2016-17 Hurling All-stars Named

2017 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Hurling All Stars

1. Sean Kelly (St Patrick’s, Dungiven)
2. Tom Murray (OLASP Knock)
3. Corey Blair (C&P Ballycastle)
4. Conor Kinsella (St Louis Ballymena)
5. Ryan McGarry (St Louis Ballymena)
6. Conor Boyd (C&P Ballycastle)
7. Aodhan O’Brien (St Mary’s CBS)
8. Ed McQuillan (St Killian’s Garrontower)
9. CJ McKenna (St Mary’s CBS)
10. Peter Loughran (OLASP Knock)
11. Daniel Black (St Killian’s Garrontower)
12. Paul Green (St Patrick’s Keady)
13. Ronan Costello (Aquinas Grammar)
14. Donal McKernan (Rathmore)
15. Peter McCailin (Colaiste Feirste)

Aisling Press, District Manager at Danske Bank, in announcing the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ All Stars Hurling Team congratulated the recipients.

“The Ulster Schools’ All-Stars is a fantastic celebration of GAA youth and something that we at Danske Bank are extremely proud to be part of.  The commitment and dedication required to be even nominated for an All-Star award is immense, and I would like to congratulate all of the players who were selected to participate in the trials, as well as the 15 outstanding hurlers we are honouring here today.

“This passion for excellence is truly commendable and we are delighted to support the players here today and all who are a part of the Ulster Schools GAA.”

Jimmy Smyth, Chairman of the Ulster Schools’ GAA, also congratulated the recipients. “To achieve an Ulster Schools’ All Star Award is to rightly earn a place in hurling’s Hall of Fame. These awards recognise and reward these talented players’ prowess, commitment and endeavour on the hurling field.”

The Hurling awards will be officially presented at a Gala Banquet at the end of March 2017, while the Danske Bank Ulster Colleges’ Football All-Stars will be announced later today (WEDNESDAY).

2016 – 17 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Hurling All-stars

• These All-stars are known as the 2016/17 Hurling All-stars and this is the 30^th year of the Ulster Schools’ All-star scheme.

• Players are selected over the course of two trial games, after being initially nominated by their own school to attend the trials. The scheme rewards excellence in skill and in sportsmanship and a player who has been sent off in any game between September 1^st and the dates of the trials is ineligible for selection.

• St Mary’s CBGS Belfast defeated St Killian’s Garron Tower in the Danske Bank Mageean Cup final at Halloween by 3-17 to 0-9. Just four players who took part in that final are selected.

• St Mary’s have two players in the final line-up, bringing their total over the 30 All-star selections to 85, which is 7 more than second placed St Patrick’s Maghera.

• The two St Mary’s players are Aodhán O’Brien in defence and midfielder CJ McKenna. These two players have a complete set of Ulster schools’ medals, having been members of a team that won titles right through their school careers.

• CJ was joint captain (with his twin brother Odhrán) of the Mageean Cup winning team.

• St Killian’s have two players in the final line-up. Both Ed McQuillan and Daniel Black started the Mageean final as midfielders, but Daniel gains recognition from the All-star selectors as a centre-forward.

• Conor Kinsella captained his club Dunloy recently to the Antrim minor hurling and football double, and also the Ulster minor hurling title – Ryan McGarry was also on the hurling sides. Both are students in St Louis Ballymena and both hold Mageean Cup medals from last season.

• Goalkeeper Sean Kelly is the first player from St Patrick’s Dungiven to be selected and brings the total number of schools represented in the hurling scheme to 28.

• Rathmore Grammar’s Donal McKernan is the only player picking up a second All-star; last year he was at midfield in the team, this year he is at full-forward

• Paul Green scored ten points as his school St Patrick’s Keady won the Danske Bank Casement Cup final at the start of December

• Corner-forward Ronan Costello is only the second player from Aquinas Grammar to be awarded an All-star in hurling. The first was his brother Conor the 2013 corner-back

• 10 of the 15 players come from Antrim clubs, while there are 3 from Down (Tom Murray, Ronan Costello and Peter Loughran) with Derry’s Sean Kelly and Armagh’s Paul Green completing the list

• There are 10 different schools recognised in the selection; five (St Louis, Cross & Passion Ballycastle, St Mary’s CBGS, St Killian’s, Garron Tower and Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock) each have 2 players.

• Peter McCallin is only the fourth All-star hurling award for Coláiste Feirste, while Donal McKernan’s bring’s Rathmore Grammar’s total to seven. Donal is an All-Ireland poc fada champion

• St Mary’s Belfast’s two awards mean that they remain at the top of the board with a total of 85 hurling All-stars over the past 30 seasons. St Patrick’s Maghera are in second spot with 78 awards.

2016-17 Danske Bank Ulster Colleges’ Hurling All-star Profiles

• Goalkeeper : Sean Kelly

School : St Patrick’s Dungiven
Club: Dungiven Kevin Lynch’s.

Sean is the first player from his school to gain recognition in the All-star scheme. A dual-player, he won Danske Bank MacNamee and Leonard Cup medals while a student in St Patrick’s Maghera.

With Kevin Lynch’s he won an All-Ireland Féile nGael title in 2014, and Derry under 14, two under 16 and a minor hurling title.

• Right Corner Back : Tom Murray

School : Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock

Club : St Patrick’s, Portaferry

Tom has captained Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock to the Danske Bank Kirk and Casement Cups and also holds two McFarland Cup medals. He has represented Down at under-age level winning All-Ireland under 14 and 16 medals.

With his club, Tom has won an Ulster Féile na nGael title and a Down minor hurling league medal.

