Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Hurling All Stars 2017/18

2017-18 Danske Bank Ulster Colleges’ All Stars

2017–18 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Hurling All-stars

• These All-stars are known as the 2017/18 Hurling All-stars and this is the 31^st 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 Patrick’s Maghera defeated An Dún in the Danske Bank Mageean Cup final at Halloween by 1-19 to 2-12.

• St Patrick’s Maghera have only one player, Tiarnan Walsh, in the All-star line-up, while An Dún have three : goalkeeper Conor McLornan and forwards Tim Prenter and Ronan Costello.

• There are four players collecting their second All-star award. All four were in last season’s team.

• Aquinas Grammar student Ronan Costello from the Bredagh club is the only one of the four selected in the same position two years running – right corner-forward, while Ed McQuillan from St Killian’s moves from midfield last year to left corner-forward.

• Ryan McGarry from St Louis Ballymena a holder of a Mageean Cup medal from 2015 moves from wing half-back to wing-half forward while Paul Green from St Patrick’s Keady from wing half forward to full-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

• Paul Green captained St Patrick’s Keady to their second successive Danske Bank Casement Cup title in November and scored heavily in both finals.

• St Patrick’s Keady have three players in the line-up, Paul Green and both corner-backs Jim Shortt and Stephen McKearney. This is the largest representation from the school in any of the previous teams.

• The only other school with three players listed in the selection is St Louis Ballymena – full-back Aaron Crawford, midfielder Liam McCann and wing-forward Ryan McGarry.

• St Mary’s Belfast have two players selected, bringing their total over the 30 All-star selections to 87, which is 8 more than second placed St Patrick’s Maghera.

• The two St Mary’s players are Sean Wilson in defence and midfielder Dominic McEnhill.

• Tiarnan Walsh, St Patrick’s Maghera, was a member of the Derry minor football panel that lost the All-Ireland minor final to Kerry. Tiarnan holds 10 different Ulster Schools’ medals over both codes including MacRory and Mageean Cup medals

• 8 of the 15 players come from Antrim clubs, with three from An Dún team, three from Keady and Tiarnan Walsh from Maghera completing the list

• There are 9 different schools recognised in the selection; two (St Louis, Ballymena & St Patrick’s Keady) have three each, two more (St Mary’s CBGS & St Killian’s, Garron Tower) have 2 players each with one from each of five schools

2017-18 Danske Bank Ulster Colleges’ Hurling All-star Profiles

• Goalkeeper : Conor McLornan

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

Conor has medals with Knock for the Danske Bank MacFarland (2), Kirk (2) Casement Cups. He has represented Down at under-age level winning All-Ireland under 14 and 16 medals and played in the recent Danske Bank Mageean Cup final.

With his club, Conor has won a Down Féile na nGael title, under 14 and under 16 hurling leagues and championships as well as East Down football medals.

• Right Corner Back : Jim Shortt

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

Jim has represented his school at all levels winning two Danske Bank Leopold Cup titles, and two Casement Cup titles.

At club level he has won championships at Féile na nGael, under 14, under 16 and minor levels. He has been a member of the Ulster elite hurling squad.

• Full-back : Aaron Crawford

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

Aaron has won county titles with Dunloy at under 14, under 16, minor and under 21 levels as well as McMullan and Darragh Cups and last season the Ulster minor club title.

He was a member of the Antrim under 17 team that captured the Celtic Challenge title in August.

• Left Corner Back : Stephen McKearney

School : St Patrick’s Keady
Club: Derrynoose

Stephen has represented his school at all levels winning two Danske Bank Leopold Cup and two Casement Cup titles.

At club level he has won leagues and championships at under 14 and under 16 levels as well as an All-Ireland Féile na nGael title. He has also won the Armagh Féile na nGael skills’ title.

• Right-half back : Niall McCormack

School : Cross & Passion, Ballycastle
Club: Ruairí Óg Cushendall.

Niall has represented his school at all levels in hurling and football.

This year he played on the Antrim under 17 team that won the All-Ireland Celtic Challenge Cup and also was on the Saffron minor team that won the Ulster championship.

