Shefflin a notable absentee from trip

HURLING ALL STARS:TEN-TIME recipient Henry Shefflin and young hurler of the year Liam Rushe are the notable absentees from the GAA All Star touring party that leaves for San Francisco today.

Thirty-three players from eight counties will make the journey along with former Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy and incoming Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald. A contingent of GAA officials will also join them.

On Sunday, a hurling exhibition takes place at Treasure Island, the headquarters of San Francisco GAA, preceded by a breakfast event hosted by Ireland Reaching Out which aims to connect the diaspora with the GAA’s growing international club network.

Due to withdrawals like Shefflin (injured) and Rushe (exams) along with six players who won All Stars in 2010 and ’11, 12 replacement hurlers have also been invited.

Having amalgamated the awards schemes in 2011, the Gaelic Players Association will be represented on the tour for the first time.

Meanwhile, a fundraiser for the Mark McGovern Support Fund takes place on Friday in Dublin’s Copper Face Jacks nightclub at 7pm. Entry is €15 to see a screening of GAA documentary An Exile’s Home in the Bronx.

McGovern’s medical costs exceed €700,000 after he was struck off the ball during a game at Treasure Island on June 25th. A statement said: “Mark suffered seizures on the pitch and was frothing at the mouth before being rushed to San Francisco General Hospital. He was placed on a life-support machine having suffered a brain injury. He contracted pneumonia which was life-threatening and his family were told Mark had less than five per cent survival rate.

“Unfortunately Mark also contracted an MRSA bug and a liver condition. His family sat by his side and spoke to him while he was in a coma for over four weeks. Mark’s MRI results were devastating, as doctors said he would never be the same again and may never return home . . .

“Coming out of his coma Mark had to learn how to walk and talk again. His left side was notably weaker than his right and had to be strengthened. Mark’s girlfriend Jessica got him talking again. On August 18th Mark was transferred to an acute rehab centre . . .

“Mark became an outpatient after two weeks of intense therapy and after eight weeks he went home but due to Mark’s brain injury it was decided not to fly. He travelled from San Francisco to New York by train and from New York to Southampton by boat. Finally, he travelled to Holyhead to get the boat to Dublin and then home to Belcoo. Mark will never play football again.”

All Stars Tour

DOUBLE ALL STARS – (2010 2011)

Paul Curran Lar Corbett (Tipperary), Tommy Walsh, Michael Fennelly Richie Power (Kilkenny), John Mullane (Waterford).

2010 TRAVELLING ALL STARS

Brendan Cummins, Noel McGrath, Eoin Kelly Brendan Maher (Tipperary), Jackie Tyrell JJ Delaney (Kilkenny), Michael Walsh (Waterford), Damien Hayes (Galway).

2011 TRAVELLING ALL STARS

Gary Maguire (Dublin), Paul Murphy, Brian Hogan, Michael Rice Richie Hogan (Kilkenny), Michael Cahill Pádraic Maher (Tipperary).

REPLACEMENTS

Ryan O’ Dwyer Peter Kelly (Dublin), Declan Hannon Donal O’Grady (Limerick), Pauric Mahony Shane Walsh (Waterford), Liam Watson (Antrim), Eoin Larkin John Dalton (Kilkenny), Patrick Maher (Tipperary), Shane Dooley (Offaly), David Collins (Galway).