Hurling All Stars 2019 2020 - Ulster Schools GAA

LEO PASSMORE collected his second successive goal-keeping All-star when the 2020 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ All-star teams in hurling and football were announced at the Dub yesterday (WEDNESDAY).

The Loreto Coleraine Sixth Former is the only player from either team picking up a second All-star with eight different schools honoured in hurling and 12 different seats of learning in football.

Danske Bank Mageean Cup winners Cross and Passion Ballycastle and beaten finalists St Mary’s CBGS Belfast dominate the hurling awards with seven awards between them.

Ballycastle’s award winners include the midfield pairing of John McAllister and captain Seamus McAuley. McAuley picked up the Player of the Match in the final back in November while forward Michael O’Boyle scored key late points from frees in that final to bring it to extra time after St Mary’s had moved ahead during the second half.

St Mary’s awards all go to defenders – Owen May, Daniel Churchill and Caolán McKernan – while Casement Cup winners Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock are recognised with awards for the corner-forwards James Clarke and Sean Hughes.

It is Clarke’s second award in recent weeks as he was also in the Queen’s Future Stars team while Hughes’ father Danny and brothers Donal and Cormac have all played senior for Down.

Cain Ferguson is the first ever St Ronan’s Lurgan student to collect a hurling All-star while Abbey’s MacRory Cup captain Sean Campbell also gets a slot in the hurling forward line.

St Ronan’s and Abbey are also recognised in the All-star football forward line with awards respectively for James McCormack and John McGovern.

Josh Largo-Elis, St Michael’s Enniskillen centre-half back in their historic Hogan Cup success last April, is included in half-back although Oisin Brady, son of former Cavan captain Dessie, edges him out of the centre of the line that also includes Aidan Harney a son of former Armagh player Colin.

Omagh CBS, St Patrick’s Armagh and St Ciaran’s Ballygawley are the only schools to pick up two awards each with Errigal Ciaran defender Cormac Quinn probably the best known after a strong under-age career with Tyrone.

Also well known is St Eunan’s Letterkenny and Donegal under 20 star Shane O’Donnell who is selected in the forward line. Shane’s brother Niall followed up a Schools’ All-star three years ago with an Ulster senior medal in 2019.

The other Donegal player in the team, midfielder Rory O’Donnell, is the first ever player from Loreto Community School in Milford to gain recognition in the awards which are now in their 33^rd year.

This means that 51 schools have now been recognised over the years, 44 in football, 30 in hurling and 23 schools crossing codes.

2019/20 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Hurling All Stars

Leo Passmore – Loreto Coleraine
Owen May – St Mary’s Belfast
Fionn Devlin – St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon
Conall McGlynn – Cross & Passion Ballycastle
Daniel Churchill – St Mary’s Belfast
Caolán McKernan – St Mary’s Belfast
Rory McCloskey – St Louis, Ballymena
John McAlister – Cross & Passion Ballycastle
Seamus McAuley – Cross & Passion Ballycastle
Sean Campbell – Abbey CBS Newry
Ronan McAteer – St Killian’s Garron Tower
Michael O’Boyle – Cross & Passion Ballycastle
Sean Hughes – Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock
Cain Ferguson – St Ronan’s Lurgan
James Clarke – Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock

2019-20 Danske Bank Ulster Colleges’ Hurling All-star Profiles

Goalkeeper : Leo Passmore

School : Loreto Coleraine
Club: Eoghan Rua Coleraine.

Leo was the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ All-star goalie last year and wins his second award.

He has played both hurling and football for Loreto College and has collected Ulster schools’ medals for Danske Bank Br Mallon Cup (3), Treanor Cup, Irish News Cup, Casement Shield and Rannafast Shield. He has represented Derry at under-age level and has won two Celtic Challenge medals

Right Corner Back : Owen May

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

Owen has represented his school through the age groups including the recent Danske Bank Mageean final. He has played in the Celtic Challenge Cup final with Antrim, but has enjoyed most success with his club O’Donovan Rossa with whom he has won two Antrim Féile na nGael medals, under 16 league and championship and a Minor B championship.

Full-back : Fionn Devlin

School : St Patrick’s Academy Dungannon
Club: Eoghan Ruadh Dungannon.

Fionn is the second member of his family to collect an Ulster Schools’ All-star, following his brother Ruairí eight years ago.

Fionn won a Danske Bank Casement Cup medal with Scoileanna Thír Eoghain last year and has represented his school in both hurling and football.

He has represented Tyrone through the age-groups and won an All-Ireland under 14C medal and he also won an All-Ireland Féile na nGael medal with Eoghan Ruadh as well as two Ulster minor Shield medals.

Left Corner Back : Conall McGlynn

School : Cross & Passion Ballycastle
Club: Carey Faugh’s

Conall has won two Danske Bank Foresters’ Cups, a Leonard Cup and this season’s Mageean Cup with Cross and Passion.

He has represented Antrim at under-age level winning an All-Ireland Celtic Challenge medal.

He has helped his club win a Féile na nGael, under 16 Antrim league and championship titles and a McMullan Cup.

