Compiled by Jackie Cahill
Kilkerrin-Clonberne’s currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Senior club champion Lynsey Noone starts for Galway in their Lidl National League Division opener tomorrow (Saturday, 21st January) against Donegal (2pm Tuam Stadium).
Clubmate Chloe Miskell is named on the bench, but a number of more experienced KC players will be eased back into the county set-up in the coming weeks.
Visitors Donegal are without a host of key stars, including 2022 TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year, Niamh McLaughlin, Geraldine McLaughlin, Yvonne Bonner and Karen Guthrie.
With Niamh McLaughlin currently unavailable due to injury, vastly-experienced Emer Gallagher will captain the team.
Galway (v Donegal): A Griffin; B Quinn, S Ní Loinsigh (capt.), E Gavin; C Cooney, K Geraghty, S Brennan; A Davoren, C Cleary; L Coen, K Slevin, A Molloy; A O’Rourke, R Leonard, L Noone.
Donegal (v Galway): A McColgan; N Carr, E McGinley, E Gallagher (capt.); A Boyle Carr, Nicole McLaughlin, T Hegarty; S Twohig, R Rodgers; S Boyle, K Long, L Ryan; K Gillespie, S McGroddy, C McGarvey.
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There are seven players who started the 2022 TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship final named on the Meath team for tomorrow’s (SAT) Lidl National League Division 1 opener against Leinster champions Dublin at DCU St Clare’s (5.15pm – live on TG4).
Meath, the reigning League and All-Ireland champions, have Monica McGuirk, captain Shauna Ennis, Mary Kate Lynch, Katie Newe, Aoibhín Cleary, Máire O’Shaughnessy and Megan Thynne in their starting line-up as new manager Davy Nelson prepares for his first competitive game in charge since succeeding Eamonn Murray.
Emma Troy and Aoibheann Leahy are both travelling and unavailable to Nelson, while Vikki Wall and Orlagh Lally are in Australia.
Other key players such as Stacey Grimes and Niamh O’Sullivan are named on the bench as the Royals prepare for the short trip to the capital.
Opponents Dublin have named Carla Rowe as team captain for the forthcoming campaign, as life begins without retired Lyndsey Davey for the Sky Blues.
There are two debutants in the Dublin starting 15, namely Niamh Crowley, a minor last year, and former Leitrim player Eilis O’Dowd.
There are also no fewer than 11 newcomers to the Dublin set-up listed among the subs.
On Sunday, Mayo welcome Cork to the Connacht Centre of Excellence for a 2pm start.
Former captain Sarah Tierney and two-time TG4 All Star Rachel Kearns make welcome returns to the Mayo set-up.
Tierney is named on the bench, with Kearns listed in the full-forward line for this League opener.
Clodagh McManamon is also back in the Mayo fold and named at midfield, while Deirdre Doherty, outstanding for Charlestown at club level last season, returns too.
Cork have lost brilliant forward Orla Finn to retirement but will still expect to challenge for the top honours in the season ahead.
This fixture will revive memories of the 2022 TG4 All-Ireland Senior quarter-final between the counties, won by Mayo, and Cork boss Shane Ronayne has named a team with a nice blend of youth and experience as the Leesiders look to get off to a winning start.
Emma Cleary, daughter of former Cork senior footballer, John, is named as team captain for Cork.
Also on Sunday in the top flight, there’s a Munster derby in Piltown (2pm), as Waterford take on Kerry, the 2022 Lidl NFL Division 2 Champions and TG4 All-Ireland Senior Finalists.
Kerry have Eilís Lynch, Kayleigh Cronin, Aishling O’Connell, Lorraine Scanlon, Niamh Carmody, new captain Síofra O’Shea and Danielle O’Leary as 2022 All-Ireland Final starting survivors in the team for Sunday as they return to Division 1 football.
Waterford preserved their top flight status in League and championship with relegation play-off wins in 2022 and manager Pat Sullivan will be eager to push forward with his group in 2023.
Karen McGrath has been named as Waterford captain but the experienced Ballymacarbry player is listed among the subs for this season opener.
The four Murray sisters from Comeragh Rangers are key members of the Waterford set-up again, with Aoife, Emma and Cora named in the starting team.
Galway v Donegal, Mayo v Cork and Waterford v Kerry are three games available to view live on the LGFA’s live-streaming portal: https://bit.ly/3k9k8CB
Dublin (v Meath): E Ní Eafa; N Crowley, R Brennan, J Tobin; L Caffrey, D Lawless, M Byrne; J Dunne, E O’Dowd; O Nolan, C Rowe (capt.), E Gribben; C O’Connor, H Tyrrell, J Egan.
Meath (v Dublin): M McGuirk; S Ennis (capt.), M.K. Lynch, K Newe; N Gallogly, A Cleary, M O’Shaughnessy; A Minogue, A McCabe; A Sheridan, A Farrell, A Leahy; M Thynne, M Byrne, C Smyth.
Mayo (v Cork): L Brennan; É Ronayne, R Flynn, D Caldwell; C Needham, F McHale, K Sullivan (capt.); C McManamon, H Reape; E Reape, S Cafferky, S Howley; L Cafferky, T Needham, R Kearns.
Cork (v Mayo): M O’Sullivan; S Kelly, E Meaney, D Kiniry; A Healy, H Looney, M Duggan; S Leahy, E O’Shea; E Cleary (capt.), R Leahy, D Kiely; L Coppinger, E Kiely, A Ring.
Waterford (v Kerry): E O’Brien; K McGrath, M Dunford, A Murray, E Power, E Murray, H Power; K Hogan, A Waring; A O’Neill, B McMaugh, C McCarthy; A Fitzgerald, L McGregor, S McGuckian.
Kerry (v Waterford): M.E. Bolger; E Lynch, K Cronin, A Dillane; N Broderick, A O’Connell, L Galvin; L Scanlon, M O’Connell; N Carmody, S O’Shea (capt.), C Evans, N Ní Chonchúir, D O’Leary, H O’Donoghue.
