All Stars

Growing up in South Co. Mayo, I was very aware of the sense of “meitheal” (group) in our community. This spirit of meitheal nicely sums up what the Singapore Gaelic Lions are all about i.e. a group of people working together supporting each other and providing a home away from home as well as making new friends and spreading the “GAA Gospel” throughout the region. When you return home after this weekend remember the link www.gaeliclions.org and tell all about our parish out here in Asia.

Indeed we could apply this spirit of Meitheal to all of the 22 different GAA clubs in Asia. An old Irish saying “Ni neart go cur le cheile” which translates as “There is no strength without unity” is personified every year when we have 800+ players compete in the annual Asian Gaelic Games. At the recent games in Bangkok we had 32 different nationalities including players from Cambodia, the Maldives, Fiji & the Philippines for the first time playing 180+ games over 2 days. The unifying spirit on display amongst all the players truly reflects on the strength of the Asian GAA Board and its long term goal of seeing our national sports played in all 4 corners of continental Asia.

Here in Singapore a recently launched project to teach the skills of Gaelic football in local schools with the support of the Singapore Ireland Fund, St Patrick’s Secondary School, D.F.A.T. in Dublin, the GAA in

Croke Park, the Singapore Gaelic Lions and the Singapore Ministry of Education shows how a group can thrive when all parts are working together in unity. To date we have 300 players trained and with the help of the Connacht Council of the GAA, we will send

7-10 local sports teachers to Ireland next year to upskill them in the coaching of our two sports.

The strong links between Singapore and Ireland were hounoured last year with 60 years of diplomatic relations well celebrated. Central to this was Brother Joe McNally (1923-2002) R.I.P. originally from Ballintubber in Co. Mayo who spent 52 years in Asia mainly here in Singapore primarily as Principal of St Patrick’s Secondary school before gaining global notoriety as an artist using Irish Bog Oak as a main source of creative inspiration. His extensive learning was put to good use in 1983 when he founded a modest art school that was, in time, to become the internationallyknown La Salle-SIA College of the Art which is now situated on “McNally Street” here in Singapore. If you have time to see some sites on your visit here, keep an eye out for some of his most famous art pieces which are on display in some prominently located buildings here.

I hope that you enjoy the youth games, the specially arranged matches between Singapore Gaelic Lionesses and Lions versus players from around the region and of course take time to marvel at the wonder that is hurling and the 30 most skillful players in the world. Well done to all involved in organizing this weekend especially to all the sponsors, volunteers and to the SRC for hosting us. I have no doubt that you will all leave the “Little Red Dot” with some fond memories and remember to come back again soon.

Beir Bua agus Beannacht

Paraic McGrath SGL Vice Chairperson

ACB Vice Chairperson.

I thank the All-Stars committee here in Singapore for their dedicated work in getting this day organised. It is hard to comprehend just how much work has gone into this so please make sure to appreciate today and what it represents. Special mention to Aine Gibney in Croke Park for all her work in tandem with our committee. Aine has been our main point of contact in Croke Park for the last year and has been a pleasure to work with.

Lastly thanks to the Asian County Board and to all the clubs in Asia for their dedication to promoting hurling abroad. Without all their hard work, days like this would not be possible. As long as all the clubs out there continue to put time and effort into our games we will be guaranteed to reap the rewards.

Onwards and upwards for

Singapore Hurling & Camogie.

Enjoy yourselves today.

Regards

Michael Barry

Cathaoirleach

Singapore Gaelic Lions

On behalf of the Asian County Board, it is my pleasure to have the GAA/GPA PwC Hurling AllSingapore committee and club

everyone will have a wonderful time and enjoy all the activities. It is an honour and a privilege to host the All-Stars and the excitement has been building throughout Asia for the many

will have fans from China to the Philippines attending the event to watch today’s finest hurlers the world.

Asia Chairman

Cambodia. I cannot imagine that at the formation of the GAA there would have ever been the thought of a hurling team in Cambodia or even in Asia at all but today that is a reality!

I want to thank all the local sponsors for their generosity and support in hosting the All-Stars and for the Singapore Recreation Club to allow us to use the wonderful facilities at the Padang.

Lastly, I want to wish those travelling for the event a wonderful time in Singapore, a city with a remarkable history and wonderful culture and if any of the hurlers want to stay they just let me know!!!

Mise Le Meas

Joe Trolan

Cathaoirleach CLG Bord an Ais

Is pribhléid é dom an teachtaireacht seo a scríobh agus fáilte a cur rómhaibh ar fad le haighaidh cluiche PwC All-Stars i Singapore.

