Armagh have made one change for Sunday’s All-Ireland final against Connacht champions, Galway. Peter McGrane, who has been an ever-present for the team this championship, drops to the bench and Connaire Mackin starts.
It is good news for the Mackin family after a difficult summer during which siblings Ciarán and Aimee have had their intercounty seasons ended by cruciate injuries.
Connaire had been drafted in for the All-Ireland group match against Derry last month to replace his brother but after an emphatic win, he was suspended for a retrospective red card infraction in an incident with Conor Glass.
There are also two changes from the counties’ earlier meeting in Sligo for the group stages. As well as Mackin’s inclusion for McGrane, Paddy Burns starts in place of Ciarán Higgins.
Galway are unchanged for Sunday’s All-Ireland final against Armagh. Captain Seán Kelly is named to start at centrefield, having missed the semi-final win over Donegal after a season struggling with injury.
Manager Pádraic Joyce had said at the team’s press event that his captain was back in training and if he is ready to play a full role – he had to leave the field against Dublin after 22 minutes of the quarter-final – it will be an incalculable boost for the team.
There is just one change to the side that drew with Armagh in the group stages. Damien Comer is again fit to play and starts in place of Cein D’Arcy, who is on the replacements’ bench.
ARMAGH: B Hughes; P Burns, A McKay, B McCambridge; C Mackin, T Kelly, A Forker (capt); N Grimley, B Crealey; J McElroy, R O’Neill, O Conaty; R Grugan, A Murnin, C Turbitt.
Subs: E Rafferty, G McCabe, P, McGrane, C Higgins, R McQuillan, S McPartlan, J Duffy, O O’Neill, S Campbell, A Nugent, J Burns.
GALWAY: C Gleeson; J McGrath, S Fitzgerald, J Glynn; D McHugh, L Silke, S Mulkerrin; P Conroy, S Kelly (capt); M Tierney, J Maher, C McDaid; R Finnerty, D Comer, S Walsh.
Subs: C Flaherty, J Daly, E Kelly, D O’Flaherty, K Molloy, C Sweeney, C Darcy, J Heaney, L Ó Conghaile, T Culhane, N Daly.
