O'Flaherty denies rift with O'Sé

by Jim O'Sullivan and Murt Murphy
LIAM O'FLAHERTY has denied that his absence from the Kerry substitutes bench for Sunday's Munster Championship game against Tipperary in Tralee had anything to do with a row with team management.
Speculation surrounded O'Flaherty's non-appearance at Austin Stack Park after it was confirmed that he played with his club team the night before the Championship outing.
O'Flaherty last night said he wanted to set the record straight.
"I was not fit enough to play on Sunday and therefore there was little point in even togging out as a sub. I had an operation on my nose just over two weeks ago and it has taken me longer to recover than I had anticipated.
"I think I reacted badly to an anaesthetic as I had difficulty in breathing. This caused me to miss over a week's hard training coming up to the Tipperary game."
O'Flaherty went on to outline that he had a history of injuries to his nose and in fact broke it as far back as 1993 in a Railway Cup game against Leinster.
"I have broken my nose a few times since," O'Flaherty said.
"I guess my old honker is still not right. I had only seven weeks training under my belt when I played against Meath in the League quarter-final.
"I think it showed in my performance as I was well off the pace on the day. I had not played since the All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Kildare last August and missed the entire Winter League campaign which left me badly short of match practice."
O'Flaherty added: "Paidi O'Sé knew this and we both agreed I needed plenty of games. He released me the weekend before last to play with my club Ballydonoghue in the County League and the same happened with players like Mike Frank Russell and Pa Laide.
"As I had trained with Kerry on the same day I was in no fit state to line-out that evening for my club and that was my own personal decision. I informed Paidí that I would not be togging out on Sunday and he had no problem with it. Tom O'Sullivan was added to the panel as cover and that was that as far as I was concerned."
When O'Flaherty was asked why he lined out with his club on Saturday night last against Moyvane in an North Kerry league game, he explained, "I need games and plenty of match practice and playing for my club will help me get back to full fitness again.
"There is a huge difference between this kind of game and playing Championship football. I aim to be back training tonight with the Kerry panel and I will be fighting hard for my place in the semi-final line-up against Clare on June 20."
Paidi O'Sé confirmed O' Flaherty's story. "I can verify that Liam's explanation is correct and that is the end of the matter.
"Liam felt he was not championship-fit. It was his own decision," the Kerry coach commented.
O'Flaherty, according to O'Sé, felt that his efforts in training were not responding to the team's 'heavy training.'
"When Liam re-joined the squad, the players were in the middle of speed training at the time," he explained.
In relation to the news that O'Flaherty lined out with his club, Ballydonoghue, in a game against Moyvane on Saturday evening, O'Sé said he was not aware of that.
"I presume he played in order to better his own training," said the Kerry coach.
Mike Hassett, ruled out of Sunday's game, said afterwards that he was confident of being fully fit in two weeks time, while the rest will benefit brother Liam who cried off because of a thigh muscle complaint.
Likewise, John Crowley is fighting his way back to fitness. He was injured in the League game away to London in Ruislip and underwent a cartilage operation three weeks ago. He expects to be back playing within a week.