It is a great pleasure to extend a warm welcome to one and all here for the visit of the PwC GAA/GPA All-Star hurlers to Singapore. I have said it before; nothing connects us to our glorious, ancient, Celtic warrior past than the game of Hurling, and I believe the game has never been in a better place, nor produced as many Laochra Gael as we have now.

More people than ever before are playing our national sport and the standard and excitement of the great game has ratcheted up dramatically year after year. This year we had another thrilling finale with the meeting of Galway and Waterford and the triumph of the Tribesmen after a gap of 29 long years.

Along the way Galway helped set a record crowd of more than 60,000 in a Leinster final and were engaged in a pulsating epic against Tipperary for the third year in a row where one point separated the teams. Wexford and Cork produced their own heroics to make a significant contribution to another colourful hurling summer.

The PwC All-Stars is the ultimate individual accolade in Irish sport. Since their inaugural presentation in 1971 these awards have stood the test of time as the definitive benchmark of the hurlers and footballers who have defined our summer and been an inspiration to generations.

Congratulations to all of the 2016 and 2017 All-Stars and to the deserving nominees who are also here as All-Star replacements. These trips between county rivals can help form bonds of friendship that last a lifetime and are important too.

The success of the new partnership with sponsors of the calibre of PwC is proof of the excellent relationship that the GAA enjoys with our players through the Gaelic Players’ Association and underlines the fact that we are a TEAM and that: Together Everyone Achieves More.

A hugely eventful and fulfilling and memorable time for me as Uachtarán Chumann Luthchleas Gael will draw to close next February. One of the lasting memories that I will take with me has been the sight of our Association growing and thriving overseas.

There are now more than 420 GAA Clubs in operation outside of Ireland and places like Asia are making the sort of progress and headlines that would simply have been incomprehensible to our founding fathers in Hayes Hotel more than 130 years ago. That’s what makes visits like the All-Star tours important as I know how much people value the sight of our heroes up close and the role they can play in helping inspire GAA people here to continue their pioneering work.

On behalf of Croke Park, our gratitude to the countless volunteers who are at the heart of the GAA in the fabulous setting of Singapore and in this whole region and to Paraic McGrath and the extended organising committee who were central to the planning and staging of this visit.

Tá sibh ag dul ó neart go neart gach bliain. Tá súil agam go mbainfidh sibh sult as na cluiche.

Rath Dé ar an obair,

Aogán Ó Fearghail

Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael

This tour has been the culmination of months of and in Dublin. I want to pay Lions GAA Club for all their particular, I would like to thank

a success.

often the first port of call for

providing a vital network of friendship and support. I want to congratulate all the club’s

on their twentieth anniversary. Once a Lion, Always a Lion!

Singapore’s Padang has witnessed many significant sporting events over the past the city. I doubt if Singapore’s first town planner, Irishman George Coleman, who lived just around the corner, would ever have dreamt of the game being played here.

On behalf of the Irish community in Singapore, I wish you a happy and memorable stay in Singapore. Thank you for coming to share a vital part of Ireland’s living heritage with our Singaporean friends.

To Singaporeans here today, I hope you will enjoy seeing the world’s fastest field game being played in your home town. I hope it sparks your curiosity about Ireland and encourages you to think of visiting us one day.

Geoffrey Keating

Ambassador of Ireland to Singapore

All-Stars Committee
Since the 2017 All-Stars tour was confirmed for Singapore earlier this year a constant stream of work has been ongoing to get to where we are today. Hours and hours of emails, calls and meetings have been undertaken to organise the biggest GAA event Singapore has ever seen.

All of this work is voluntary and mostly unseen but without it no club would exist and days like today would certainly not happen.

On behalf of the club and the wider Irish community in Singapore, we thank you for helping to make this possible.

2017 All-Stars Committee Members

Chairperson: Mike Barry

Vice Chairperson: Paraic McGrath

Youth Officer: Valerie O’Brien

Treasurer: Mick McCannon

Logistic Officer: Derek Cahill

Ladies Coach: Paul Carpenter

Hurling Officer: Padraig Dineen

On behalf of all in PwC, I would like to welcome you to the 2017 PwC All-Stars Hurling Exhibition game.

We are delighted to work with the GAA and GPA as the new sponsors of the PwC All-Stars, to support our Gaelic games and to recognise the achievements of young Irish talent.

