10 youngsters to watch out for in the All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
Jack Leamy: Played a starring role as Thurles CBS cruised through their Dr Harty Cup group with a 100% record last autumn.
A county minor last year while still only 15, Leamy starred as Thurles CBS romped through their Dr Harty group with a 100% record last autumn, with an average winning margin of nearly 11 points per game. The Golden-Kilfeacle star had previously picked up a Dean Ryan Cup (Munster U16½AHC) medal in 2018-19 as well as featuring on the Harty panel and he is sure to be prominent as Tipp commence their provincial campaign against Kerry tomorrow.
A grandson of 1963 All-Ireland senior medallist Willie Carley, Byrne came off the bench to score a vital goal in the 2019 Leinster final as Wexford won a first provincial title since 1985 and he will play a key part for the Model County this year. At the end of September, he scored 2-11 as Moguegeen Gaels (a combination of his club Fethard and Clongeen) won the Wexford premier minor hurling shield final.
A strong performer, Collins was midfield on the St Flannan’s College team that ended a 15-year wait for a Dr Harty Cup victory when they overcame Cork’s CBC in the final back in March. The Éire Óg clubman was also on the squad last year and was on the Banner football squad earlier this year too before opting for hurling. A first cousin of Podge and Seán Collins, he looks to have a bright future.
Last month, St Finbarr’s won a first top-tier county minor hurling title since 1997 and the performance of Cunningham — son of legendary goalkeeper Ger — was instrumental in the win over Sarsfields in the decider. A versatile attacker who is named at right corner-forward in Dónal Óg Cusack’s side for the clash with Clare in Thurles at lunchtime today, his free-taking is impeccable but his score-taking from play is just as good, if not better – only five of his 12 points in the county final were from dead balls.
With Dublin captain Andrew Keegan ruled out after a cruciate injury, Doyle of Naomh BarrĂłg is likely to be given the key role of centre-back but he is just as comfortable in the full-back line. The Dubs face Westmeath or Carlow next weekend and Doyle will look to continue what has been impressive progress through the county underage ranks as well as starring with Dublin North Schools in the Leinster PPS championship.
The Galmoy attacker was named in last year’s Electric Ireland Minor Team of the Year, finishing as the championship’s top scorer, notching 1-8 in Kilkenny’s All-Ireland semi-final win over Limerick and contributing six points despite defeat to Galway in the final. Kilkenny and Wexford have byes to the Leinster semi-final stage and Drennan will be hoping to complete a double, having already claimed an All-Ireland minor handball title this year.
The lively attacker won a county U21 hurling title with Doon in August and made an impact in last year’s minor championship, winning a provincial medal as a 16-year-old. Was unlucky to wind up on the losing side to Cashel as Doon CBS reached the Munster PPS U19 BHC final in the spring of this year. He will be a key member of the forward division for the Shannonsiders as they face Cork or Clare in Thurles in a fortnight.
It’s no small claim to say that the Ballygunner man is the brightest underage talent to come out of Waterford since Paul Flynn, but Fitzgerald has certainly made a strong case with prodigious scoring tallies the rule rather than the exception. The pièce de résistance so far this year was scoring 1-11 of his team’s total of 1-13 in the county minor final win over Abbeyside and Tipperary or Kerry will have to be alert when they face Waterford in Páirc Uà Rinn on October 30.
The Clarinbridge man was the youngest member of last year’s All-Ireland-winning side, lining out at midfield. Not since Tipperary from 1932-35 has a county managed four hurling titles on the trot at the grade but if Galway are to manage it then Leen will be central. An All-Ireland junior winner with Presentation College Athenry in 2019, he is also a talented soccer player and was part of the team that reached the FAI U17 Cup final prior to the spring lockdown.
Kilcormac-Killoughey have won the last three minor hurling titles in Offaly and Mitchell, who was the county’s minor hurler of the year in 2019, was an integral part in creating that dominance. They welcome Laois to Birr today in the opening round of the Leinster championship and, if the Faithful County do win, then Mitchell is likely to have a big say in that.
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