Championship 2007 Team news: Thurles in late May and it must be the start of the Munster hurling championship. The lack of any great hype surrounding Sunday's opening game between Cork and Clare possibly reflects the lack of great hopes within the counties, although Cork do at least have a typically formidable look.
Manager Gerald McCarthy has named all but three of the team that started last September's All-Ireland final defeat to Kilkenny, and two of the notable changes are enforced. Cian O'Connor gets a starting place in the defence in place of last year's captain Pat Mulcahy, no longer part of the panel, and debutant Patrick Cronin takes over in the forward line as an indirect replacement for the retired Brian Corcoran.
New captain Kieran Murphy of Erin's Own has also nailed down a starting place at right wing forward, in preference to Neil Ronan, but otherwise Cork remain the largely familiar outfit of recent years - with Jerry O'Connor again sharing midfield duties with Tom Kenny, Ronan Curran holding down the centre back spot, and Timmy McCarthy moving up to full forward. Diarmuid O'Sullivan has overcome the eye injury sustained in a club match to start at full back.
Clare, who seek a first Munster championship victory since the win over Tipperary in 2003, and a first over Cork since 1998, will show more drastic changes to this time last year, when they also lost to Cork in the Munster semi-final. Manager Tony Considine has endured some high-profile loses starting with the infamous falling-out with goalkeeper Davy Fitzgerald, then All Star forward Tony Griffin (currently cycling across Canada) and recently Tony Carmody, who has simply opted out.
Considine has injury problems, most notably forward Bernard Gaffney, who has an ankle strain, although Alan Markham, Andrew Quinn and Gerry Quinn are reportedly fit to start - with the team due to be finalised this evening.
In football, there is increasing hope in Donegal that forward Brendan Devenney will be fit to start the Ulster quarter-final against Armagh. Manager Brian McIver will announce his team tomorrow evening.
Armagh will, of course, be without injured Francie Bellew, Ronan Clarke, JP Donnelly and Brian Mallon. The return of retired forward Diarmuid Marsden is a blessing and the 33-year-old looks set to start, as well as 35-year-old Kieran McGeeney.
Louth and Wicklow could be forced into some changes for their Leinster football first-round replay. Louth half forward John O'Brien is very doubtful, while a hamstring injury is threatening Brendan Ó hAnnaidh's participation. Wicklow captain Paul Earls fit.
Mick O'Dwyer is set to announce his line-up tomorrow.
CORK(SH v Clare): D Óg Cusack; B Murphy, D O'Sullivan, C O'Connor; J Gardiner, R Curran, S Óg O hAilpín; T Kenny, J O'Connor; K Murphy, N McCarthy, P Cronin; B O'Connor, T McCarthy, J Deane.
