DONAL McKERNAN of Rathmore Grammar is the only player in the 2016-17 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Hurling Allstars team announced on Tuesday who is picking up a second award.
The team, announced at a reception in Malone House in Belfast, sees the Sarsfield’s clubman at full-forward in a selection that is drawn from 10 different schools. McKernan was at midfield in last year’s selection.
St Mary’s CBGS, Belfast were easy winners of the Danske Bank Mageean Cup this term, but they will be a little disappointed to take just two spots on the Allstars team. Winning captain CJ McKenna picks up one of the midfield jerseys, while Aodhan O’Brien has gained favour at left-half back.
Beaten finalists St Killian’s, Garron Tower also collect two awards as Ed McQuillan is the second midfielder, while Daniel Black is selected at centre-forward. Beaten semi-finalists St Louis’, Ballymena and Cross and Passion, Ballycastle also pick up two awards each, while Our Lady’s and St Patrick’s, Knock, who re-entered the Mageean Cup race after winning last year’s Casement Cup, have been awarded Allstars for corner-back Tom Murray and wing-forward Peter Loughran.
Cross & Passion’s players are in central defence - Corey Blair and Conor Boyd - and the pair are Mageean medallists from 2014 in a team that went on to win the Paddy Buggy All-Ireland title.
St Louis’ Allstars Conor Kinsella and Ryan McGarry both play for Dunloy, and Kinsella recently captained the club to a rare Antrim minor football and hurling championship double, followed by an Ulster club title last month. McGarry plays football for the All Saints’ club in Ballymena and was part of the All-Ireland-winning Féile side three seasons ago.
Paul Green scored 10 points recently in the Danske Bank Casement Cup final when his school, St Patrick’s, Keady, beat Rathmore Grammar. For only the second time in the 30 years of the scheme, there is no player from St Patrick’s, Maghera in the line-up, although goalkeeper Sean Kelly, winning a first ever award for St Patrick’s, Dungiven, collected Danske Bank MacNamee and Leonard Cup medals earlier in his school career while a pupil in Maghera.
Corner-forward Ronan Costello, from the Bredagh club, is only the second Allstar from Aquinas Grammar. The first was his older brother Conor, who was corner-back on the team four years ago.
Costello is one of three Down players in the team - the others are the Knock pair of Murray, from Portaferry, and Loughran, from Carryduff. Kelly is the only Derry player selected and Green, the only Armagh hurler. The other 10 players have represented Antrim at minor level over the past couple of years, winning Ulster championship and Leinster league crowns along the way.
Aisling Press, district manager for Danske Bank, announced the team and congratulated the recipients: “The Ulster Schools AllStars is a fantastic celebration of GAA youth and something that we at Danske Bank are extremely proud to be part of.
“The commitment and dedication required to be even nominated is immense, and I would like to congratulate all of the players who were selected to participate in the trials, as well as the 15 outstanding hurlers we are honouring.
Jimmy Smyth, chairman of Ulster Schools GAA, said: “These awards recognise and reward these talented players’ prowess, commitment and endeavour on the hurling field.”
The hurling awards will be officially presented at a gala banquet at the end of March 2017, while the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Football Allstars will be announced on Wednesday.
ALLSTAR TEAM 2017
S Kelly (St Patrick’s, Dungiven); T Murray (Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s, Knock), C Blair (Cross & Passion), C Kinsella (St Louis’, Ballymena); R McGarry (St Louis’, Ballymena), C Boyd (Cross & Passion), A O’Brien (St Mary’s, Belfast); E McQuillan (St Killian’s, Garron Tower), CJ McKenna (St Mary’s, Belfast); P Loughran (Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s, Knock), D Black (St Killian’s, Garron Tower), P Green (St Patrick’s, Keady); R Costello (Aquinas Grammar, Belfast); D McKernan (Rathmore Grammar), P McCallin (Coláiste Feirste)