• Full-back : Corey Blair

School : Cross & Passion Ballycastle

Club : Loughgiel Shamrocks

Corey was part of the Cross & Passion Ballycastle team that won the 2014 Mageean Cup and progressed to win the Paddy Buggy All-Ireland title in April 2015. He has won two Ulster Minor championship medals with Antrim and was part of the Ulster Elite hurling squad. He has also represented his school in football.

• Left Corner Back : Conor Kinsella

School : St Louis, Ballymena
Club: Dunloy Cúchulainn’s.

Conor has won Danske Bank Mageean, Casement, McGreevy and Kirk Cup medals with St Louis during his school career.

In 2016 Conor captained Dunloy to the Antrim minor championship double in football and hurling and last month lifted the Ulster club title. He has numerous other county titles at underage level.

Conor also holds two Ulster medals with Antrim and in boxing has two Antrim Novice titles.

• Right-half back : Ryan McGarry

School : St Louis, Ballymena
Club: Dunloy Cúchulainn’s.

Ryan has won Danske Bank Mageean, Casement, McGreevy and Kirk Cup medals with St Louis during his school career.

At club level he has won two Minor championships and last month an Ulster minor title. Ryan plays his football with All Saint’s in Ballymena and has won an All-Ireland Féile title and a Breslin Cup.

Ryan also holds a bronze medal for the 1500m in Ulster athletics.

• Centre-half back : Conor Boyd

School : Cross & Passion Ballycastle
Club: McQuillan’s GAC, Ballycastle.

Conor was part of the Cross & Passion Ballycastle team that won the 2014 Mageean Cup and progressed to win the Paddy Buggy All-Ireland title in April 2015. He has also represented his school in football, winning a Danske Bank Ennis Cup.

He has won three Ulster Minor championship medals with Antrim and was part of the Ulster Elite hurling squad.

• Left-half back : Aodhán O’Brien

School : St Mary’s CBGS, Belfast
Club : Rossa, Belfast

Aodhán holds a complete set of Ulster schools’ medals, having been part of a group of players that won every title through their school careers

• Midfield : Ed McQuillan

School : St Killian’s College, Garron Tower
Club: Ruairí Óg Cushendall.

Ed captained St Killian’s College, Garron Tower in the Danske Bank Foresters’ Cup final last April and was also a member of teams that lost MacNamee and Mageean Cup finals to St Mary’s.

This year he played on the Antrim minor team that won the Ulster championship and Leinster league titles.

Ed has also represented St Killian’s in football and golf.

• Midfield : Ciaran (CJ) McKenna

School : St Mary’s CBGS, Belfast
Club: Naomh Eoin, Belfast
CJ holds a complete set of Ulster schools’ medals, having been part of a group of players that won every title through their school careers. He was joint-captain (with twin brother Odhrán) of the Mageean Cup winning team. A dual-player, he has represented his school at all levels, including MacRory Cup.

CJ has won Antrim titles at all levels with his club including recently the under 21 double. He was also part of the Antrim minor team in 2015 that won the Ulster title.

• Right-half forward : Peter Loughran

School : Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock
Club: Carryduff

Peter holds a Danske Bank Casement Cup medal from 2015 and has played football for his school as well.

He has represented Down at under-age level winning All-Ireland under 14 and 16 hurling medals and has played minor hurling and football for his county.

With Carryduff, Peter has won Down under 14 and under 16 league and championship titles.

• Centre-half forward : Daniel Black

School : St Killian’s College, Garron Tower
Club: Shane O’Neill’s, Glenarm

Daniel holds a Danske Bank Foresters’ Cup medal with his school and has played in MacNamee and Mageean Cup finals.

This year he played on the Antrim minor team that won the Ulster championship and Leinster league titles.

Daniel plays football for the Con Magee’s club at minor and under 21 level.

• Left-half forward : Paul Green

School : St Patrick’s Keady
Club: Keady Lámh Dhearg

Paul has represented his school at all levels in football and hurling winning two Danske Bank Leopold Cup titles, and a Casement Cup a couple of weeks ago when Paul scored ten points in the final against Rathmore Grammar.

At club level he has won championships at Féile na nGael, under 14, 16 and minor levels as well as an Armagh under 16 football title.

• Right-corner forward : Ronan Costello

School : Aquinas Grammar, Belfast
Club: Bredagh

Ronan is only the second Aquinas hurler to win an All-star, the first was his brother Conor four years ago. A dual-player, Ronan has won a Danske Bank Maguire Cup title with Aquinas.

He has represented Down at under-age level winning an All-Ireland under 14 and two 16 hurling medals and with Bredagh has championship medals at Féile, under 14, 16 and minor level in hurling and an All-Ireland Féile football medal.

• Full-forward : Donal McKernan

School : Rathmore Grammar
Club: Sarsfields, Belfast
Donal was selected at midfield in last year’s team and is winning his second All-star. He captained Rathmore to both the Danske Bank O’Mahoney and McGreevy Cup titles and won two Ulster minor championship medals and a Leinster minor league medal with Antrim.

Donal has also won the Antrim and Ulster poc fada titles twice and the All-Ireland title once. With Sarsfields, he has won a Féile title, and south Antrim under 16 and Senior reserve titles.

• Left-corner forward : Peter McCallin

School : Coláiste Feirste
Club: Naomh Eoin, Belfast

Peter is the fourth All-star from Coláiste Feirste. Peter has won Ulster titles with his school in both hurling and football and has represented Antrim at all levels winning an Ulster minor title in 2016.

With Naomh Eoin he has won double (hurling and football) championships at under 16 and 21 levels.

Schools’ Hurling All-stars 1988 – 2017