Eight young players to watch in the 2021 All-Ireland Hurling Championship

Sun, 20 Jun, 2021 - 19:00

John Fogarty

TJ Brennan (Galway)

Full-back for the county’s U20s last year, Shane O’Neill has used the Clarinbridge player across the league campaign and could be flanking Daithí Burke come the Leinster semi-final against Antrim or Dublin.

Alan Connolly (Cork)

Turning 20 next month, Kieran Kingston has carefully managed his orientation to senior inter-county hurling but the early indications are that the Blackrock man can be a star now and into the future.

Eoghan Connolly (Tipperary)

The Cashel King Cormacs two-time All-Ireland winner at U20 and U21 level only made his senior debut coming on against Waterford the weekend before last but more could be seen of him by season’s end.

Darragh Corcoran (Kilkenny)

Henry Shefflin rates his fellow Shamrocks club-mate so highly that he believes he will become the type of marauding midfielder that Michael Fennelly was for club and county. For the time being, he is doing well in the half-backs.

Colin Coughlan (Limerick)

Currently doing his Leaving Cert, the Ballybrown teenager will be left alone for the time being but after starting against Cork there is clearly serious regard for him in the camp and he could be an option off the bench.

Iarlaith Daly (Waterford)

The Lismore 21-year-old didn’t shirk when he was asked to replace Tadhg de Burca in last year’s All-Ireland final. He should be a fixture in the half-back line for the Déise, beginning this weekend.

Richie Lawlor (Wexford)

It would be surprising to see the promising Faythe Harriers man become a regular starter for Wexford this summer but Davy Fitzgerald rates the 2019 Leinster minor winning captain highly. Ia he another Shane O’Donnell, perhaps?

Aidan McCarthy (Clare)

As Tony Kelly continues to sprinkle his magic dust over the game and Cathal Malone grows in stature, Inagh-Kilnamona’s McCarthy has blossomed into the most exciting player in Brian Lohan’s group.