Right-half back : Daniel Churchill

School : St Mary’s CBGS, Belfast
Club: St Gall’s, Belfast.

Daniel has represented his school through the age groups in both hurling and football and played in the recent Danske Bank Mageean Cup final.

With St Gall’s, Daniel has won an Antrim under 16 football championship and in hurling the under 16B league and championhip.

Centre-half back : Caolán McKernan

School : St Mary’s CBGS Belfast
Club: Patrick Sarsfield’s, Belfast

Caolán has represented his school through the age groups including the recent Danske Bank Mageean final.

He has represented his county at all underage levels winning an All-Ireland under 16 title and was the Antrim minor team captain in 2019.

A dual player, Caolán has won a minor B hurling championship with Sarsfield’s and in football county Féile na nÓg title and under 16B championship.

Left-half back : Rory McCloskey

School : St Louis Ballymena
Club : Loughgiel Shamrock’s

Rory has played at all levels for St Louis, helping them reach both the Danske Bank Leonard and Foresters’ Cup finals.

He has enjoyed a lot of success with his club Loughgiel – an Antrim Féile na nGael, an under 16 championship, Darragh Cup, and this year the Antrim minor league and championship and the Ulster minor club championship.

He has also played through the age-groups for Antrim, reaching the Celtic Challenge final.

Midfield : John McAlister

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

John captained St Killian’s College Garron Tower to a Danske Bank Foresters’ Cup final before transferring to Cross and Passion where he was an integral part of the defence in their Danske Bank Mageean Cup win in November.

He was a member of the Antrim under 16 team that won the All-Ireland B title and he has won a Féile na nGael medal with Ruairí Óg.

John has also won Ulster cross country medals with St Killian’s.

Midfield : Seamus McAuley

School : Cross & Passion Ballycastle
Club: McQuillan’s Ballycastle

Seamus has won two Danske Bank Foresters’ Cups and recently captained Cross and Passion to the Mageean Cup title. He was also Player of the Match in the final.

Seamus has represented Antrim at all under-age levels and is an Antrim Féile na nGael skills’ winner. With McQuillan’s he has won under 12 league and championship medals, under 14 championship and All-Ireland Division 2 Féile na nGael and the under 16 Antrim league.

Right-half forward : Sean Campbell

School : Abbey VBS Newry
Club: Newry Shamrocks.

Sean won a Danske Bank Mageean Cup medal last year as part of the An Dún team and has represented his county at all under-age levels, winning a Celtic Challenge medals in 2017 and was an All-Ireland under 20 finalists in 2019.

An All-Ireland Féile skills’ winner, Sean helped Shamrocks win the Down Junior championship.

He is his school’s MacRory Cup captain and represented Down in minor football last year.

Centre-half forward : Ronan McAteer

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

Ronan captained St Killian’s this year in their Mageean Cup semi-final exit to eventual champions Cross and Passion.

He has played for Antrim at under age level up to and including minor and was a member of the Ruairí Óg squad that won the Antrim Reserve championship in 2019.

Left-half forward : Michael O’Boyle

School : Cross & Passion Ballycastle
Club:.Oisin’s Glenariffe

Michael is the second member of his family to be awarded an Ulster Schools’ All-star with brother Alex picked as full-forward in 2016.

Michael won a Danske Bank MacNamee title with St Killian’s before transferring to Cross and Passion where he has picked up medals for Leonard and Mageean Cups as well as three Foresters’ Cup medals.

With Oisin’s he has won an Antrim under 12 championship.

Right-corner forward : Sean Hughes

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

Sean was a defender in An Dún’s Mageean Cup winning team last year, before switching to full-forward and winning Player of the Match as Our Lady’s & St Patrick’s Knock won the Danske Bank Casement Cup before Christmas. He also has medals from the Kirk Cup (2), O’Mahoney Cup and McFarland Cup campaigns.

With Bredagh he has won two Down Féile na nGael titles and championships at each age-group

Sean’s father Danny was a midfielder for Down winning three Ulster senior titles, while brothers Cormac and Dónal played in the Christy Ring Cup final in Croke Park in 2019.

Full-forward : Cain Ferguson

School : St Ronan’s Lurgan
Club: Eoghan Ruadh Dungannon

Cain is the first player from St Ronan’s College to collect an Ulster Schools’ Hurling All-star. Last year he was a key player for Scoileanna Thír Eoghain in their Danske Bank Casement Cup success.

Cain has represented Tyrone at all age-groups and has won an All-Ireland under 14 C title. He has recently been called into the senior panel for the 2020 season.

With Eoghan Ruadh he won an All-Ireland Féile na nGael medal as well as two Ulster minor Shield medals.

Left-corner forward : James Clarke

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

James is the youngest player in the All-star team at 16 and he was also selected in the full-forward line in the Queen’s Future Stars’ team.

With Knock he has won the Danske Bank Leopold and Kirk Cups to which he added the Casement Cup in the week before Christmas.

James has won a Down under 14 league with Ballycran and has also played soccer at representative level.