Clare v Cork: Rebels name 14 of All-Ireland side for Ennis trip

The Cork team for Sunday’s Munster SHC opener away to Clare features 14 of the starters from last year’s All-Ireland final.

From the side that began that game - a one-point extra-time defeat to the Banner County, Ethan Twomey is an indirect replacement for Declan Dalton.

The St Finbarr’s man is chosen at midfield alongside Tim O’Mahony, while Darragh Fitzgibbon - who started all eight championship games in 2024, with five different partners - is now at centre-forward.

From the Allianz HL Division 1 final win over Tipperary a fortnight ago, there are two changes.

With Cormac O’Brien, excellent throughout the league campaign, ruled out for what would have been his championship debut due to a quad injury, Mark Coleman is chosen at number 7.

That switch replicates a substitution made in the league final and so does the other change, which sees Séamus Harnedy replace Diarmuid Healy. With a thumb injury having impeded Harnedy’s involvement during the league, it is the St Ita’s man’s first start of the year.

As well as O'Brien, Cork were already without the services of injured trio Micheál Mullins, Darragh O'Sullivan and Conor Lehane. They are set to be available again by early summer, while Pádraig Power is a long-term absentee.

Eoin Roche is named as a sub with O’Brien unavailable while there is one other change to the bench as Robbie O’Flynn, who missed much of the league due to injury, comes in for Jack O’Connor.

Robert Downey captains the side in the championship for the first time, with the side featuring four former skippers - fellow defenders Seán O'Donoghue and Coleman and attackers Harnedy and Patrick Horgan, who commences his 18th campaign.

Cork are seeking a first championship win over Clare since 2021, while the Rebels have not beaten the Banner in Munster fare since 2018, when they won their inaugural round-robin match and that year's provincial final.

CORK (Munster SHC v Clare): Patrick Collins (Ballinhassig); Niall O’Leary (Castlelyons), Eoin Downey (Glen Rovers), Seán O’Donoghue (Inniscarra); Ciarán Joyce (Castlemartyr), Robert Downey (Glen Rovers, captain), Mark Coleman (Inniscarra); Tim O’Mahony (Newtownshandrum), Ethan Twomey (St Finbarr’s); Séamus Harnedy (St Ita’s), Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville), Shane Barrett (Blarney); Patrick Horgan (Glen Rovers), Alan Connolly (Blackrock), Brian Hayes (St Finbarr’s).

Subs: Brion Saunderson (Midleton), Eoin Roche (Bride Rovers), Damien Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), Ger Millerick (Fr O’Neills), Tommy O’Connell (Midleton), Luke Meade (Newcestown), Brian Roche (Bride Rovers), Diarmuid Healy (Lisgoold), Robbie O’Flynn (Erin’s Own), Declan Dalton (Fr O’Neills), Shane Kingston (Douglas).