At PwC we want our people to fulfill their potential and ‘being the best that you can be’ is at the core of our how we run our business. It is for this reason that we see the PwC All-Stars as a natural fit for us.

Our deepest thanks to everyone in the GAA and GPA for their support and co-operation to date. We are proud to have formed such strong relationships with both organisations over the last number of years and look forward to strengthening this further in 2018 and beyond.

I want to congratulate the winners of both the 2016 and 2017 PwC All-Stars. It is a fantastic achievement to win an All-Star award and to be recognised for your efforts and contribution to your respective teams.

Thank you to the Singapore Gaelic Lions GAA Club for hosting the game here today and to everyone involved in organising this exhibition match.

PwC is a global firm, with offices in 157 countries, including Singapore. I know that some of our colleagues are here today and we hope that you enjoy the game.

Finally, to everyone who has come here today to witness the skills of our players and our games, we hope that you have an enjoyable day.

Yours in Sport,

Feargal O’Rourke

PwC , Managing Partner

What are the All-Stars

The All-Stars began in the 1960s where the annual selection of the best GAA players in Ireland became a hotly contested debate among GAA fanatics across the country.

Between 1963 and 1967 the awards were known as the Cú Chulainn awards, however in 1971 the GAA All-Star awards were officially created and have stood ever since. In 2011 the GAA and the GPA (Gaelic Players Association) merged their awards to what is now known as the GAA / GPA All Star Awards.

These awards recognise the best 15 players in the country and along with that recognise the best young player and senior player of the year. The selection committee which comprises of journalists and media representatives meet each year to debate and decide on a finalised team which is announced towards the end of the year.

A televised ceremony sees the players receive their awards and along with this are invited on the All-Stars Tour Holiday which is what we see here in Singapore today.

It is a small reward in contrast to the amount of dedication and effort that each player puts in throughout the year to play at that level of sport. To the 2016 & 2017 winners, we say congratulations and well deserved.

The Singapore Recreation Club

The Singapore Recreation Club is one of Singapore’s oldest social clubs with a huge sporting tradition dating back to the 19th century. Situated on Connaught drive at the northern end of the Padang, it sits in the heart of the civic district and is an iconic focal point in downtown Singapore.

The reason we are here today is because of the objectives of the SRC. In these they state that the Club will promote all forms of sports, recreation and social activities through an active calendar of events, as well as to participate in activities of national sports association and the Singapore National Olympic Council. The commitment to sporting excellence is enshrined in the club’s constitution and prevails to the present day.

It is the SRC’s commitment to sport and excellent working staff that has seen this GAA event located at its premises today.

The Padang (Malay for field) is an open playing field located between the SRC and the SCC.

It became a major recreational area when two clubs, the Singapore Cricket Club in 1870 and the Singapore Recreation Club in 1883 were established at both ends of the field.

It is surrounded by several important landmarks, which include Saint Andrew’s Cathedral, City Hall, the Old Supreme Court Building and the City Hall MRT Station.

The Padang is a major venue for national day parades, concerts and marathons.

Hurling in the Club

The SGL hurling story starts with the shipment of hurleys by Sean Duggan’s dad from Cork to Singapore in 2004. Legend has it that the hurls had been freshly repaired by the fine residents of Cork prison but Sean wouldn’t be drawn on how exactly his dad managed to pull that one off!

One of the events that really gave hurling a kick-start in the club was the visit of the Hurling All-Stars in January 2006.

The ’04 & ’05 teams played each other in an exhibition game in the Polo Grounds... but the real action of the weekend was not on the pitch but out on the town that night.

Stories are legion of one household name going missing... and another falling down the escalator in Orchard Towers! Yes... the ’16 & ’17 lads indeed have big shoes to fill!

The fledgling SGL hurlers had to subsist on puck-arounds at the AGGs in Shanghai in ’05 and ’06.. but the perfect opportunity to step up and compete for the AGG Hurling title itself came in ’07 when Singapore were the hosts. Never mind that... to quote my primary source for this piece Sean Duggan “we were hockeyed” by the winners Dubai… the memory of that defeat would spur the Lions on in the years immediately following.

There was a whiff of revenge in the nostrils of the men of SGL when the same opposition were waiting in the ’08 final in Penang. Sure enough the Lions claimed their first AGG hurling title after some fine work on the pitch and also in the proverbial committee room, where Donncha Rahill made sure that a Dubai ‘ringer’ wasn’t allowed to take the field in the final. Donncha was one of the driving forces of the club in those early years and SGL hurling owes him a great deal.

