Two DCU students named in International Rules squad

Ireland manager, Joe Kernan, has announced his squad for the upcoming International Rules test against Australia.

The 23-man squad includes nine all stars and ‘Footballer of the Year’, Jack McCaffrey.

As expected, All-Ireland champions Dublin have the most representatives with five players in the squad, while beaten finalists Kerry only have one.

Overall, twelve counties will be represented with the other counties being Tyrone (3), Laois, Kildare, Cork, Monaghan, Mayo (2 each), Clare, Tipperary, Longford and Donegal (1 each).

Among the 23 players selected are DCU students Colm Begley from Laois and Michael Quinn from Longford.

Both students have had experience down under as Australian Football League players. Begley played with the Brisbane Lions and had a brief spell at St. Kilda while Quinn played for Essendon.

After 8 weeks of trial matches and training sessions, Kernan has assembled as strong a squad as he possibly could.

“Unfortunately injuries and club commitments have ruled some players out, but I am happy that we have still managed to assemble a very strong squad and it was a difficult job to reduce numbers down to the squad and the standby list.”

DCU student, Enda Smith (Roscommon), is on the standby list should any player need to be replaced in the squad.

The test will take place at Croke Park on November 21st.

Ireland squad-
1 Niall Morgan (Tyrone)
2 Colm Begley (Laois)
3 Gary Brennan (Clare)
4 Bernard Brogan (Dublin) (C)
5 Eoin Cadogan (Cork)
9 Mattie Donnelly (Tyrone)
10 Eoin Doyle (Kildare)
11 Peter Harte (Tyrone)
13 Darren Hughes (Monaghan)
15 Lee Keegan (Mayo)
17 Paul Kerrigan (Cork)
19 Jack McCaffrey (Dublin)
20 Ciarán McDonald (Tipperary)
22 Philip McMahon (Dublin)
23 Conor McManus (Monaghan)
25 Rory O’Carroll (Dublin)
26 John O’Loughlin (Laois)
28 Aidan O’Shea (Mayo)
29 Michael Quinn (Longford)
31 Donnchadh Walsh (Kerry)
33 Diarmuid Connolly (Dublin)
34 Paul Cribbin (Kildare)
35 Paddy Mc Brearty (Donegal)

Standby-
16 Paddy O’Rourke (Meath)
6 Killian Clarke (Cavan)
7 Ray Connellan (Westmeath)
14 Kieran Hughes (Monaghan)
21 Gearoid McKiernan (Cavan)
24 Dessie Mone (Monaghan)
27 Colm O’Neill (Cork)
30 Enda Smith (Roscommon)

Conor Hawkins