to the side that overcame Wicklow last weekend. Regular full back Philip Wallace comes in for Robert Mageean (hamstring), while David Shannon is handed his debut at centre forward with David Fogarty moving to wing forward. Matty Forde has a knee injury but is named as a substitute.
The latest player to opt out of Limerick's football panel is schoolteacher Tommy Stack, who has told the management he wants a 12-month break.
WEXFORD (SF v Dublin): A Masterson; C Morris, P Wallace, N Murphy; P Curtis, D Murphy, L O'Brien; P Colfer, B Doyle; C Deely, D Shannon, D Fogarty; PJ Banville, J Hudson, G O'Grady. Subs: J Cooper, L Murphy, D Breen, R Purcell, T Howlin, R Mageean, D O'Reilly, D Mooney, A Flynn, S Sheehan, M Forde, G Sunderland, J Hearn.
WESTMEATH (SF v Meath): G Connaughton; J Davitt, B Nannery, S Cleary; G Dillon, M Ennis, D McDermott; B Murtagh, N Kilmartin; D Heavin, D Glennon, J Nugent; A Mangan, PJ Ward, J Fallon.
