GAA inter-provincial squads announced ahead of trial series at Croke Park

AS the ever-looming tide of the FRC’s seven core enhancements rolls into GAA HQ this weekend, the squads for the provinces have been announced.

Ulster’s squad includes nine players from All-Ireland champions Armagh, including captain Aidan Forker, Niall Grimley and Man of the Match in the final and Irish News Ulster GAA Rising Star, Oisin Conaty.

Tyrone follow closely behind with eight selected from the Red Hands to represent the northern province, including goalkeeper Niall Morgan, who has previously been critical of the seven core enhancements, saying that they could make his position less attractive to young players.

Antrim are represented by half-back Joe Finnegan, goalkeeper Mick Byrne and midfielder Marc Jordan.

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Derry’s Eoin McEvoy, Diarmuid Baker and Niall Toney will join Uladh in the inter-provincial series at Croke Park.

Tailteann Cup Player of the Year Pat Havern, Daniel Guinness and Odhran Murdock have been selected from the Down footballers.

Cavan’s Jason McLoughlin, Gerry Smith and Padraig Faulkner will join up with Kieran Donnelly’s Ulster side to test out the FRC’s new rules.

Donegal’s Oisin O Baoill and Ciaran Thompson made the 36-strong squad along with Barry McBennett and Jason Irwin of Monaghan.

In Leinster, Dublin’s Stephen Cluxton, Brian Howard, Ciaran Kilkenny, James McCarthy and brothers John and Paddy Small join the squad, led by former Westmeath manager Dessie Dolan.

Connacht, who are managed by Padraic Joyce, who finished runner up in the All-Ireland SFC with Galway, have included seven of the Tribesmen who lost to Armagh, including goalkeeper Conor Gleeson, Cillian McDaid and John Maher.

Kerry’s experienced duo Tadhg Morley and Diarmuid O’Connor headline the Munster squad, who are managed by Cork’s John Cleary.

Full Ulster squad for Allianz Inter-provincial series

1 Niall Morgan, Tyrone

2 Diarmuid Baker, Derry

3 Mark Bradley, Tyrone

4 Paddy Burns, Armagh

5 Aidan Clarke, Tyrone

6 Oisin Conaty, Armagh

7 Padraig Faulkner, Cavan

8 Aidan Forker, Armagh

9 Niall Grimley, Armagh

10 Daniel Guiness, Down

11 Pat Havern, Down

12 Marc Jordan, Antrim

13 Conn Kilpatrick, Tyrone

14 Barry McBennett, Monaghan

15 Ronan McCaffrey, Fermanagh

16 Sean McNally, Fermanagh

17 Darren McCurry, Tyrone

18 Eoin McElholm, Tyrone

19 Joe McElroy, Armagh

20 Eoin McEvoy, Derry

21 Kieran McGeary, Tyrone

22 Peter McGrane, Armagh

23 Ross McQuillan, Armagh

24 Odhran Murdock, Down

25 Daire O Baoill, Donegal

26 Rian O Neill, Armagh

27 Oisin O Neill, Armagh

28 Gerry Smith, Cavan

29 Ciaran Thompson, Donegal

30 Niall Toner, Derry

31 Frank Burns, Tyrone

32 Mick Byrne, Antrim

33 Joe Finnegan, Antrim

34 Jason Irwin, Monaghan

35 Jason McLoughlin, Cavan

36 Fionan O’Brien, Fermanagh

Full Connacht squad for Allianz Inter-provincial series

1 Connor Gleeson, Galway

2 Johnny McGrath, Galway

3 Brian Stack, Roscommon

4 Sean Mulkerrin, Galway

5 Cillian McDaid, Galway

6 John Daly, Galway

7 Eoghan McLoughlin, Mayo

8 Jack Carney, Mayo

9 John Maher, Galway

10 Matthew Tierney, Galway

11 Bob Touhy, Mayo

12 Enda Smith, Roscommon

13 Diarmuid Murtagh, Roscommon

14 Aidan O’Shea, Mayo

15 Daire Cregg, Roscommon

16 Conor Carroll, Roscommon

17 Ruaidhrí Fallon, Roscommon

18 Mark Diffley, Leitrim

19 Johnny Heaney, Galway

20 Shane Brosnan, New York

21 Ultan Harney, Roscommon

22 Barry McNulty, Leitrim

23 Conor Cox, Roscommon

24 Donie Smith, Roscommon

25 Ciaran Murtagh, Roscommon

26 Diarmuid Duffy, Mayo

27 Fergal Boland, Mayo

28 Pat Spillane, Sligo

29 Aidan McLoughlin, London

30 Liam Gallagher, London

31 Paul Towey, Mayo

32 Keith Byrne, Leitrim

33 Shay Rafter, London

34 Eddie McGinness, Sligo

35 Cian Lally, Sligo

36 Joey Grace, New York

37 Daire Rooney, London

Full Leinster squad for Allianz Inter-provincial series

1 Stephen Cluxton, Dublin

2 Michael Bambrick, Carlow

3 Mark Barry, Laois

4 Sean Bugler, Dublin

5 Ciaran Byrne, Louth

6 Ray Connellan, Westmeath

7 Peter Cunningham, Offaly

8 Ciaran Downey, Louth

9 Ross Dunphy, Carlow

10 Kevin Feely, Kildare

11 Daniel Flynn, Kildare

12 Darren Gallagher, Longford

13 Dean Healy, Wicklow

14 Ryan Houlihan, Kildare

15 Brian Howard, Dublin

16 Killian Roche, Laois

17 Ronan Jones, Meath

18 Donal Keoghan, Meath

19 Ciaran Kilkenny, Dublin

20 Paul Kingston, Laois

21 Craig Lennon, Louth

22 James McCarthy, Dublin

23 Eoin Murchan, Dublin

24 Evan O’Carroll, Laois

25 Lee Pearson, Offaly

26 Eoin Porter, Wexford

27 Kevin Quinn, Wicklow

28 John Small, Dublin

29 Paddy Small, Dublin

30 Ronan Wallace, Westmeath

Full Munster squad for Allianz Inter-provincial series

1 Josh Ryan, Limerick

2 Darragh Brennan, Tipperary

3 Damien Bourke, Kerry

4 Darragh Cashman, Cork

5 Eoin Cleary, Clare

6 Jimmy Feehan, Tipperary

7 Aran Griffin, Clare

8 Emmet McMahon, Clare

9 Brian McNamara, Clare

10 Sean Meehan, Cork

11 Tadhg Morley, Kerry

12 James Naughton, Limerick

13 Danny Neville, Limerick

14 Colm O Callaghan, Cork

15 Diarmuid O Connor, Kerry

16 Chris Kelly, Cork

17 Conor O Currin, Waterford

18 Sean O Dea, Limerick

19 Donal O Sullivan, Kerry

20 Chris Og Jones, Cork

21 Dermot Ryan, Waterford

22 Maurice Shanley, Cork

23 Killian Spillane, Kerry

24 Mark Stokes, Tipperary

25 Alan Sweeney, Clare

26 Matty Taylor, Cork

27 Caomhin Walsh, Waterford

28 Tommy Walsh, Cork

29 Sean Walsh, Waterford

30 Paul Walsh, Cork