O'Rourke to start at midfield for Meath
Shane O'Rourke returns to midfield for Meath tomorrow for the final of the Fitzsimons Cup when the Royal County tackle Offaly in the decider at Grangegodden (Kells) at 2pm.
O'Rourke has already played for Meath in a challenge game against Kildare last month and he will partner Simonstown Gaels colleague Conor Sheridan as manager Mick O'Dowd continues to assess his panel ahead of the first game in the O'Byrne Cup in Navan in four weeks time.
O'Rourke returned to action with his club Simonstown Gaels earlier this year for a SFC game against Wolfe Tones at Navan O'Mahonys in May and his availability will be a big boost for the manager for 2014.
ON-LINE POLL
In a poll on www.meathchronicle.ie about 'How Meath will fare in 2014' there was a positive reaction with promotion to NFL Div 1 the most popular option.
RESULTS
1. Meath to win promotion to NFL Div 1 - 31%
2. Meath to win promotion and the Leinster SFC title - 29%
3. Meath to win NFL Div 2 - 24%
4. Meath to win promotion, Leinster and All-Ireland - 16%
Meath will play Cavan on Sunday 29th December at Millbrook (Oldcastle) in a senior football challenge - the details of that game are not yet confirmed.
MEATH TEAM v OFFALY - FITZSIMONS CUP FINAL
Conor McHugh (Oldcastle)
Cian McPartland (Oldcastle)
Sean Curran (Donaghmore/Ashbourne)
Michael Burke (Longwood)
Neil Shortall (Curraha)
Eoghan Harrington (Wolfe Tones)
Paddy Gilsenan (Oldcastle)
Conor Sheridan (Simonstown Gaels)
Shane ORourke (Simonstown Gaels)
Seamus Mattimoe (Gaeil Colmcille)
Padraig McKeever (Simonstown Gaels)
Cillian O'Sullivan (Moynalvey)
David Bray (Navan O'Mahonys)
Dalton McDonagh (Na Fianna)
Donal Lenihan (Dunboyne)
Conall Collier