The Munster U21 football quarter-finals take place on Wednesday night. The winners of Clare v Cork will advance to face Waterford in the semi-finals, with Limerick awaiting the winners of Kerry v Tipperary.

**

Wednesday, March 9

EirGrid Munster U21 Football Championship Quarter-Finals**

Clare v Cork, Cooraclare, 7.30pm

With four Munster U21 titles won in a row from 2011-2014, Cork are serious operators at this level.

Last year, Seán Hayes' side were beaten in the Munster final by Tipperary, and many who played in that game are named to start in their 2016 opener against Clare.

Sean White, Stephen Cronin, Peter Kelleher, Sean O’Donoghue, Dylan Quinn and Michael McSweeney all played in last year's Munster final, while 2016 squad members Ryan Harkin, Seán O'Leary, Cian Kiely and Cian Dorgan were all involved with last year's panel.

The Cork U21s had a challenging pre-season though, with the busy senior and third level calendar in early year combining with the bad winter weather and the lack of a Cork centre of excellence to limit Hayes' time with the players.

“We did more than we would have liked on synthetic surfaces," he said. "We played matches in UL and they were all-weather pitches too, and, while they are fast-playing surfaces and good for handling, it is false compared to what we will be playing on at Cooraclare.”

Clare are managed by Michael O'Shea and Neil Hawes. The Clare U21s haven't reached a Munster final in 14 years, but last year they reached the semi-final, where they were competitive in a defeat to Tipperary.

When this group were at minor level three years ago, they performed well in Munster, losing narrowly to a strong Kerry side in a play-off. Senior players Cian O'Dea (Kilfenora) and Pearse Lillis (Cooraclare) are key figures for the Banner County, and will have to be at their best tonight if Clare are to compete with the Rebels.

**CORK: **Anthony Casey (Kiskeam); Dylan Quinn (St Finbarrs), John Mullins (Eire Óg), Michael McSweeney (Newcestown); Kevin Flahive (Douglas), Stephen Cronin (Nemo Rangers), Kieran Histon (Cobh); Seán White (Clonakilty), Ronan O'Toole (Eire Óg); Don O'Driscoll (Clann na Gael), Sean O'Donoghue (Inniscarra), Ryan Harkin (Mallow); Brian Coakley (Carrigaline), Peter Kelleher (Kilmichael), Michael Hurley (Castlehaven).

**

Kerry v Tipperary, Austin Stack Park, 7.30pm

When Jack O'Connor became Kerry minor manager a few years ago, his remit was clear - revive the Kingdom's flagging fortunes at the grade and return them to winning ways. Two All-Ireland minor titles later, won in 2014 and 2015, and it was a spectacular case of 'job done' for serial winner O'Connor.

Now in charge of the Kerry U21s, the former senior boss has a similar job spec. Remarkably, it's eight years since Kerry won a Munster U21 title. Even worse, they haven't even won a game at U21 level in Munster since 2012, having lost to Cork in their last three openers in the competition. They've watched the Rebels and Tipperary dominate the grade over the last decade, and O'Connor was stark in his pre-game assessment of Kerry's poor recent record.

"Kerry have nothing much to write home about at this age group for the last few years. Our ambition is just to win a game, because the bottom line is if you win a couple of games you keep the lads together for an extra few weeks which would help their development," he said.

"We're under no illusions. We're certainly not looking beyond Tipperary, because they're going to be very competitive. Tipperary football is no longer the poor relation and it hasn't been for quite a while."

When a Kerry manager is talking like that, it's time to be on your guard. And here's the rub - in Kerry's starting team for Wednesday, there are eight All-Ireland minor winners. Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Tom O'Sullivan, Brian Sugrue, Andrew Barry, Míchéal Burns, Gavin White, Brandon Barrett and Brian Ó Seanacháin all achieved the ultimate at the U18 grade with O'Connor in the last two years.

Several other talented luminaries from those teams, Conor Keane, Liam Carey, Shane Ryan, Cormac Coffey and Liam Kearney among them, are ruled out through injury, while Killian Spillane and Conor Geaney, Kerry stars at minor level in the last few years, are named on the bench. Powerful Austin Stacks midfielder Greg Horan is named in the starting team, while senior player Ó Beaglaoich is one of four survivors from the Kerry side that lost to Cork in last year's U21 semi-final.

As positive as the omens are for Kerry, they face a huge challenge against Tipperary. Tommy Toomey's side features six senior players in the starting 15, captain Jimmy Feehan, Colm O'Shaughnessy, Ross Mulcahy, Kevin Fahey, Liam Casey, and Josh Keane.

Eight members of tonight's starting Tipperary 15 played with the side that won last year's Munster U21 title and reached the All-Ireland final, namely the aforementioned sextet along with Paul Shanahan and Paul Maher.

Danny Owens, Emmet Moloney, Jack Kennedy, Stephen Quirke and Tommy Nolan step up from last year's Tipperary minor team, which lost Munster and All-Ireland finals to Kerry. However, Alan Tynan, a star of that minor team, is unavailable due to rugby commitments with Cistercian College, Roscrea.

**KERRY: **Eoghan O’Brien (Churchill); Brian Ó Beaglaoich (An Ghaeltacht), Cathal Ó Lúing (An Ghaeltacht), Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle); Brian Sugrue (Renard), Andrew Barry (Na Gael), Gavin White (Dr Crokes); Matthew O’Sullivan (St Michaels-Foilmore), Greg Horan (Austin Stacks); Brandon Barrett (Ardfert), Mícheál Burns (Dr Crokes); Brian Ó Seanacháin (Ballydonoghue); Tony Brosnan (Dr Crokes), Eanna Ó Conchúir (An Ghaeltacht), Jack Savage (Kerins O’Rahillys).

**TIPPERARY: **Jake McDonald (Clonmel Commercials), Colm O'Shaughnessy (Ardfinnan), Jimmy Feehan (Killenaule), Danny Owens (Moyle Rovers); Ross Mulcahy (Moyle Rovers), Kevin Fahey (Clonmel Commercials), Shane O'Connell (Golden-Kilfeacle); Paul Shanahan (Upperchurch-Drombane), Liam Casey (Cahir); Emmet Moloney (Drom & Inch); Jack Kennedy (Clonmel Commercials), Josh Keane (Golden-Kilfeacle); Paul Maher (Kilsheelan-Kilcash), Stephen Quirke (Moyle Rovers), Tommy Nolan (Drom & Inch).

---

There's a busy night of action elsewhere on Wednesday in the EirGrid U21 Football Championship, with early round games taking place Leinster and Ulster

Leinster U21 Quarter-Final Preview: Laois v Wicklow Ulster U21 Round 1 Preview: Derry v Antrim