TEAM NEWS: 12 TG4 All-Ireland Final survivors for Meath; 5 for Dublin as 2022 LIDL NFL campaign gets underway

DUBLIN have named five of the team that lined out against Meath in last September’s TG4 All-Ireland Senior Final as they prepare to launch their Lidl National League Division 1 title defence against Waterford on Sunday (Fraher Field, 2pm).  

Manager Mick Bohan has included Leah Caffrey, Orlagh Nolan, Martha Byrne, Jennifer Dunne and Hannah Tyrrell in his starting line-up for the Division 1B clash.  

Four players who lined out from the start against Meath are named on the bench, namely Niamh Collins, Lyndsey Davey, Niamh Hetherton and Siobhan Killeen, while Bohan hands senior League debuts to Jess Tobin at corner back and midfielder Kate McDaid.  

Sub-goalkeeper Emer Ní Eafa returns to the Dublin panel having last played in 2017, while returning Natalia Hyland, who’s also listed on the bench, played in the 2014 TG4 All-Ireland Final loss to Cork.  

Dublin defeated Waterford in the TG4 Championship last year and the Déise have Pat Sullivan back for a second spell at the helm.  

Karen McGrath will captain the Waterford team as they look to spring a surprise on home soil.  

On Saturday, Meath and Cork will kick-start the 2022 Lidl National Leagues when they meet in Division 1B at Páirc Tailteann, Navan (1.30pm). 

This fixture is a repeat of the classic 2021 TG4 All-Ireland semi-final between the counties, when Meath came from behind with a stunning late comeback to force extra-time, before progressing to the Final.  

TG4 All-Ireland Senior Champions Meath go with 12 of the team that started in the famous September win against Dublin last year. 

TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year, Vikki Wall, Bridgetta Lynch and Orla Byrne are the players not named to start on this occasion, although Wall and Byrne are on the bench. 

Shauna Ennis will captain the team once again against Cork, who have new manager Shane Ronayne at the helm.   

Ronayne has given the Mourneabbey contingent some time to recover following their currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Final loss to Kilkerrin-Clonberne, with vice-captain Melissa Duggan on captaincy duty in the absence of Mourneabbey’s Maire O’Callaghan.  

Ronayne was also in charge of that Mourneabbey outfit, as he also prepared for the start of the Lidl League campaign.  

On Saturday evening, the TG4 cameras are in Ballybofey for the Division 1A clash between hosts Donegal and Galway (7.30pm).  

Galway have Maghnus Breathnach and Fiona Wynne looking after team affairs as the county seeks a successor to senior team manager Gerry Fahy, who stepped down recently.  

None of the Kilkerrin-Clonberne players are included in the Galway set-up for this one as they savour their recent club success, while Donegal will be looking to get off to a winning start on home soil, with Maxi Curran in charge once again this year.  

The Donegal team will be captained by Niamh McLaughlin, with TG4 All Star Geraldine McLaughlin leading the attack from corner forward.  

Donegal progressed to the semi-finals last year but lost out to Cork, who were then defeated by Dublin in the Final.  

Also on Saturday evening, the Connacht GAA Dome will host the meeting of Mayo and Westmeath (7pm).  

Mayo are captained by Shauna Howley but a number of key players, including Ella Brennan, Clodagh McManamon, Ciara McManamon, Roisin Durkin and Dayna Finn, are currently unavailable.  

Michael Moyles takes charge of Mayo against a Westmeath team with former Roscommon boss Michael Finneran now at the helm.  

Sean Finnegan guided Westmeath to TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate glory in 2021 but he’s now in charge of Kildare.  

Westmeath have flirted with relegation from the top flight in recent times but preserved Division 1 status last year with a relegation play-off victory over Tipperary.  

The Cork v Meath, Mayo v Westmeath and Dublin v Waterford games can all be viewed on the LGFA’s live-streaming service: https://page.inplayer.com/lgfaseason2022/ 

 

Donegal (v Galway): R McCafferty; S McFadden, E McGinley, N Boyle; N Carr, F McManamon, T Hegarty; Nicole McLaughlin, R Rodgers; S White, Niamh McLaughlin (capt.), S Twohig; B McLaughlin, K Guthrie, G McLaughlin.  

Galway (v Donegal): A Griffin; S Molloy, E Gavin, A Ní Cheallaigh; K Geraghty, C Cooney, F Cooney; A Davoren, S Ní Loingsigh; L Coen, M Seoighe (capt.), L Finnegan; A O’Rourke, A Trill, L Booth.

Mayo (v Westmeath): A Tarpey; E Ronayne, S El Massry, S Fally; T O’Connor, F McHale, N Hession; S Cafferky, A Geraghty; S Mulvihill, L Cafferky; S Howley (capt.); R Baynes, C Whyte, M Reilly.

Westmeath (v Mayo): A Temple; M Fagan, L Power, A Alford; C Blundell (capt.), F Coyle, C Kelly; A Ruane, T Dillon; A Jones, L McCartan, K Boyce-Jordan; S Dillon, K Hegarty, S Lyons.  

Meath (v Cork): M McGuirk; K Newe, M.K. Lynch, O Duff; S Ennis (capt.), E Troy, A Cleary; M O’Shaughnessy, O Lally; M Thynne, A Leahy, E Duggan; C Smyth, S Grimes, N O’Sullivan.  

Cork (v Meath): M O’Brien; M Ambrose, R Phelan, M Cahalane; L O’Mahony, M Duggan (capt.), E O’Shea; A Hutchings, S Kelly; E Cleary, Á O’Sullivan, D Kiely; S O’Leary, K Quirke, O Finn.  

Dublin (v Waterford): A Shiels; J Tobin, L Caffrey, H Leahy; O Nolan, M Byrne (capt.), A Kane; J Dunne, K McDaid; K Sullivan, N Owens, C O’Connor; O Whyte, H Tyrrell, J Egan.  

Waterford (v Dublin): E Gallagher; M Dunford, C McGrath, R Casey; A Mullaney, Karen McGrath (capt.), L Cusack; E Murray, L Mulcahy; B McMaugh, H Power, M Wall; K Murray, C Fennell, Kate McGrath.  

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