Waterford's hopes dip with injury to Browne

by John Murphy
WATERFORD'S 1998 Hurler of the Year Tony Browne, is virtually certain to miss Sunday's first round Munster senior hurling championship game against Limerick at Páirc Uí Chaoimh after going over on his ankle in the final minutes of a rigorous training session at Fraher Field, Dungarvan, last Sunday.
Browne has been named as Fergal Hartley's midfield partner, but county secretary, Seamas Grant, confirmed last night that the odds are stacked against him being fit to play.
He was taken to the Waterford Regional Hospital for treatment on Sunday night and was back at the hospital for further treatment yesterday. The swelling on his injured ankle was still obvious, and he is now walking with the aid of a stick.
The Mount Sion clubman will undergo further intensive treatment daily, but Seamas Grant said Browne has no more than a 25% chance of taking part in Sunday's game.
"It is a devastating blow to suffer less than a week before such an important game," said the Waterford secretary. "Everything that can possibly be done for him will be done in the coming days, but right now things are looking less than good as far as Tony is concerned," he said.
Meanwhile, Anthony Kirwan has been left out of the Waterford team to play Limerick in Sunday's first round Munster SHC clash at Pairc Uí Chaoimh.
The Mount Sion clubman has been displaying indifferent form this year and failed to command a regular place in the team for much of the National League campaign. However the decision to leave him out of Sunday's starting line-up can't have been an easy one for Gerald McCarthy and his co-selectors, but one suspects he will see action at some stage next Sunday.
In Kirwan's absence the number 14 jersey has been handed to Paul Flynn whose customary top of the left berth is now filled by Dave Bennett, winner of a fifth Fitzgibbon Cup medal earlier this year. The inside line in attack is completed by Miceal White.
However the big talking point will be the placing of the veteran Billy O'Sullivan at centre forward – a position he has only rarely filled throughout his long and distinguished career at both club and county level. Like Anthony Kirwan, the Ballygunner clubman has been struggling with his form for some time, but clearly his vast experience of the big occasion was a factor that weighed heavily with the selectors in deciding to allocate him leadership of the attack.
O'Sullivan will be flanked by Dan Shanahan and Ken McGrath.
The Wateford defence all but picked itself. Brendan Landers deservedly remains the number one goalkeeping choice and will be fronted by a solid full back trio in Tom Feeney, Sean Cullinane, and team captain Brian Flannery.
WATERFORD SHC: B. Landers; T. Feeney. S. Cullinane. B. Flannery; P. Queally. S. Frampton. B. Greene; T. Browne. F. Hartley; D. Shanahan. B. O'Sullivan. K. McGrath; M. White. P. Flynn. D. Bennett; Subs; S. Brenner, J. O'Connor, G. Harris, P. Walsh, T. Fives, A. Kirwan, B. Browne,, A. Lannon, M. Molumphy, S. Cunningham.
The Waterford team to play Limerick in the first round of the Munster intermediate hurling championship at Pairc Ui Chaoimh on Sunday includes goalkeeper Ray Barry and full back Owen Dunphy who won All-Ireland Under 21 medals with the county in 1992.
Also named in the side at left full back is Billy O'Sullivan's younger brother, Rory, and Lismore's Paul Prendergast who played in a number of Munster senior championship campaigns.
WATERFORD IHC: R. Barry (Passage East); N. O'Donnell (Ballygunner). O. Dunphy (De La Salle), R. O'Sullivan (Ballygunner); G. Breen (Abbeyside). V. O'Shea (Clonea). E. O'Sullivan (Fourmilewater); D. Casey (Shamrocks). C. Fanning (Roanmore); P. Power (Ballygunner). B. Henley (Tallow). P. Prendergast (Lismore); N. Dalton (De La Salle). S. Prendergast (Ardmore). B. Hannon (Ballyduff).
Subs: E. Wall (Fourmilewater); G. Mackey (Roanmore); B. Walsh (Passage East); A. Fitzgerald (do); G. O'Shea(St. Mollerans); A. Kirwan (Portlaw); N. Jacob (St. Saviours); M. Mackey (Roanmore).

Kerry unlikely to agree to replay with Tipperary

by Brendan Larkin and Michael Ellard
KERRY are unlikely to agree to replay their Bank of Ireland Munster senior football championship first round match with Tipperary.
County Board chairman Sean Walsh said yesterday he personally would not be in favour of playing the game again.
"We won it by six points on the field of play and as far as I'm concerned we are now through to the semi-final against Clare on June 20 next.
"If a request came from Tipperary or the Munster Council, the Kerry County Board in conjunction with the team management would do them the courtesy of considering it, but my recommendation would be not to agree to a refixture.
"It's all hypothetical at the moment however as we don't know what Tipperary or the provincial council are planning to do," he said.
With this year's championship only two-weeks-old, and the Niall Barrett saga still fresh in everyone's mind, the GAA authorities could do with this latest controversy like a hole in the head.
With the benefit of TV replay it was crystal clear that the ball was wide before it rebounded back into play for Gerry Murphy to kick home a goal.
It happened so early in the game that Tipperary's concentration was totally upset for the remainder of the first-half in particular, and their delay in coming back out for the second-half was understandable.
Meanwhile the issuing of yellow and red cards continues to irk both players, team managements and supporters.
Last Sunday for instance Waterford full-back George Walsh received two yellow and a red card for technical fouls and was sent-off during the Munster football championship game against Cork in Dungarvan.
Yet a player from each side traded punches in the middle of the field and neither got as much as a caution. In a match that was embarrassingly one-sided, sending off a player with a couple of minutes to go was absolutely ridiculous.
The previous night in Thurles you had a situation where Liam Cahill broke clear of the Kerry defence and planted the ball in the back of the net, only to have it ruled out and a 20 metre free awarded instead.
Sure, he got a belt going through but a forward expects that when he takes on a defence, but imagine if that happened during the course of the Clare/Tipp game on June 6 next and the result hung on that decision. There would be consternation in the stadium. Where is common sense gone to ?
To compound a bad weekend for referees, in a local county intermediate hurling league game on Sunday night between Carrigtwohill and Delanys, four players from the city club were red carded for alleged abusive language to the referee.
However much more serious is the allegation made by the referee in question that he was struck as he was leaving the field and had to have a garda escort to get to his car.
Meanwhile the Chairman of the Munster Council of the GAA Sean Kelly has described the controversy surrounding the game as "fierce disappointing."
And he revealed that if Tipperary do lodge an appeal the Council would hear it as soon as possible, "probably next weekend."
"Sport is all about fair play and no team wants to be awarded a goal that was not scored legitimately or vice versa no team wants a goal given against them that was not scored fairly," said the Munster Council Chairman.
Mr Kelly said, "our disappointment is made all the more acute coming as it does on the heels of last season's Munster minor final when Limerick suffered a similar fate to that of Tipperary on Sunday.
He said that the Munster Council would examine the feasibility of removing all stanchions and ensuring that all major grounds in the province were fitted with goalposts and nets only.
A precedent has been set in replaying a match after a score that wasn't decided a championship game.
In the 1995 Leinster championship Laois defeated Carlow by a point but a video recording clearly showed that one of the Laois points was in fact wide. Laois agreed to replay the game and the Leinster Council agreed.

