FOOTBALLER OF THE year Jack McCaffrey is one of 9 newly-crowned Allstars named in Joe Kernan’s Ireland International Rules panel for the test against Australia at Croke Park on 21 November.
The Clontarf wing-back was listed in Kernan’s 23-man squad at Croke Park this afternoon, with eight players on standby.
Tyrone’s Mattie Donnelly, Mayo pair Lee Keegan and Aidan O’Shea, Monaghan’s Conor McManus and Kerry dynamo Donnchadh Walsh will also be involved.
The other Allstars named are all from Dublin – Ireland captain Bernard Brogan, Rory O’Carroll and Philly McMahon.
In total, five Dublin players have been selected for international duty, with Diarmuid Connolly also available after St Vincent’s lost the Dublin SFC final to Ballyboden St Enda’s.
Ireland boss Joe Kernan said: “We’ve been delighted with the response and the hard work put in by players from all over the country in the last eight weeks in a bid to represent Ireland.
“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.
“Both the players and the management are really looking forward to this EirGrid International Rules test.
“The fact that the Australians are sending over such a strong team of players means that we will have to up our game if we are to take those boys on and that’s exactly what we are planning to do.”
In all, there are 12 counties from across all four provinces represented in the match day 23 and the county breakdown is Dublin (5), Tyrone (3), Laois, Kildare, Cork, Monaghan, Mayo (2 each), Clare, Tipperary, Longford, Kerry and Donegal (1 each).
Ireland squad:
1 Niall Morgan (Tyrone)
2 Colm Begley (Laois)
3 Gary Brennan (Clare)
4 Bernard Brogan (Dublin – captain)
5 Eoin Cadogan (Cork)
9 Mattie Donnelly (Tyrone)
10 Eoin Doyle (Kildare)
11 Peter Harte (Tyrone)
13 Darren Hughes (Monaghan)
15 Lee Keegan (Mayo – vice-captain)
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 players
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)
