GAELIC GAMES:TOM O'SULLIVAN'S days as a Kerry footballer appear to be over, the five-time All-Ireland winner effectively ending his 13-year intercounty career by failing to return to the Kerry squad in time for their Munster championship opener against Tipperary on May 27th.
Manager Jack O’Connor is set to finalise his panel at a training session this weekend, and O’Sullivan, who sat out Kerry’s league campaign, has given no indication of any further involvement: at age 33, and having not trained with Kerry so far this season, no one is expecting he will return at this late stage.
It means his final game for Kerry is almost certainly last September’s All-Ireland, where he lined out at full back in the narrow defeat to Dublin. The Rathmore player, regarded as one of Kerry’s best ever defenders, made 76 championship appearances in total between 2000 and 2011.
He won his first All-Ireland at under-21 level in 1998, then made his senior debut the following year in the league, before going on to win five senior All-Ireland medals, playing in 10 finals (including two in 2000), and also collecting two All Stars. He also played in most defensive positions, but the emergence of a new breed of Kerry defenders, including Daniel Bohane, Peter Crowley, Shane Enright and Brian Maguire may well have influenced his decision not to try win back his place.
Tommy Griffin’s departure over the winter means Tomás Ó Sé is the only player left from the team of 2000, and thus started an unprecedented 12 years for Kerry football.
Last week Kerry’s championship preparations also endured a setback with the decision of Donie Buckley not to return as team coach. Buckley had undergone a knee operation earlier this year and was expected to return for the summer, but with Alan O’Sullivan taking over more of the coaching duties, Buckley decided to step down from the role.
Meanwhile, Dublin will begin the defence of their All-Ireland title live on TV3 – the full line-up of their live championship fixtures now announced.
TV3 had the pick of three provincial finals and certain All-Ireland qualifiers, plus two All-Ireland quarter-finals, and the All-Ireland minor finals, all exclusively live, and will begin with Dublin starting their defence of Leinster and All-Ireland title against Louth or Westmeath, on June 3rd.
TV3 will broadcast nine live championship matches this summer including the provincial football finals in Munster, Connacht and Ulster. The pick of the All-Ireland qualifiers will be live on TV3 as well as two All-Ireland quarter-finals, yet to be confirmed.
TV3 Championship Fixtures 2012
Jun 3rd: Dublin v Louth or Westmeath.
July 1st: Dublin/Louth or Westmeath v Wexford/Longford or Laois.
July 7th: Hurling phase 2 qualifier possible.
July 8th: Munster SF final.
July 14th: Hurling phase 2 or football round 2 qualifier possible.
July 15th: Connacht SF final.
July 21st: Football round 3 qualifier possible.
July 22nd: Ulster SF final.
July 28th: All-Ireland football round 4 qualifier.
July 29th: All-Ireland hurling quarter-final TBC.
Aug 4th: All-Ireland football quarter-final TBC.
Sept 9th: All-Ireland Minor hurling final.
Sept 23rd: All-Ireland Minor football final.