Gaelic Grounds revamp on hold

LIMERICK'S ambitious plans for a proposed £4m development at the Gaelic Grounds will almost certainly have to be put on hold.
It has emerged that a number of residents in the vicinity of the venue have combined to lodge an appeal against the planning permission granted by Limerick Corporation, to An Bord Pleanala.
A spokesman for the residents confirmed that the appeal had been lodged in Dublin at the weekend.
"We're not at all happy with several aspects of this development. We have appealed the decision and if it comes to it we are even prepared to go to the High Court. We already have a fund for such purposes in place."
At a meeting between County Board officers and residents at the Woodfield House Hotel, Michael Punch of Michael Punch and Partners said that if work was allowed to start in September everything would be in place for a grand reopening next spring.
Now the County Board accepts that it could take anything between four and six months for An Bord Pleanala to reach a decision.
The plan is to redevelop three sides of the Gaelic Grounds and to increase capacity from the present 32,000 to 51,000.
Meanwhile, the Limerick hurling team will play Waterford in the Championship at Pairc Ui Chaoimh next Sunday.
The team was to have been announced last evening but with several members of the panel and Eamon Cregan in Dublin for a golf outing sponsored by the supporters club, it was deferred.
Limerick have a clean bill of health as the countdown gets underway though a couple of players still have niggling injuries.
County Board Secretary James Hartigan has confirmed that irrespective of how Limerick fare against Waterford the first round of the domestic championship will definitely get underway on June 27 with the next series pencilled in for July 11.

Limerick to include several debutants

by Jim O'Sullivan
LIMERICK seem certain to include several players new to championship hurling for Sunday's first-round Guinness game against Waterford in Pairc Uí Chaoimh next Sunday.
One of them will be Brian Begley, from the Mungret club, who is expected to be named at full-back. And, Brian Geary, the son of former Blackrock and Cork player Paddy Geary, is also in line for selection in one of the corner-back positions.
Begley was the full-back on the Limerick minor football team which lost to Kerry in the 1997 Munster final at the Gaelic Grounds.
Geary, in turn, was centre-back on the minor football team which lost last year's decider in Thurles.
Ciaran Carey, Mike Houlihan and Gary Kirby, who have been to the forefront of Limerick hurling for most of the last decade, are all expected to be included. Houlihan is the likely centre-forward, with Kirby at full-forward, but there is a doubt about where Carey will be named. Only recently back in the panel, following the death of his mother, he could either be named at wing-back, midfield or in the half-forward line. Ollie Moran seems to be the preferred choice for centre-back.
Mark Foley, who played at centre-forward in last year's semi-final, will probably be kept in attack, with younger brother John filling one of the midfield positions.
Shane O'Neill (at full-forward) and Mike Galligan will also be part of the attack, with Barry Foley and TJ Ryan also challenging for positions.
Two years ago, the counties met again in the first round, with Limerick just managing to survive on a 2-20 to 1-17 scoreline.
*Meanwhile, the Limerick footballers will be sporting a new logo on their jerseys for the Bank of Ireland championship semi-final against Cork on June 19, after concluding a sponsorship deal with the Red Cow Moran's Hotel. The deal includes the county's senior, Under-21 and junior teams, over a three-year period.
The Red Cow Inn, a well-known landmark on the Naas Road, is owned by Tom Moran, a native of Athea in the heart of Limerick football.
"Limerick now join the list of counties whose sponsor resides outside the county. This serves to demonstrate the loyalty Tom Moran has to his GAA roots," commented Football Board PRO Seán O´ Catháin

