Connact fancied in Interprovincial tournament

The Interprovincial Championships takes place in Pairc
Chiaran in Athlone this weekend and Connacht are well
placed to win the title for the first time in seven years.
Despite the recent successes of Galway, Mayo and Sligo,
Connacht have failed to win the Mick Talbot Cup since
2000 when they beat Leinster to claim the title.

Mayo and Galway met in the Suzuki National Football League
final this year having accounted for the best of Munster
so the province is set to mount a serious challenge to
last year’s winners Interprovincial champions Leinster.
Connacht can now boast four senior teams competing in
the TG4 All Ireland Championships with Sligo and Roscommon
joining the ranks of the long established Galway and Mayo.
The westerners will be able to call on a host of experienced
players such as Mayo captain Christina Heffernan, Galway
forward Anne Marie McDonagh and Sligo’s Bernice Byrne.

Defending champions Leinster, who have won the provincial
title for the last two years, will look for inspiration
from Laois’ 2006 All Star Trish Fogarty who captains the
side. Leinster can also utilise the skills of International
Rules representatives Brianne Leahy of Kildare and Meath’s
Sinead Dooley.

The Munster side shows a strong Cork influence with Kerry
and Waterford the other two counties with a large presence
in the squad while the Ulster squad is dominated by Tyrone
and Armagh. Last weekend’s Tyrone-Donegal Ulster TG4 SFC
match was regrettably moved at the last minute after a
disagreement over gate receipts. The row between the respective
Ulster councils over gate receipts was centered on the
extra costs of moving the ladies fixture from Tyrone and
the compensation to teams for extra travel and food expenses
incurred. This promotional opportunity to play the game
in front of a large crowd in Newry went a begging and
a ladies football curtain raiser would have undoubtedly
added to the sense of occasion on the day. Ulster has
been one of the most progressive provinces with regard
to integration of the male and female codes and it is
hoped that such opportunities will not be spurned in the
future.

Inter Provincial Tournament 2007 Pairc Chiaran, Athlone
Saturday 26th May, 2007

Ulster v Leinster 12:00 Pitch 1

Connacht v Munster 12:00 Pitch 2

Munster v Leinster 1:30 Pitch 1

Connacht v Ulster 1.30 Pitch 2

Leinster v Connacht 3:00 Pitch 1

Ulster v Munster 3.00 Pitch 2 Pairc Chiaran, Athlone

Sunday 27th May, 2007

Shield Final 11:30 Pitch 1

Championship Final 1.00 Pitch 1

Leinster Interprovincial Panel 2007 MR Kelly (Wexford),
S Dooley (Meath), L Muckian (Laois), J Burke (Meath),
A Holton (Kildare), T Fogarty (Laois), Lector (Wexford)
8. Brianne Leahy (Kildare), L Walsh (Westmeath), K Hopkins
(Dublin), M Nevin (Dublin), G Fay (Dublin), T Lawlor (Laois),
A Jenning (Kildare), S Aherne (Dublin), I Munnelly (Meath),
D Masterson (Dublin), M Mollock (Kildare), S Treacy (Longford)
20. A Smith (Longford), S McCormack (Meath), N Carroll
(Wicklow), J Rispen (Meath), M Doyle (Wexford), S Kehoe
(Wexford), L Halligan (Westmeath) 27. A O’hAnnaidh (Wicklow),
E Brady (Longford), S Gilabert (Kildare), F Claffey (Westmeath)
Management: Bill Daly (Dublin), Pat Quill (Wexford), Michael
O’Loughlin (Laois)

Connacht Interprovincial Panel 2007 K Connolly (Sligo),
M O’Connell (Galway), M Glynn (Galway), A Doohan (Sligo),
M Heffernan (Mayo), A Daly (Galway), R McPilbin (Galway),
F McHale (Mayo), B Byrne (Sligo), T O’Hara (Sligo), C
Heffernan (Mayo), E Casey (Roscommon), M Carey (Roscommon),
N Tierney (Sligo), T Marren (Sligo), T Hughes (Galway),
M Burke (Galway), A Gilmore (Galway) C Kelly (Roscommon),
M Hoey (Roscommon), AM McDonagh (Galway), L Cohill (Galway),
N O’Shea (Mayo), M Carter (Mayo), M Kelly (Mayo), C McDermott
(Mayo), P Gleeson (Galway). Management: Pat Costello (Galway),
Frank Browne (Mayo), Ita C.Hannon (Mayo)

Munster Interprovincial Panel 2007 C O’Donoghue (Cork),
L Barrett (Cork), R Hallahan (Waterford), G Flaherty (Kerry),
G O Flynn (Cork), B Stack (Cork), D Breathnach (Waterford),
N Kelly (Cork), M O Donoghue (Kerry), N Cleary (Cork),
M O Donnell (Waterford), L Wall (Waterford), V Mulcahy
(Cork), K O Driscoll (Kerry), D O Brien (Limerick), A
Jordan (Waterford), M O Rourke (Waterford), L McMahon
(Cork), P Dennehy (Kerry), C Walsh (Cork), M Finnegan
(Kerry), C Creedon (Cork), M McGrath (Waterford), F Lafferty
(Clare), S Flemming (Kerry), M Corcoran (Tipperary), M
Morrissey (Tipperary), M Ryan (Waterford) Management:
Maire Halvey & Jim McEvoy

Ulster Interprovincial Panel 2007 E Mallaghan (Tyrone),
E Teague (Tyrone), M Kelly (Tyrone), S Woods (Fermanagh),
N Woods (Tyrone), A Keary (Down), E McConville (Down),
A Mohan (Fermanagh), M Downey (Down), C Donnelly (Tyrone),
C Little (Fermanagh), G Begley (Tyrone), N Kindlon (Monaghan),
N Doonan (Cavan) C Fay (Cavan), C McConnell (Monaghan),
B O’Donnell (Armagh), A O’Donnell (Armagh), C Marley (Armagh),
C Reilly (Monaghan), L Donnelly (Tyrone), V Mallet (Derry),
M Tennyson (Armagh), M Moriarty (Armagh), B Sheridan (Cavan),
C O’Hanlon (Armagh), C Mullan (Antrim), B Gallagher (Donegal),
A Quinn (Antrim). Management: Paddy Donnelly, Joe Lagan,
John Joe Brady