• Centre-half back : Tiarnan Walsh

School : St Patrick’s Maghera
Club: Swatragh Davitt’s.

Tiarnan won Danske Bank Thompson, MacNamee, Leonard, Foresters’ and Mageean Cup medals with St Patrick’s invariably from this same central defensive position. He also holds Ulster schools’ football medals at five different levels including a MacRory Cup medal in 2016.

He has been a member of Derry under-age teams in both codes and won an Ulster minor football title in 2017.

• Left-half back : Sean Wilson

School : St Mary’s CBGS, Belfasts
Club : Naomh Eoin, Belfast

Sean was on the St Mary’s CBGS team that won last year’s Danske Bank Mageean Cup, and played in the All-Ireland schools’ final.

He holds an All-Ireland Féile na nGael title with his club as well as an Antrim under 16 championship.

Sean’s father Jimmy represented Antrim in both hurling and football.

• Midfield : Liam McCann

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

Liam has won county hurling titles with Dunloy at under 14, under 16, minor and under 21 levels as well as McMullan and Darragh Cups and last season the Ulster minor club title. He captained their successful minor team this year and collected an Antrim minor football medal last year.

He was a member of the Antrim under 17 team that captured the Celtic Challenge title in August.

• Midfield : Dominic McEnhill

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

Dominic holds a complete set of Ulster schools’ medals (6), including last season’s Mageean Cup. A dual-player, he has represented his school at all levels, including MacRory Cup.

Dominic has won Antrim titles at all levels up to and including minor. He has also been part of Antrim Development squads right through the age-groups in both codes and in 2017 won a Celtic Challenge and Ulster title minor title in hurling. He is also an Antrim and Ulster under 16 Poc Fada champion.

• Right-half forward : Francis McCurry

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

Francis has captained St Killian’s Garron Tower in two Ulster finals and was also a member of the team that lost the 2016 Mageean Cup final to St Mary’s CBGS.

He was on the Antrim minor teams that won the last two Ulster championships and also a Leinster league title.

• Centre-half forward : Tim Prenter

School : St Patrick’s Downpatrick
Club: Mitchel’s Ballygalget

Tim won a Danske Bank MacFarland Cup medal with his school, whom he has represented at all levels in hurling and football. He was on An Dún side that lost the recent Mageean Cup final and has represented his county at all underage levels winning an All-Ireland under 16 title and Celtic Challenge. He has also played county minor football for Down.

Tim has two minor championships and an under 16 league title with Ballygalget and has Down and Ulster titles in handball.

His father and uncles have represented Antrim in football.

• Left-half forward : Ryan McGarry

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

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

At county level he was a member of both Antrim teams that won the 2017 Ulster minor title and All-Ireland Celtic challenge trophy.

At club level he has won one Antrim under 21 championship, three Antrim Minor championships and an Ulster minor club title. Ryan plays his football with All Saints 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.

• Right-corner forward : Ronan Costello

School : Aquinas Grammar, Belfast
Club: Bredagh

Ronan is winning his second All-star and was in the same position in last year’s team. He is only the second Aquinas hurler to win an All-star, the first was his brother Conor five 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 one All-Ireland under 14 and two 16 hurling medals and in 2017 a Celtic Challenge medal, while with Bredagh he has championship medals at Féile, under 14, 16 and minor level in hurling and an All-Ireland Féile football medal.

• Full-forward : Paul Green

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

Paul is picking up his second All-star in the half-forward line. He has represented his school at all levels in football and hurling winning two Danske Bank Leopold Cup titles, and two Casement Cup titles.

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. He has been a member of the Ulster elite hurling squad.

• Left-corner forward :  Ed McQuillan

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

Ed is winning his second All-star. He was a midfielder on last year’s team. He has captained St Killian’s Garron Tower in the Danske Bank Foresters’ Cup final and was also a member of teams that lost MacNamee and Mageean Cup finals to St Mary’s CBGS.

He was on the Antrim minor teams that won the last two Ulster championships and also a Leinster league title.

He holds an Antrim Under 21 medal with Ruairí Óg from 2016.

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

Schools’ Hurling All-stars

1988 – 2018

28 schools