Baker injury worries Banner

OLLIE BAKER is an injury doubt for champions Clare for Sunday week's glamour Guinness Munster hurling semi-final against Tipperary in Pairc Uí Chaoimh.
Baker has been on crutches since suffering an ankle injury the week-end before last, in a run-out against Cork in Pairc Uí Chaoimh, which followed an earlier training session.
As a result, he was unable to take part in training last week.
At this stage, the management are understandably concerned about his fitness, but, nobody really doubts that he will line-out in the game.
According to club sources, the injured ankle is his 'good' one, not the ankle injury which severely limited him in Doora/Barefield's 1997 county final game against Clarecastle.
Earlier this year, Baker was in the wars again, suffering a broken finger in the AIB All-Ireland club hurling semi-final against Athenry. But, typically, he battled his way back to fitness and managed to play an important part in the Ennis club's first national title success.
Meanwhile hurling managers are certainly leaving nothing to chance in preparing their teams for forthcoming Munster senior hurling championship matches at Pairc Uí Chaoimh.
In another new departure which began two years ago, Clare, Limerick and Waterford have already been to the Cork venue to play and train and wanting to familiarise themselves with the pitch.
Clare played Cork 11 days ago, Limerick trained there on Saturday last, while Waterford were on the pitch last night. Tipperary are due to play Cork this week.
This is all part of the psychology being applied by the team managers in the hope of gaining an advantage over their opponents, but it must be an absolute nightmare for the groundsman.
The recent good weather has allowed intensive work to be carried out on the pitch over the last fortnight, and it's reported to be in superb condition.

Minister moves to halt
another athletics row

by Brendan Mooney
THE Minister for Sport, Dr. Jim McDaid, has moved to avert another row between the Olympic Council of Ireland and BLE, the athletics federation, over what gear should be worn by Irish athletes at next year's Olympic Games in Sydney.
The Minister has written to both organisations requesting them to meet to resolve the problem.
Whether or not such a meeting takes place remains to be seen as BLE are adamant they don't have any problem.
A source close to the federation pointed out yesterday that under Rule 12 (a) and (b) of the IAAF they are entitled to wear the gear of their sponsor, ASICS, in Sydney.
"Being the paymaster he may well feel that from time to time he can run the snow but let's not forget that this money is provided by the taxpayer into the Exchequer or by the Lottery player every week.''
If BLE were to lose their sponsorship they would lose between £30,000 and £40,000 and if that were to happen the Minister, through the Sports Council, is the only one who could redress such a loss.
But the Minister's concern is understandable following the raging row between the OCI and BLE at the last Olympic Games in Atlanta.
Sonia O'Sullivan was drawn into the row when she had to change her gear on the way to the track.
She was then sponsored by Reebok who were also the sponsors of the OCI.
BLE, under IAAF rules, were entitled to wear their sponsor's gear and, since then that situation would appear to have been reinforced by the IAAF.
The row, which had been brewing for some time, caused mayhem in Atlanta with officials fighting among themselves.
Up to then the Olympic Council of Ireland distributed funding to the various sports in the lead up to the Olympic Games.
That right was subsequently withdrawn and the Sports Council, under John Treacy, was given full control over funding.
The possibility of another row emerged last year when the Olympic Council of Ireland signed a sponsorship deal with Adidas.
And this brought with it the possibility of drawing another leading athlete into it as Catherina McKiernan is one of Adidas' star athletes.

