CORK STAR FORWARD Shane Kingston has been crowned Electric Ireland Higher Education GAA Rising Star Hurling Player of the Year for 2020, while five of his UCC team-mates join him in the Team of the Year.
The Leeside college lifted the Fitzgibbon Cup in February after beating IT Carlow in the final, and six of their top players have been selected on the star 15.
Kingston is the star of the show, however, and features in the prestigious selection for the second year in-a-row. The Douglas club man was a consistent threat to opposition through the campaign, and chipped in with o-4 in the final en route to winning his second Fitzgibbon Cup medal.
Mark Coleman, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Robert Downey (all Cork), Paddy O Loughlin (Limerick) and Shane Conway (Kerry) join Kingston in the team, while IT Carlow have four representatives and beaten semi-finalists, DCU DÉ and Mary Immaculate College make up the rest of the team with three and two representatives respectively.
It's time to announce the Electric Ireland HE GAA Rising Stars Hurling Team of the Year for 2020! Follow the thread below to see what players made the final 15 #FirstClassRivals 👇 pic.twitter.com/GPtoJorPKd
— Electric Ireland (@ElectricIreland) April 1, 2020
DCU and Wexford goalkeeper Oisin Foley takes the number one jersey, while his countymates Shane Reck, Cathal Dunbar (both IT Carlow) and Rory O Connor (DCU) are also included.
Tipperary’s Eanna McBride and Cork’s Tim O Mahony are the Mary I duo selected, while Dubliner Conor Burke (DCU), Richie Leahy of Kilkenny and Carlow’s Chris Nolan (both IT Carlow) also make the cut.
Electric Ireland Higher Education GAA Rising Stars 2020 Hurling Team of the Year
1. Oisin Foley – DCU DÉ, Crossabeg Ballymurn, Wexford
2. Shane Reck – IT Carlow, Oylegate Glenbrien, Wexford
3. Robert Downey – UCC, Glen Rovers, Cork
4. Eanna McBride – Mary Immaculate, J.K Brackens, Tipperary
5. Paddy O Loughlin – UCC, Kilmallock, Limerick
6. Conor Burke – DCU DÉ, St. Vincent’s, Dublin
7. Mark Coleman – UCC, Blarney, Cork
8. Darragh Fitzgibbon – UCC, Charleville, Cork
9. Richie Leahy – IT Carlow, Rower Inistioge, Kilkenny
10. Rory O Connor – DCU DÉ, St. Martin’s, Wexford
11. Shane Conway – UCC, Lixnaw, Kerry
12. Cathal Dunbar – IT Carlow, Naomh Éanna, Wexford
13. Chris Nolan – IT Carlow, Mount Leinster Rangers, Carlow
14. Shane Kingston – UCC, Douglas, Cork
15. Tim O Mahony – Mary Immaculate, Newtownshandrum, Cork
Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the Rising Stars awards ceremony has been cancelled, but Electric Ireland and the GAA have come together to celebrate the achievements.
“I would like to congratulate Shane Kingston and the Electric Ireland Higher Education GAA Rising Stars Hurling Team of The Year 2020 on their incredible achievements during 2020 Higher Education Hurling season,” GAA President John Horan said.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we will not be able to honour these young men in front of their families, friends and coaches, however, they should all be very proud of what they have done in 2020. They are a credit to their club, county and most importantly, their third-level institution.
The football equivalent Team of the Year and Player of the Year will be unveiled tomorrow.
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