Cork senior footballer Dara Sheedy will lead the line for the Cork U20s in their Munster opener away to Clare (Quilty, 7pm) on Thursday.
The Bantry Blues youngster picked up a knock during Cork’s Division 2 League final defeat to Meath the weekend before last, but has recovered sufficiently to take his place at centre-forward on Ray Keane’s U20 side.
The starting Cork line-up contains five players, including Sheedy, that began last year’s Munster U20 final defeat to Kerry. The remaining quartet are goalkeeper Billy Curtin, midfielder and captain Darragh Clifford, half-back Seán Leary, and inside forward Danny Miskella.
Also named in the inside line, and making his first championship appearance in red since the 2023 All-Ireland minor quarter-final, is Seán Coakley.
The Douglas talent has been plagued by injuries in recent years. The third member of the Cork full-forward line is Rickey Barrett, who featured heavily in the Barrs’ run to last season’s Munster club final.
Meanwhile Tomás Ó Sé’s Kerry U20 team to face Waterford on Wednesday evening (Lemybrien, 7pm) shows seven players that featured in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Tyrone.
Gearóid Evans is at full-back for the second season in-a-row. In front of him at No.6 is Aodhna Ó Beaglaoich. Both midfielders, Killian Dennehy and Evan Boyle, are survivors from last year’s team, as are forwards Daniel Kirby and Paddy Lane of Austin Stacks.
Ronan Carroll, named at full-forward, was a starter for three of Kerry’s five U20 outings in 2025, coming on as a sub in the Tyrone defeat.
As was confirmed by Ó Sé last week, Kerry senior Tomás Kennedy will not tog for the U20s on Wednesday evening.
Cork (Munster U20 v Clare): B Curtin (Valley Rovers); F Hurley (O’Donovan Rossa), P Rose (Ballincollig), M Ahern (St Finbarr’s); S O’Leary (Kilmurry), C McCarthy (St Colum’s), O Foley (Bishopstown); D Clifford (Éire Óg), S Connolly (Ilen Rovers); M O’Brien (Ballinora), D Sheedy (Bantry Blues), G Holland (Bishopstown); S Coakley (Douglas), R Barrett (St Finbarr’s), D Miskella (Ballincollig).
Subs: J O’Flaherty (Douglas), H Wixted (Bishopstown), A Keane (Kinsale), T Kiely (Mallow), L Shorten (Tadhg MacCartaigh), L Murphy (Barryroe), B Corkery Delaney (Carrigaline), J O’Leary (Ballinascarthy), M Collins (Barryroe).
Kerry (v Waterford): K Robak (Dr Crokes); M Lynch (Milltown/Castlemaine), G Evans (Keel), D Mulvihill (Tarbert); S Ó Cúinn (An Ghaeltacht), A Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht), P Walsh (Listowel Emmets); K Dennehy (Cordal), E Boyle (Ballyduff); D Kirby (Austin Stacks), M McKivergan (Ballymacelligott), J O’Sullivan (Kenmare Shamrocks); G White (John Mitchels), P Lane (Austin Stacks), R Carroll (Austin Stacks).
Subs: B Fitzsimons (Kenmare Shamrocks), D Stack (Kilcummin), I Brosnan (Castleisland Desmonds), M O’Carroll (Dr Crokes), P Finucane (Tarbert), R Sheridan (Duagh), B Kelliher (Dr Crokes), E O’Flaherty (Ardfert), J Joy (Ballymacelligott), A Byrne (Dr Crokes), M Horan (Scartaglen).