Mayo senior hurling manager Derek Walsh has received a massive boost ahead of the opening round of the Christy Ring Hurling Championship this weekend with Croke Park sanctioning three external hurlers for the county at its Central Council Meeting in Dublin last weekend. Walsh has named all three to start against Kildare this weekend with brothers Ger and Joe McManus from the St. Jude's Club in Dublin named at full-back and full-forward respectively and Loughrea and former Galway U21 player Joseph Mooney named at centre back. The outside players are allowed to play for Mayo under the Parentage Rule with the McManus brothers' father Padraig coming from Barnacarroll outside of Claremorris and Joseph Mooney's mother Julia Howard hailing from Belmullet. Captain Shane Boland is named at corner forward with Keith Higgins named in the opposite corner completing a very impressive full-forward line for Mayo. The industrious Sean Kenny and proficient Daniel Huane are named at midfield with David Kenny switching from centre-back to wing-back to facilitate Mooney. The experienced Stephen Coyne and Paul Kirwan flank Ger McManus in the full-back line. Eoin Delaney, Brian Hunt and Adrian Phillips are named in the half-forward line. The game has a 1:00pm start time at James Stephen's Park in Ballina this Sunday, April 10th. Westmeath native Caymon Flynn has been appointed to referee the game. Live commentary on Midwest Radio with Michael D McAndrew and Frank Browne which is brought to you by Delaney's Hardware Ballyhaunis. Get your tickets for this match on https://am.ticketmaster.com/gaa/christyring22
The Mayo Hurling Team is as follows:
1 Bobby Douglas Tooreen
2 Stephen Coyne Tooreen
3 Ger McManus St. Jude's Dublin
4 Paul Kirwin Ballyhaunis
5 Gary Nolan Tooreen
6 Joseph Mooney Loughrea Galway
7 David Kenny Tooreen
8 Daniel Huane Tooreen
9 Sean Kenny Tooreen
10 Eoin Delaney Tooreen
11 Brian Hunt Ballyhaunis
12 Adrian Phillips Ballyhaunis
13 Shane Boland (C) Tooreen
14 Joe McManus St. Jude's Dublin
15 Keith Higgins Ballyhaunis
SUBS
16 Barry Lane Castlebar Mitchels Hurling
17 Mark Phillips Ballyhaunis
18 Kenny Feeney Tooreen
19 Patrick Lyons Tooreen
20 Danny Hill Ballyhaunis
21 Darren Murray Ballina Stephenites
22 Aaron Ketterick Westport
23 Shane Crennigan Tooreen
24 Conal Hession Tooreen
25 Kealan Gallagher Westport
26 James Gallagher Westport
Manager: Derek Walsh
Management Team: Liam Hodgins, Damian Fox, John Cunnane, Trevor Kelly, David McConn Tom Phillips Gary Conway
Physio: Shane Morley