RUAIRÍ Ó Mianáin and Tomás Galvin picked up back to back All-stars when the 2022-23 Danske Bank Ulster schools’ hurling All-star team was announced yesterday.
Ó Mianáin’s award last year was a first for Gaelcholáiste Dhoire and he is back again in the half-forward line while Galvin, representing St Patrick’s Keady moves from corner-forward to full-forward.
Both players have progressed over the past 12 months with Ó Mianáin winning a starting jersey in the Slaughtneil senior team that completed ten in a row Derry titles last autumn. He has also led his school to the Danske Bank Casement Shield and represented his county at under 20 level.
Meanwhile Galvin is now part of the Armagh senior squad making his debut earlier this year in the national league encounter with Louth.
The team announced yesterday is dominated by the three north Antrim schools; Cross & Passion Ballycastle with three awards and Mageean Cup finalists St Louis Ballymena (four) and St Killian’s Garron Tower (three).
Ulster minor club champions Loughgiel have four players in the line-up, two each from Mageean champions St Louis and two of the three CPC players including Liam Glackin who recently captained the Ballycastle school to the Danske Bank Foresters’ Cup.
St Louis Ballymena’s Mageean Cup winning captain and player of the final Aodhán McGarry is included in the half-back line where his older brother and current Antrim senior defender Ryan also won an All-star award six years ago.
Another following in the footsteps of a brother is Shea Pucci; Eoin Pucci was on last year’s team while Slaughtneil pair Ruairí Ó Mianáin and Fionn McEldowney each have an older sister who picked up schools’ camogie All-stars on their way to becoming All-Ireland club medallists.
Meanwhile midfielder Oran Donnelly’s father Ronan appeared in the same position in the 1990 All-star team, kick-starting a career that saw him become an Antrim and Ulster regular. Oran though, might well be heading up the ladder in another code as he is already on the books at Cliftonville.
Indeed a number of the All-stars have won awards in various sports and they include Ju-jitsu and water-polo internationals, others on Ulster rugby development squads, Ulster athletic teams as well as the usual range of gaelic and soccer players.
Chairman of Ulster schools’ GAA Jimmy Smyth congratulated the players on their awards:
“Ulster Schools would like to congratulate all these young men who have now joined a long list of previous winners. The hope is that they will emulate the many former winners who have gone on to have a long and successful career with their club and county.
“Their selection today has brought great joy to their schools, especially in Gaelcholáiste Dhoire and St Patrick’s Keady, to where Ruairí Ó Mianáin and Tomás Galvin bring their second awards.”
Danske Bank Chief Executive Vicky Davies said:
“The Ulster Schools’ All Stars is a celebration of GAA youth sports and is something that Danske Bank is very proud to support. The players’ passion and dedication is inspiring and it’s great to see so many young people thrive through sport.”
2022-23 Danske Bank Colleges’ Hurling All-star Profiles
- Goalkeeper : John V Morgan
School : St Killian’s Garron Tower
Club: Cushendun Robert Emmett’s.
John V holds a Danske Bank MacNamee Cup medal with St Killian’s and was between the posts in the Mageean Cup final. He has won two McMullan Cups, two under-age Antrim leagues and a Darragh Cup at club level. He has also collected silverware in rugby and soccer and has been junior captain in Cushendall Golf Club.
- Right Corner Back : Kevin O’Boyle
School : St Louis Ballymena
Club : St Bridget’s Cloughmills
Kevin has collected Danske Bank Ulster schools’ medals for the Thompson, Leonard and Mageean Cups. He holds a two under 16 championship, an under 17 league and a minor B championship at club level and was a member of Antrim side that won the under 16 Leinster B championship.
He also plays rugby and has won an Ulster under 16 title.
- Full-back : Ben McGarry
School : Cross & Passion Ballycastle
Club: Loughgiel Shamrocks
Ben comes from a strong hurling family with both his father and grandfather All-Ireland club medallists with Loughgiel. Ben has won a Danske Bank Thompson Cup with CPC and an array of county medals with his club, including three minor and two under 20 championships and an Ulster club title in December. He also holds a provincial title with Antrim
- Left Corner Back : Fionn McEldowney
School : St Patrick’s, Maghera
Club: Slaughtneil Emmett’s.
Fionn picks up two awards here tonight as he is also a defender on the Football team. He has helped St Patrick’s win the Danske Bank Gallagher Cup.
Fionn has under 14 and under 16 medals with Slaughtneil and has represented Derry in both codes at under-age level. His sister Céat has won two schools’ camogie All-stars as well as two All-Ireland club medals, while his father Colin has helped Derry win the 2000 and 2001 Ulster senior hurling titles.