Dazzling Park now almost certain to miss Oaks

by Michael Clower
DAZZLING PARK, who came within a half a length of winning the Entenmann's Irish 1,000 Guineas at the Curragh on Sunday, is now almost certain to miss the Vodafone Oaks on Friday week.
Jim Bolger's immediate reaction was that the Oaks would be given some very serious consideration.
He won the race with 50-1 shot Jet Ski Lady eight years ago but yesterday he virtually ruled out the possibility of Dazzling Park attempting to follow suit.
The Coolcullen trainer explained: Dazzling Park is more likely to go to either Royal Ascot, Chantilly for the French Oaks or return to the Curragh for the Irish Oaks.
"The Epsom course does not suit many horses and I think that it may not suit her either".
Bolger recorded one of his biggest successes with Dazzling Park's dam, Park Express, when she won the ten furlong Irish Champion Stakes at Phoenix Park in 1986.
Park Express also won over 12 furlongs but her daughter is by Warning so there could be a doubt about her getting a mile and a half.
Bolger said: "Nobody will know until she actually tries it but I have never trained a horse with such a relaxed temperament.
"She switches off and goes to sleep in her races while at home she does nothing at all".
Dazzling Park looked a filly with a big future when she made a winning debut at the Curragh last September but she was then beaten by Rafayda in the CL Weld Park Stakes and a fortnight later she finished with only one behind her in the Beresford Stakes.
Bolger said: "Those defeats were due to bad ground.
"She wants it good and she was rusty when only fourth behind Carambola on her return in the Derrinstown Stud 1,000 Guineas Trial at Leopardstown earlier in the month".
Stable companion Desert Sky, second to Fasliyev in Saturday's Victor Chandler Marble Hill Stakes, is far from certain to go for the Queen Mary at Royal Ascot.
Bolger said: "The Railway Stakes was the original plan and we have not discussed the Queen Mary".
Show Me The Money finished with only two behind her in the Irish 1,000 Guineas but Noel Meade is prepared to forget that run.
The Castletown trainer said: "I knew we were going to be in trouble when Show Me The Money went down to the start. The ground was too fast for her.
"Richard Hughes told me that he got no run, he had to check her and then do so again. After that he did not persevere.
"But, if there is enough give in the ground, I wouldn't mind taking the opposition on again at Royal Ascot in the Coronation Stakes or the Jersey".
The Turf Club yesterday clarified the unusual situation that saw apprentice Derek Stamp prevented from riding at Dundalk on Friday night because he was believed to have an agent.
Cahir O'Sullivan, Keeper of the Match Book, said: "There is no specific rule that prevents an apprentice employing an agent but there was a notice in the Calendar earlier in the year about agents.
"This said that apprentices are not allowed to have them.
The reason is that having an agent would remove him or her from the direct control of the trainer to whom they are apprenticed".
The Dundalk stewards referred the matter to the Turf Club but it may not go as far as the Appeals & Referrals Committee.
John Hayden, to whom Stamp is apprenticed, explained that the incident was largely the result of a misunderstanding.
He said: "Derek received a call from an agent asking him to ride Poetic Quest.
"But he does not employ an agent".
Goffs yesterday reported that Hula Angel's win in the Irish 1,000 Guineas gave the Kill sales company its fourth Guineas win inside a month following Saffron Waldon on Saturday, Island Sands in the Newmarket 2,000 Guineas and Alabama Jacks in the Italian version.

Megabyte tipped to make her
mark at a lacklustre meeting

by Pat Keane
IT may be a fun day out for the locals but as a race-meeting Laytown this afternoon is simply awful.
Michael Cunningham's Megabyte might prove the bet of the day in the Guinness Perfect Pint Handicap.
The daughter of Glacial Storm was in action at Dundalk last Friday night.
Taken to the front with over a furlong to run, in that nine-furlong event, Megabyte stayed on to score by six lengths.
Megabyte's chance now is obvious, under just a mandatory 5lbs penalty.
The opening Guinness Handicap may be best left to Pat Martin's top weight, Magic Anne-Marie.
She was only beaten about two and a half lengths when seventh behind Holly's Gold at Navan last time.
Significantly, she scored at this meeting last year.
They look a dreadful bunch in the Arthur Guinness Maiden.
The vote goes to Dermot Weld's Untold Story.
Admittedly, he has shown very little and was well beaten on his seasonal debut at Navan behind Shannon Arch. But he is the highest rated horse in the field, by a fair way, and that says something about the quality of the opposition.
Harry Rogers' King Of Peace, having a first run of the campaign, can prove the solution to the St James' Gate Handicap.
He failed to win in five outings last season, but put up a creditable display when beaten a length by Golden Rule at Naas in July.