The seeds of the ’08 victory were sown in the Spring of that year in what became known as ‘the rage in da cage’. The training location of choice for that year was the Cage in Kallang and those memorable battles between the whites and the reds forged the men ready to do battle with Dubai in Penang that Autumn! Whether there was a need for Andy Conley to saw off the tops of the hurleys for those cage games still divides SGL hurling aficionados to this day!

As the age profile reduced of the lads coming off the boat there was an injection of energy from the likes of Ronan Lenihan, Conor O’Donovan & Micheal O’Leary. Rain put a stop to any hopes of a hurling final in Bangkok in ’09 and in ’10 in HK the trophy went to a North Asia combination led by the hosts. However in Seoul in 2011, Singapore regained the crown led by the young turks mentioned above, along with the spine of the team from the previous victory in ’08.

There was serious optimism circulating of back to back titles in KL in 2012.. particularly with the arrival of Offaly legend Gary Hanniffy... but said Mr Hanniffy was taken out playing the big ball game on the morning of the final by a would-be teammate who shall remain anonymous... isn’t that right Conor O’Donovan?! A good Hanniffy-less show was put up against Dubai with Mr O’Donovan in the mood to atone for the morning’s sins... but alas the title went to the Middle East.

The men from the Red Dot returned the following year determined to regain their crown and while they were put to the pin of their collar by both Darwin Shamrocks, in their one & only appearance, and a North Asia combination in the final, the Lions were not to be denied. A concussion playing football in the morning of the game AGAIN was not to stop the big man from Offaly from sticking two second half goals to decide the final!

The 2014 tournament.. the 3rd of 3 in KL brought a step up in standard and participation as Seoul and Hong Kong brought along competitive teams for the first time in a couple of years. Hong Kong put one over on our lads in the group stages but the chance for revenge came one day later in the final. Despite having a leaky goalkeeper in the form of yours truly… Mr Hanniffy’s goalscoring exploits up the other end bailed us out and back to back titles were achieved for the first time in our brief history!

The action moved back to Shanghai in 2015.. where it all began 10 years earlier and this time in addition to Hong Kong and Seoul, there was a Thai GAA team that came from nowhere to give the Lions all sorts of problems. We just about managed to get past them in the semis only to have our old foes.. the Dragons from Hong Kong waiting in the final. This time they were ready for us and blitzed us in the 1st half to dash any hopes of a coveted 3 in a row!

There was another step forward for hurling in Asia in 2016 with the inception of a standalone hurling tournament hosted by the fine men of Thai GAA in early September. The hosts came out on top and they repeated the trick in the AGGs in Shanghai two months later! While Padraig Dineen had raised the bar that year for all future SGL hurling officers…the Lions were left to ponder that we were no longer the standard bearers in Asia over the long winter that followed. 2017 brought with it a fresh injection of talent with the arrival of the likes of Joey Kavanagh, Dean Madden & Pa O’Keeffe and they got the perfect opportunity 23 to showcase themselves when SGL hosted the 2nd annual Asian hurling tournament in early September in Dempsey field. The same two familiar opponents in the form of Thai GAA & the HK Dragons travelled down for the occasion and they were joined by a Singapore B team who acquitted themselves with distinction. The Padraig Dineen led hosts reached the final and came out on top in a game which was marked by an exhibition of long range point scoring from Mike Barry. Truly a great day for the parish.

Outstanding!

Camogie in the Club

AGG Winners 2017

The SGL Camogie history started in 2011 when a few pioneers including Aine Cribbin, Dee McCaul and Rachelle Duggan started pucking around with the hurling lads in Dempsey Hill after the Sunday football training. Before long the chicks with sticks were putting it up to the boys in the Cage in Little India. Things got so heated that a peace offering was needed in the form of roti prata in the nearby hawker afterwards!
The numbers accumulated as a group of internationals in the form of Mel Cassidy, Kymbo Tomkin and Jenn Allen came on board as thoughts turned to showcasing the game at the AGGs in Seoul that autumn. The Singapore troupe formed the backbone of both teams and were complemented by players from Vietnam, Hong Kong and some stalwarts from the Middle East in a game overseen by the GAA President of the time, Christy Cooney. The Whites came away with the inaugural title after a tough battle with the Blues as Sean Duggan & Ronan Lenihan roared instructions from the sideline. The inaugural games were toasted with Jager bombs that night in downtown Seoul.

