Cork football star Michael Shields will not feature for Ireland in the International Rules Series first Test due to his involvement in the Cork SFC final this Sunday.
Shields featured for St Finbarr’s as they defeated Carberry Rangers at the semi-final stage and has decided to put club before country and will line-out for Finbarr’s against Nemo Rangers in Sunday’s final.
St Finbarr’s manager Tony Leahy told the The Examiner: ‘It’s not often you get to represent your country and it’s just one of those awkward things.
‘In fairness, the club is where he got his break and he’s driving on now. It’s hard on him. But that’s the way it goes.
‘There’s no point in cribbing about it or anything like that. It’s just about driving on now and getting on with it.’
Shields’ withdrawal from the Ireland squad creates a chance for one of the seven standby players to be drafted in for the two-Test series. The two defenders in the standby group are Kildare’s Emmet Bolton and Limerick’s Johnny McCarthy.
The likelihood is that one of that duo will be called-in to replace the Cork All-Star full back.
Shields will be available for the second Test in Dublin on 30 October and could yet be drafted back into the squad.
Entrance to the match in Páirc Uí Rinn is free for all juveniles, while adults will only be asked to make a small contribution to local Cork charities. Log on to www.gaa.ie for further information. The match throws-in at 6pm.
UCC/CIT to face Australia on 20 October in Páirc Uí Rinn: K O’Halloran (Cork), D Óg O’Donovan (Cork), A Greaney (Kerry), M Collins (Cork), P Honohan (Cork), K O’Driscoll (Cork), P Crowley (Kerry), JB Spillane (Kerry), J O’Sullivan (Cork), L Jennings (Cork), J Buckley (Kerry), D Casey (Kerry), S Kiely (Cork), E Cotter (Cork), S Óg O ‘hAilpín (Cork), B Walsh (Cork), R Carey (Cork), S O’Donoghue (Cork), A Walsh (Cork), C O’Driscoll (Cork), P Flynn (Cork), S O’Hare (Waterford), A O’Sullivan (Cork), BJ Walsh (Kerry), C O’Neill (Cork), J Fitzpatrick (Cork), R Power (Cork), C Sheehan (Cork), H Curran (Cork).
