Longford up first for Limerick footballers in the Tailteann Cup

LIMERICK'S senior footballers get their Tailteann Cup campaign underway on this Saturday evening when they welcome Longford to the TUS Gaelic Grounds.

It is Limerick's first foray into the fledgling competition that they are playing in after exiting the Munster SFC with defeat to Clare in the semi-final.

Mark Fitzgerald's side put in arguably their best performance of the season in that loss to Clare but ultimately came up short on a scoreline of 1-16 to 0-16.

The Limerick side have quietly gone about their preparations for the Tailteann Cup since that loss to the Banner and Fitzgerald will be hopeful that he can build on the positivity gained from that performance in the Munster semi-final.

Championship debutants Cathal Downes and Barry Coleman were among the star performers on the day and Limerick will be looking for them to be to the fore against Longford on Saturday evening.

Longford are in the Tailteann Cup after being relegation from Division 3 of the Allianz Football League and their and that they exited the Leinster Football Championship with a one-point loss to Offaly.

Former Dublin star Paddy Christie is over Longford this year following a stint as coach of the Tipperary senior football side and the premier's U20 team. Christie was involved in the Munster win with Tipperary in 2020. He also had a decorated playing career with Dublin.

Limerick will also face both Carlow and Wicklow in Group 3 of the Tailteann Cup. The top teams in each group automatically advance to the quarter-final knockout stages. The four second placed teams go to preliminary quarter-finals where they are joined by the three best third placed teams along with New York.

Limerick's clash with Longford on Saturday has a 6pm throw-in. The Limerick panel for the game is as follows:

LIMERICK: Donal O’Sullivan (Monaleen); Mike Donovan (St Finbarr's), Seán O’Dea (Kilteely-Dromkeen), Brian Fanning (Pallasgreen); Barry Coleman (Rathkeale), Jim Liston (Gerald Griffins), Paul Maher (Adare); Cillian Fahy (Dromcollogher-Broadford), Cathal Downes (Kildimo-Pallaskenry); Cian Sheehan (Newcastle West), Brian Donovan (Monaleen), Adrian Enright (Fr Caseys); James Naughton (St Senans), Colm McSweeney (Gerald Griffins), Peter Nash (Kildimo-Pallaskenry).

Subs: Aaron O’Sullivan (Pallasgreen), Hugh Bourke (Adare), Gordon Brown (Na Piarsaigh), David Connolly (Adare), Tommy Griffin (Gerald Griffins), Davy Lyons (Adare), Tony McCarthy (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), Darragh Murray (Monaleen), Ruadhan O’Connor (Newcastle West), Eoin O'Shea (Monaleen), Cormac Woulfe (St Senans).