William Buckley is the sole debutant selected to start for Cork’s Allianz Hurling League Division 1A opener against Waterford at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday (3.45pm).
The Rebel selection for Ben O’Connor’s first league match in charge features ten starters from last year’s All-Ireland hurling final defeat to Tipperary.
The five absent from that chastening loss last July are the retired Patrick Horgan, Eoin Downey, Ciarán Joyce, Tim O’Mahony and Brian Hayes.
Hayes’ St Finbarr’s team-mate Buckley – who scored ten points in UCC’s win over Garda College in the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup on Thursday – is named at right corner-forward, alongside Declan Dalton and Alan Connolly in the full-forward line.
Dáire O’Leary of Cork in action against Walter Walsh of Kilkenny in the 2022 Allianz HL Division 1 semi-final. Picture: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Dáire O’Leary, recalled to the panel by O’Connor, is picked at full-back while Cormac O’Brien at right half-back, Tommy O’Connell in midfield and number 10 Brian Roche are the other players who did not start the All-Ireland.
The substitutes’ bench features Fr O’Neill’s goalkeeper Paudie O’Sullivan for the first time while Darragh O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig), Hugh O’Connor of Newmarket and Kanturk’s Alan Walsh are in line for first league appearances if they come on.
Cork (HL v Waterford):
Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig);
Niall O’Leary (Castlelyons), Dáire O’Leary (Watergrasshill), Seán O’Donoghue (Inniscarra);
Cormac O’Brien (Newtownshandrum), Robert Downey (Glen Rovers), Mark Coleman (Blarney);
Tommy O’Connell (Midleton), Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville, c);
Brian Roche (Bride Rovers), Shane Barrett (Blarney), Diarmuid Healy (Lisgoold);
William Buckley (St Finbarr’s), Declan Dalton (Fr O’Neill’s), Alan Connolly (Blackrock).
Subs: Paudie O’Sullivan (Fr O’Neill’s), Ger Millerick (Fr O’Neill’s), Eoin Roche (Bride Rovers), Darragh O’Sullivan (Ballinhassig), Ethan Twomey (St Finbarr’s), Micheál Mullins (Glen Rovers), Brian O’Sullivan (Kanturk), Hugh O’Connor (Newmarket), Séamus Harnedy (St Ita’s), Robbie O’Flynn (Erin’s Own), Alan Walsh (Kanturk).