Cork pair will be ready for Waterford opener

CORK hurling selector Seanie McGrath insisted that Alan Cadogan and Séamus Harnedy will both be fit for a Munster SHC showdown with Waterford in less than four weeks’ time. The two forwards suffered hamstring injuries in the recent Allianz Hurling League final against the same opposition, compounding a miserable day for Cork who lost by 10 points. ‘They are not aggressive tears or anything, so we should have them both back for the Championship,’ said McGrath.

TWO of Cork’s top footballers are facing club bans after receiving straight red cards at the weekend. Forward ace Brian Hurley was red-carded in Castlehaven’s first-round win over Ilen Rovers and, unless he successfully challenges the caution, will miss the next round. Haven are seeking to regain the title they won back-to-back in 2012-13, and are one of the title favourites. Meanwhile, Goold was sent off in Macroom’s premier intermediate championship defeat to Ballingeary, and is now set to almost certain miss his team’s loser-round clash with Nemo Rangers. Red-card fever would appear to be catching in the Rebel County, with 2010 All-Ireland winner John Miskella also getting sent off earlier in month in defending champions Ballincollig’s first-round win over St Finbarr’s. ÷ DONEGAL will wear a specially-commissioned one-off jersey for this Sunday’s sell-out Ulster SFC clash against Tyrone. Regular sponsors Donegal Creameries will be replaced by a ‘Stay Safe on the Farm’ logo, in an initiative to increase farm-safety awareness. The logo, in white signage set against a red backdrop, is being sponsored by Aurivo Co-op, who own the Donegal Creameries brand. This Aurivo jersey initiative is also supporting insurance company FBD’s farm-safety campaign, by including its ‘Champions for Change’ logo on the reverse of the Donegal jersey.

GALWAY have suffered another major blow ahead of their Leinster SHC opener against Dublin later this month with former All-Star David Burke set to miss out. The St Thomas’ player picked up a hand injury at the weekend and is now extremely doubtful for the Croke Park showdown with Ger Cunningham’s men on May 31. Burke (25), who won an All-Star award in 2012 and was a key cog in Anthony Cunningham’s side getting to the All-Ireland final that year, is just back from a troublesome quad injury which sidelined him during the League, but picked up his latest knock playing in the Galway county championship. Burke suffered the injury for St Thomas’ in their 0-19 to 0-17 victory over Turloughmore in the second round of club games in the county at the weekend. And while the severity of his injury has not been ascertained just yet, Cunningham admitted there is always the risk of his squad picking up injuries in club games. ‘With a full round of club games, you are always praying that nobody gets injured really, but there is always the chance that there’ll be a knock or two,’ he said.