That was the start of it and the tradition has been maintained at every AGG since. 2012 saw the first games between two dedicated club teams as the Singapore ladies just came up short against Dubai in the first KL games. In 2013 Kymbo Tomkin took over the reins from a departing Aine Cribbin for the 2nd games in KL. A team made up predominantly of Gaelic Lionesses ably supported by a couple of players from Hong Kong & Darwin faced up to a combined Dubai/Shanghai selection in a closely fought game. Driven on by Cork lady Marie Condon playing with an injured shoulder and Jenn Allen superbly holding the line in goals, the Singapore girls just about came out on top in the end.

Joanne Collins took over as captain in the final of 3 games in KL in 2014 and her team was unlucky to come up just short by a single point. The games were expanded in Shanghai in 2015 and 2016 as more teams in Asia got involved as the camogie competition continued to develop and grow. A team captained by Rachel Maunsell and managed by Paddy Keon were always competitive and unlucky not to reach the final. However as 2016 came to a close there was reason to be optimistic as the team had been revitalized by an injection of youth from the likes of Rachel Murphy.

Rachel took over as captain in 2017 as the camogie club enjoyed a red letter year. Things went full circle as the camogie & hurling teams trained together regularly for the first time since the maiden year of 2011. A record breaking 31 players attending the first session of the year. The team was further strengthened by players of serious calibre such as Paula Kenneally, Claire Doyle, Eimear Mulhall, Aoife Ryan and Cork sisters Erin & Mariah Reidy. It’s rare that a team of such quality has been assembled outside of Ireland not to mind in Singapore and they swept all before them in both the dedicated Asia hurling competition in Singapore as well as in the AGGs in Bangkok. Safe to say that the future of the camogie club here has never shone so brightly.

Na Réiteoirí

All Ireland Medallists

Over the Years Singapore have been blessed to have had many fine footballers and hurlers tog out in the club colours.

However 2 people stand out and have the wonderful distinction of holding the coveted Celtic Cross. Hopefully in the years to come, we will add more names to the list that have donned the Singapore jersey and become lucky enough to win an All-Ireland Medal.

All-Stars Profiles

2016 All-Stars

1. EOIN MURPHY (Kilkenny) A first-time All-Star, Eoin is a worthy heir to the great lineage of outstanding Kilkenny goalkeepers. Comfortable in an outfield role, he is the complete package of shot stopper, great puck out and a seventh defender.

2. CATHAL BARRETT (Tipperary) A first-time All-Star winner in 2016, the tenacious defender played an integral role in the Premier County winning a first Liam MacCarthy since 2010 that summer. A stylish hurler who is so much more than just a stopper and spoiler.

3. JAMES BARRY (Tipperary) The Upperchurch-Drombane man is another first-time All-Star but was an automatic choice after a season where he slotted seamlessly into the full back role and led by example with several barnstorming displays.

4. DAITHÍ BURKE (Galway) He is now a three-time All-Star and was on the 2016 and 2017 selections. Also a gifted footballer, his emergence and calmness he brought to the full-back line was a crucial piece of the jigsaw that enabled Galway reach the Promised Land in 2017.

5. PADRAIG WALSH (Kilkenny) A first-time All-Star, the Tullaoran charger has fully stepped out from behind the shadow of his iconic brother Tommy and is a megastar in his own right and a sensational hurler who certainly shares his brother’s all-action style.

6. RONAN MAHER (Tipperary) A young star who proves the adage ‘if you are good enough, you are old enough’. It was a gutsy call handing him the pivotal centre back role but he took to it like the proverbial duck to water. A stylish hurler who is growing in influence.

7. PÁDRAIC MAHER (Tipperary) An all-star in 2016 and 2017, it means that the Thurles titan now has five All-Star awards and is closing in on Premier legends Nicky English and Eoin Kelly for accolades. A colossus in the heart of the Tipp rear guard, when he plays well Tipp rarely lose.

8. JAMIE BARRON (Waterford) Back to back All-Star winner in 2016 & 2017, his engine and work rate are an integral part of Waterford’s ability to challenge for top honours and he is also a man well capable of bursting forward for important scores.

10. WALTER WALSH (Kilkenny) He burst onto the scene and scored 1-3 in his SHC debut in the 2012 All-Ireland final replay and has kicked on to establish himself as one of the leaders of the Cats attack. For a big man he has a deft touch and deceptive pace.

11. AUSTIN GLEESON (Waterford) The players’ own choice as the 2016 Hurler of the Year, it takes a lot for a player who doesn’t win an All-Ireland to carry off that award but the Mount Sion marvel is something special and has lit up the hurling world since he burst onto the scene three years ago.

