‘Champion 15s’ to be honoured

THE GAA will honour 15 of the best players from the teams who participated in the inaugural Christy Ring and Nicky Rackard Cup competitions at a function in Croke Park on Saturday, November 26.

The final selection of players from each competition, which will be known as the Champion 15, was announced yesterday.

Unlike the Vodafone Allstars, the players selected are not chosen by position, and players received nominations at the end of each game from opposing team managers.

Champions Westmeath top the list of recipients on the Christy Ring Cup Champion 15, with Enda McLoughlin, Killian Cosgrove and Andrew Mitchell being recognised for their outstanding contributions to the county’s progress in the competition.

Under the selection format, the champions have three players honoured, with two players from the beaten finalists and semi-finalists also being recognised.

One player from each of the other participating counties has also been honoured.

The players to be honoured as the Christy Ring Champion 15 are: Enda McLoughlin, Killian Cosgrove and Andrew Mitchell (Westmeath), Garret Johnson and Martin Coulter (Down), Pat Coady and Robert Foley (Carlow), Mattie Dowd and David Harney (Kildare), Gregory Biggs (Derry), John Mike Dooley (Kerry), Keith Higgins (Mayo), Joey Toole (Meath), Mike Keaveney (Roscommon) and Joe Murphy (Wicklow).

Under the selection system to honour players who participated in the Nicky Rackard Cup, it was agreed that the champions would have three representatives on the Champion 15, the runners-up would have two and each of the other participating counties would have one player honoured.

The full selection is: Fergus Mc Mahon, Michael O’Meara and Jim Ryan (London), Trevor Hilliard and Paul Dunne (Louth), Paul Mc Ardle (Armagh), Paul Sheridan (Cavan), Danny Cullen (Donegal), Kevin McGarry (Fermanagh), Clement Cunniffe (Leitrim), Garrett Ghee (Longford), Pat Walsh (Monaghan), Paul Seevers (Sligo), Paul Hughes (Tyrone) and Martin Morrissey (Warwickshire).