Gaelic Games

Joe Kernan confirms international rules squad

23 players – including nine All-Stars – have been named on the panel to play Australia

Monaghan’s Conor McManus is one of the players is one of the players included in the Ireland international rules squad to take on Australia. Photo: Gary Carr/Inpho
Monaghan’s Conor McManus is one of the players is one of the players included in the Ireland international rules squad to take on Australia. Photo: Gary Carr/Inpho
Wed Nov 11 2015 - 13:07

Ireland manager Joe Kernan has confirmed his 23-man squad to take on Australia in the international rules test match on November 21st at Croke Park.

Fresh from being named Footballer of the Year last Friday night, wing back Jack McCaffrey from the Clontarf club in Dublin is one of nine All-Stars selected by Kernan, and is joined by fellow members of the elite playing class of 2015 in Mattie Donnelly, Lee Keegan, Philip McMahon, Conor McManus, Rory O’Carroll, Aidan O’Shea, Donnchadh Walsh and Ireland team captain Bernard Brogan.

After a season that saw them win all four competitions that they competed for in 2015 namely O’Byrne Cup, Allianz Football League, Leinster Championship and the All-Ireland, it is no surprise to see Dublin top the list of representatives with five Dubs selected, and 2014 All-Star Diarmuid Connolly joins McCaffrey, Brogan, McMahon and O’Carroll in the Irish squad.

Over the last ten weeks a total of 70 players have been involved in training and trial matches before the panel was whittled down and the Irish squad will have five of the six All-Star forwards who were unveiled last week available.

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Speaking at the announcement in Croke Park, Kernan said: “We’ve been delighted with the response and the hard work put in by players from all over the country in the last eight weeks in a bid to represent Ireland.

“Unfortunately injuries and club commitments have ruled some players out, but I am happy that we have still managed to assemble a very strong squad and it was a difficult job to reduce numbers down to the squad and the standby list.

“Both the players and the management are really looking forward to this EirGrid International Rules test.

“The fact that the Australians are sending over such a strong team of players means that we will have to up our game if we are to take those boys on and that’s exactly what we are planning to do.”

In all, there are 12 counties from across all four provinces represented in the match day 23 and the county breakdown is Dublin (five), Tyrone (three), Laois, Kildare, Cork, Monaghan, Mayo (two each), Clare, Tipperary, Longford, Kerry and Donegal (one each).

IRELAND SQUAD (v Australia)

1 Niall Morgan (Tyrone)

2 Colm Begley (Laois)

3 Gary Brennan (Clare)

4 Bernard Brogan (Dublin) CAPT.

5 Eoin Cadogan (Cork)

9 Mattie Donnelly (Tyrone)

10 Eoin Doyle (Kildare)

11 Peter Harte (Tyrone)

13 Darren Hughes (Monaghan)

15 Lee Keegan (Mayo) VICE CAPT.

17 Paul Kerrigan (Cork)

19 Jack McCaffrey (Dublin)

20 Ciarán McDonald (Tipperary)

22 Philip McMahon (Dublin)

23 Conor McManus (Monaghan)

25 Rory O’Carroll (Dublin)

26 John O’Loughlin (Laois)

28 Aidan O’Shea (Mayo)

29 Michael Quinn (Longford)

31 Donnchadh Walsh (Kerry)

33 Diarmuid Connolly (Dublin)

34 Paul Cribbin (Kildare)

STAND BY PLAYERS:

16 Paddy O’Rourke (Meath)

6 Killian Clarke (Cavan)

7 Ray Connellan (Westmeath)

14 Kieran Hughes (Monaghan)

21 Gearoid McKiernan (Cavan)

35 Paddy Mc Brearty (Donegal)

24 Dessie Mone (Monaghan)

27 Colm O’Neill (Cork)

30 Enda Smith (Roscommon)