All-Stars touring party confirmed

The 2008 GAA Football All-Stars, sponsored by Vodafone, will have 32 players drawn from 11 counties making the trip next Wednesday to San Francisco.

Recently departed Kerry manager Pat O'Shea and Tyrone's three-time All-Ireland-winning boss Mickey Harte have been announced as managers of the 2007 and 2008 All-Star teams respectively.

Fourteen players have been added to the All-Stars tour as replacements for players who are unable to travel due to work or personal commitments and as injury cover. The replacement players include two 2008 All-Ireland winners in Ryan McMenamin and Colm McCullagh.

The 2007 and 2008 Football All-Stars will fly out from Dublin on Wednesday morning, for the week-long tour, the highlight of which will be the clash of the back-to-back All-Stars to mark the official opening of the San Francisco GAA headquarters, Pairc na nGael, on Sunday, December 7.

Armagh whistler Jimmy McKee has been appointed as the match referee.

GAA President Nickey Brennan, who will be making his last All-Stars trip as President, said that the tour is also a wonderful opportunity for ex-pats to get to see some of the greatest players in the game today up close.

"The GAA All-Stars tour is not just about honouring the stars of the game in any given year but it is also very special for Irish people living in host cities as they can get a real slice of home, which is all the more special coming up to Christmas," he said.

"We are very excited about the tour and I know that the players are really looking forward to the break and also to the game. There will be a very warm welcome for them and I have no doubt they will be wonderful ambassadors for the Association."

Speaking ahead of the trip, Vodafone Consumer Director Carolan Lennon said that there is an added sense of nostalgia about the tour given that it is returning to the very city that hosted the first ever GAA All-Stars trip.

"San Francisco was the first city to host a GAA All-Stars tour, back in 1972, and it is great to be going back there all these years later.

"San Francisco is a fabulous city, with a strong Irish and GAA community, and we have a very exciting itinerary laid on for the party, ranging from the game itself to a meeting with the Mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom.

"It is fantastic also that the game is going to mark the official opening of Pairc na nGael. I understand that a huge amount of voluntary work has gone into providing this excellent facility and there is no better way to mark its official opening than with a game involving the cream of football from back home."

2007 All-Stars: Marc O Se, Darragh O Se and Colm Cooper (all Kerry), Kevin McCloy and Paddy Bradley (Derry), Graham Canty (Cork), Barry Cahill (Dublin), Stephen Bray (Meath), Tommy Freeman (Monaghan).

2008 All-Stars: Conor Gormley, Justin McMahon, Brian Dooher, Sean Cavanagh, Davy Harte and Enda McGinley (all Tyrone); Gary Connaughton and John Keane (Westmeath), Shane Ryan (Dublin).

Replacements: Michael Cussen, Nicholas Murphy and Donnacha O'Connor (Cork), Redmond Barry and Ciaran Lyng (Wexford), Ryan McCluskey and Martin McGrath (Fermanagh), Ryan McMenamin and Colm McCullagh (Tyrone), David Henry (Dublin), Seamus Scanlon (Kerry), John Doyle (Kildare), Brendan Murphy (Meath) and Dessie Mone (Monaghan).

Referee: Jimmy McKee (Armagh)

Managers: Pat O'Shea (Kerry), 2007 team and Mickey Harte (Tyrone), 2008 team.