12. PATRICK ‘Bonner’ MAHER (Tipperary) A second-time All-Star winner in 2016, ‘Bonner’ is a real fans favourite for his selfless work rate and drive in the Tipp attack and his energy is a vital part of the Premier County arsenal. His ability to pressure opposition defences into mistakes is his hallmark.

13. RICHIE HOGAN (Kilkenny) A winner of a fourth All-Star award in 2016, Hogan continues to show real leadership in the Kilkenny attack in the post Henry Shefflin years. His ability to read the play and ghost into space to get on ball and inflict damage is a crucial asset.

14. SEAMUS CALLANAN (Tipperary) Collected his third All-Star in 2016 at the end of what was by any yardstick the most incredible season where he was outrageously prolific. He scored 0-13 in the 2016 AllIreland win over Kilkenny with 0-9 coming from play. A gifted hurler.

15. JOHN McGRATH (Tipperary) He burst onto the scene when he inspired Tipperary to the minor All-Ireland title in 2012 and it has been no surprise to see him quickly progress onto the senior ranks. A fantastic dead ball striker, he has become equally sharp in open play and is building up a catalogue of great goals as he partners with older brother Noel.

2017 All-Stars

1. COLM CALLANAN (Galway) Pound for pound the best shot stopper in hurling, he won a first All-Ireland medal with the Tribe last September and is a crucial part of the Galway set up as he marshals the defence and is also a clever man in his use of puck outs.

2. PÁDRAIC MANNION (Galway) A first-time All-Star this year, Mannion was a rock of reliability across the Galway defence as they finally ended their Liam MacCarthy famine and he helped bring a strong back bone to the defence while also keeping the attack well supplied.

3. MATTHEW O’HANLON (Wexford) A powerful hurler at the heart of the Model County defence and played a key role in their great season which got them out of Division 1B and got them back into a Leinster senior final and a very worthy All-Star replacement.

4. NOEL CONNORS (Waterford) A winner of his third All-Star in 2017 having previously won in 2010 and 2015, Connors is now a household name when it comes to hurling excellence. The powerful corner back is routinely given the task of trying to shackle the opposition’s key man and is never found wanting.

5. TADHG DE BÚRCA (Waterford) Another one of the young Déise hurlers who has quickly become a household name on the back of his prolific displays. A man who is the lynchpin of an intricate and influential defensive system, it requires a hurler who can read, intercept and direct with confidence.

6. GEARÓID MCINERNEY (Galway) A brilliant year for McInerney saw him follow in the footsteps of his dad Gerry by winning All-Ireland and All-Star awards. Gearóid was another eureka moment for Galway as his displays at centre back set the tone for the Tribesmen and led the way forward.

8. DAVID BURKE (Galway) Like Jamie Barron, he was an All-Star winner in 2016 and 2017 and is now a four time All-Star. That stat is an accurate reflection of the enormous importance he has in Galway hurling where his raw talent and selflessness make him so crucial and helped him captain Galway to glory this summer.

9. BRENDAN MAHER (Tipperary) Tipp’s inspirational All-Ireland winning captain in 2016, Maher is the leader of the Premier County following the retirements of heroes like Eoin Kelly, Lar Corbett and Brendan Cummins and his versatility and high standards make him a natural for the job.

10. LEE CHIN (Wexford) An underage dual star, he has been concentrating on hurling in recent years and with devastating effect. He is the on-field general who helps the Davy Fitzgerald influence really have an impact on the Model county. A phenomenal athlete, comfortable in defence, midfield or attack.

11. PAURIC MAHONY (Waterford) Another outrageously gifted young hurler to capture the hearts of the Waterford faithful. Is one of the finest dead ball strikers in the game and a player whose silky skills make him hard for opposition defences to shut down.

12. CONOR WHELAN (Galway) Young star played a massive role in Galway’s elevation from challengers to champions in 2017 and is a first time All-Star. His willingness and success at taking on his man and going direct on goal made him a massive handful.

13. CONOR COONEY (Galway) Cooney was another one of those who helped Galway progress by being able to share the scoring burden with Joe Canning and Cooney was every bit as dangerous and was capable of firing over points under pressure and from difficult angles.

14. NOEL McGRATH (Tipperary) A holder of two All-Ireland senior medals, her is regarded as one of the cleverest forwards in the game. His ability to create space and pick out passes has him in a different class while he is an expert