2015 All Star Hurling Team
2 Carson, Conor St Mary’s Belfast
3 McMullan, Cathal St Louis Ballymena
4 Mac Aoidh-Baicair, Dubaltach Colaiste Feirste
5 McCambridge, Fergus St Killian’s Garron Tower
6 Butler, Tiarnan Cross & Passion Ballycastle
7 Feeney, Keelan St Patrick’s Maghera
8 O’Neill, Eoin St Louis Ballymena
9 McKernan, Donal Rathmore Grammar
10 Beatty, Ronan St Mary’s Belfast
11 McNaughton, James St Louis Ballymena
12 McLaughlin, Dylan St Killian’s Garron Tower
13 Doherty-Cunning, Conal St Louis Ballymena
14 O’Boyle, Alex Cross & Passion Ballycastle
15 Elliott, Ciaran St Louis Ballymena
St Louis Ballymena defeated St Mary’s CBGS Belfast in the Danske Bank Mageean Cup final at Halloween by 2-16 to 1-9. Eight players who took part in that final are selected.
St Louis have six players in the final line-up, which equals the biggest ever representation from a single school in the 28 years of the All-star scheme.
Four of the six are from the Dunloy club, that won the Antrim minor title this year Ryan and Ciaran Elliot, Eoin O’Neill and Conal Doherty-Cunning.
Goalkeeper Ryan Elliott is a son of former Dunloy, Antrim and Ulster goalie Shane, who was the very first Ulster Colleges’ All-star goalie in 1988
The other St Louis players are Player of the Match in the Mageean final James McNaughton and team captain Cathal McMullan who is receiving his second All-star. Cathal’s first was at centre-half back last year and this year he gets the nod at full-back.
Cathal is one of just two players picking up a second All-star; the other player is Tiarnan Butler, last year’s midfielder, who is now at centre-half back. Tiarnan (TT) was Player of the Match in Cross & Passion’s All-Ireland final win last April.
St Mary’s CBGS received two All-stars, corner-back Conor Carson, and half-forward Ronan Beatty, who is the only Down player selected. Ronan plays for the Carryduff club.
In contrast to teams of the recent past, this selection covers a fairly narrow base with 13 of the 15 players coming from Antrim clubs €“ Ronan Beatty and Slaughtneil’s Keelan Feeney being the exceptions
There are 7 different schools in the selection, St Louis, Ballymena have 6 players, Cross & Passion Ballycastle, St Mary’s CBGS & St Killian’s, Garron Tower with 2 each and there is one player each from St Patrick’s Maghera, Rathmore Grammar and Colaiste Feirste.
Dubaltach Mac Aoidh-Bair is only the third All-star hurling award for Colaiste Feirste, while Donal McKernan’s is only the sixth for Rathmore Grammar. Donal is an All-Ireland poc fada champion
Half backs Fergus McCambridge (3) and Tiarnan Butler (2) play off low golf handicaps and Fergus has won two Ulster Schools’ Senior golf titles with St Killian’s.
James McNaughton has won Antrim and Ulster boxing titles. His father Seamus was a member of the Loughgiel All-Ireland winning team of 1983. His brother Nicholas was a Colleges’ All-star four years ago.
St Mary’s Belfast’s two awards mean that they remain at the top of the board with a total of 84 hurling All-stars over the past 28 seasons. St Patrick’s Maghera are in second spot with 78 awards.
Colleges’ Hurling All-stars 1988 – 2016
School Number of All-stars
St Mary’s CBS, Belfast 83
St Patrick’s, Maghera 78
Cross & Passion, Ballycastle 55
St MacNissi’s/ St Killian’s, Garron Tower 54
St Louis, Ballymena 40
La Salle, Belfast 33
St Patrick’s, Armagh 15
St Patrick’s, Keady 14
Our Lady & St Patrick’s, Knock 9
St Patrick’s, Downpatrick 8
Loreto, Coleraine 5
Rathmore Grammar, Belfast 6
St Patrick’s Dungannon 5
St Columba’s, Portaferry 4
St Michael’s, Enniskillen 4
St Colman’s Newry 3
St Louis, Kilkeel 3
Coláiste Feirste, Belfast 3
Edmund Rice CBS Glengormley 2
Omagh CBS 2
St Mary’s Magherafelt 2
Abbey CBS 1
Aquinas Grammar, Belfast 1
Glen Rd. CBS, Belfast 1
St Eunan’s, Letterkenny 1
St Malachy’s Belfast 1
St Aidan’s Cootehill 1
27 schools
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