Westmeath hurling team named for season opener

The Westmeath hurling team has been named to play Dublin in the Dioralyte Walsh Cup at Parnell Park tonight (Thursday), throw-in 7.30pm.

Rosemount footballer Plunkett Maxwell - who plays club hurling with Castletown Geoghegan - has been selected at midfield alongside Michael Daly of Lough Lene Gaels.

Daly is one of three players from the Collinstown club handed starting places, while Castletown's Peter Clarke is also given a chance to impress in attack.

With Westmeath manager Joe Fortune taking the opportunity to give new players a chance Jamie Mulkearns is the only player from senior champions Raharney in the starting XV.

Cian McCarthy of Southern Gaels is included among the substitutes, as are Jack Kearney (Fr Dalton's) and Shane Ormsby, a son of former Westmeath football star Tom Ormsby.

The losers of tonight's Dublin vs Westmeath game – which will be streamed on the Clubber website - will be at home to Antrim on Sunday. The winners will face the Glensmen on January 14 in their second group game – see Leinster GAA fixtures below.

Westmeath team (vs Dublin, Walsh Cup):

1. Conor Lynch (St Oliver Plunkett's)

2. Johnny Bermingham (Castletown Geoghegan)

3. Jamie Mulkearns (Raharney)

4. Conor Gaffney (Castlepollard)

5. Jack Gillen (Cullion)

6. Darragh Egerton (Clonkill)

7. Kevin Regan (Cullion)

8. Plunkett Maxwell (Castletown Geoghegan)

9. Michael Daly (Lough Lene Gaels)

10. Mark Cunningham (Ringtown)

11. David Williams (Lough Lene Gaels)

12. Eoin Daly (Lough Lene Gaels)

13. Peter Clarke (Castletown Geoghegan)

14. Darragh Clinton (Delvin)

15. Niall Mitchell (Clonkill).

Subs: Noel Conaty (Lough Lene Gaels), Cian McCarthy (Southern Gaels), Jack Kearney (Fr Dalton's), Shane Ormsby (St Oliver Plunkett's), Shane McGovern (Crookedwood), Oisin Loughlin (Clonkill), Conor Murphy (Castletown Geoghegan), Rian Holding (Clonkill), Rory Keyes (Raharney), Jordan Smyth (Clonkill).

Leinster GAA fixtures

Thursday, January 4

Dioralyte Walsh Cup Senior Hurling

Group 2 Round 1: Dublin v Westmeath, Parnell Park, 7.30pm, Conor Daly.

Group 3 Round 1: Laois v Offaly, LOETB Centre of Excellence, Portlaoise 7.30pm, Owen Beehan.

Saturday, January 6

Dioralyte O'Byrne Cup SF quarter-finals

Chadwicks Wexford Park (1.30pm) Wexford v Kildare, Referee: Seamus Farrelly (Dublin).

Gracefield (1.30pm) Offaly v Dublin, Enda Kelly (Westmeath).

Glennon Brothers Pearse Park (1.30pm) Longford v Westmeath, Kevin Williamson (Offaly).

Ashbourne (7pm) Meath v Louth, Ian Howley (Dublin), standby referee: Fergal Smyth (Offaly).

Dioralyte O'Byrne Shield quarter-final

Bray Emmets (1.30pm) Wicklow v v Carlow, Patrick Maguire (Longford).

Sunday, January 7

Dioralyte Walsh Cup

Group 1 Round 1: Netwatch Cullen Park (1.30pm) Carlow v Kilkenny, Eamonn Furlong,

Group 2 Round 2: Dublin or Westmeath (losers of first round game) v Antrim, 1.30pm, Padraig Dunne.

Group 3 Round 2: Duggan Park, Ballinasloe (1.30pm) Galway v Offaly or Laois (losers of first round game), David Hughes.