Laois senior football manager Justin McNulty has named his panel for tomorrow’s O’Byrne Cup opener against Offaly in Stradbally.
From the side that lost to Down in the Tailteann Cup semi final last summer, there are 11 changes.
Trevor Collins, Robbie Pigott, Sean Greene, Paddy O’Sullivan, Colm Murphy and James Finn are not part of the panel currently with Collins, Piggott, O’Sullivan and Murphy gone travelling.
Padraig Kirwan and Kieran Lillis are not named in the 26 as they are believed to be injured with Eoin Lowry also absent but part of the panel.
While Paul Kingston and Evan O’Carroll, who started the Down defeat, are named on the bench.
Portarlington’s Alex Mohan, a second half sub in the Down game, is set to miss this season after sustaining a serious knee injury.
McNulty is set to hand debuts to Portlaoise’s Ben Dempsey, Stradbally’s Liam Knowles, Park-Ratheniska’s Simon Fingleton, St Joseph’s Cormac Murphy and O’Dempsey’s Fionn Holland.
While newcomers Aaron Cooney, Jack Lacey, Mikey Dempsey (all St Joseph’s) and Micheal Downey (Ballylinan) are all named amongst the subs.
There is also a return to the fold for Eoin Buggie (Stradbally) and Danny O’Reilly (Graiguecullen) after two and one year respectively away from the inter-county game.
With the likes of Rioghan Murphy (Portarlington), Niall Dunne (Courtwood) and Shaun Fitzpatrick (Ballyroan-Abbey) also believed to be part of the extended panel, there is scope for further debuts in later rounds.
If Laois win, they will host Dublin on Saturday in the quarter finals while if they lose, they will enter the O’Byrne Cup shield semi finals which are scheduled for Saturday, January 13.
LAOIS: Killian Roche (Killeshin); Ben Dempsey (Portlaoise), Seamus Lacey (Ballylinan), Liam Knowles (Stradbally); Sean O’Flynn (Courtwood), Mark Timmons (Graiguecullen), Simon Fingleton (Park-Ratheniska); Kevin Swayne (Portlaoise), Damon Larkin (Portlaoise); Cormac Murphy (St Joseph’s), Niall Corbet (Clonaslee-St Manman’s), Fionn Holland (O’Dempsey’s); Mark Barry (O’Dempsey’s), Brian Daly (St Joseph’s), Brian Byrne (Graiguecullen)
SUBS: Aaron Cooney (St Joseph’s), Micheal Downey (Ballylinan), Jack Lacey (St Joseph’s), Dylan Kavanagh (The Heath), Eoin Buggie (Stradbally), Mikey Dempsey (St Joseph’s), Ciaran Burke (Crettyard), Danny O’Reilly (Graiguecullen), Paul Kingston (Arles-Killeen), Cathal Doyle (Ballyroan-Abbey), Evan O’Carroll (Crettyard)
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