- Right-half back : Enda McGurk
School : St Mary’s CBGS, Belfast
Club: Naomh Eoin, Belfast
Enda has represented his school and club right through the age-groups in both hurling and football. He has also claimed an Irish Waterpolo title as captain of his team and has represented Ireland in the European qualifiers. His father is a MacRory Cup medallist.
- Centre-half back : Liam Glackin
School : Cross & Passion Ballycastle
Club : Loughgiel Shamrocks
Liam has collected Danske Bank MacNamee, Gallagher and recently Foresters’ Cup medals with CPC. With Loughgiel he has won a large number of county medals with his club, including two minor championships and an Ulster club title in December. He also holds a provincial minor title with Antrim as well as a Harry Gregg Cup soccer medal.
- Left-half back : Aodhán McGarry
School : St Louis Ballymena
Club : All Saints Ballymena & Cúchulainn’s Dunloy
Aodhán captained St Louis to the Danske Bank Mageean Cup this year and was Player of the Match in the final. He holds Thompson and Leonard Cup medals and has captained Antrim to the Leinster B title as well as lifting two Ulster titles. A dual player he holds an All-Ireland Féile football title with All Saints. His brother Ryan, a current Antrim senior player, was an All-star in the half-back line six years ago.
- Midfield : Darragh Patterson
School : St Louis Ballymena
Club: Loughgiel Shamrocks.
Darragh holds Danske Bank Thompson, Leonard and Mageean Cup medals with St Louis as well as a host of county medals with Loughgiel, including three minor and an Ulster club title in December. He holds an Ulster under 20 medal with Antrim and helped them to win a Leinster minor B title. His other interest is Ju-Jitsu and he is a world title holder at under age level
- Midfield : Oran Donnelly
School : Cross & Passion Ballycastle
Club: Ballycastle McQuillan’s
Oran is a former county Féile nan Gael skills’ champion and comes from a strong hurling family. His father Ronan was at midfield in the 1990 hurling All-star team before going on to represent Antirm and Ulster at senior level and playing for Ireland in the Shinty International. Oran has represented Antrim at underage level winning a Leinster title and he is currently playing for Cliftonville.
· Right-half forward : Ruairí Ó Mianáin
School : Gaelcholáiste Dhoire
Club: Slaughtneil Emmett’s
Ruairí is winning his second All-star. He featured in the half-forward line in last year’s selection. Since then he has captained Gaelcholáiste Dhoire to a first ever Danske Bank Casement Shield and was a regular in the Slaughtneil senior team that won last year’s Derry championship. A dual player, he has won under-age Derry titles in both codes and represents the Oak Leaf under 20s.
· Centre-half forward : Shea Pucci
School : Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock
Club: Ballygalget Mitchell’s
Shea is following in his brother Eoin’s footsteps as Eoin collected an All-star award in hurling last year. Eoin has a Danske Bank MacNamee Cup and captained Down at minor level.
He holds Down championship medals at under 15 and 17 levels and was player of the Match in the minor final. He was in Ulster rugby squads for two seasons
· Left-half forward : Cormac McKeown
School : St Killian’s Garron Tower
Club: Con Magee’s Glenravel
Cormac captained St Killian’s to last year’s Foresters’ Cup and also holds two MacNamee Cup medals. Another Leinster minor B medallist, he recently won an Ulster u20 medal. A dual player, he has won medals in both codes with Con Magee’s. He has also represented his school in Cross Country and Athletics and represented his province in Athletics
Right-corner forward : Joseph McLaughlin
School : St Killian’s Garron Tower
Club: Ruairí Óg Cushendall
Joseph has collected two MacNamee and a Foresters’ Cup medal in the St Killian’s colours. Recently he won an Ulster under 20 medal and also holds a Leinster Minor B medal. With Ruairí Óg he has won an All-Ireland Féile na nGael title, an under 14 championship and McMullan Cup.
- Full-forward : Tomás Galvin
School : St Patrick’s Keady
Club: Keady Lámh Dhearg
Like Ruairí Ó Mianáin, Tomás was selected in last year’s All-star forward line and he has won a Danske Bank MacFarland Cup with St Patrick’s. He has won Armagh championships at various levels, including two minors and this season he made his debut on the senior county team when he came off the bench against Louth in the National League
· Left-corner forward : Jack McCloskey
School : St Louis Ballymena
Club: Loughgiel Shamrocks
Jack has won Leonard and Mageean Cups with St Louis as well as Leinster minor B and Ulster under 20 medals with Antrim.
A prolific scorer he has helped Loughgiel to many county medals, including three minor and two under 20 championships as well as an Ulster minor club title in December.