Gleanings from the Gaels' column selects a dream Carbery senior football team. Check out who made the cut
IN November we saw the inaugural Carbery Junior Football and Hurling All-Star teams selected for the first time and good teams they were too.
The question is, how would the football team fare against a team of senior/intermediate footballers picked from the West Cork senior and intermediate clubs? Or how would the All-Star junior hurling team fare against a team picked from the South West intermediate hurling clubs?
This week let’s pick the senior/intermediate football West Cork team to play the Junior All-Stars.
For goalkeeper we have Ryan Price of Rossas, Paudie Hurley of the Haven and Chris White of Newcestown. Our choice is Ryan Price, his reputation for saving penalties helping to edge it.
At right-corner-back we could have Daniel Hazel of Rossas, John O’Regan of Haven, Kevin Harrington of Bantry.
Our choice is Daniel Hazel for his dashing, adventurous football all season.
The one position that is fairly open on our team is full back. Paddy Nealon of Rossas, Brian Shanahan of Ross, Fionn Coughlan of Clon, Tom Collins of Dohenys, Josh Pickett of Ilen, David Limrick of Haven. Our choice is Brian Shanahan, strong and forceful, a fine free-taker.
At left-corner back we can pick from Mícheál McSweeney of Newcestown, Tomás O’Leary of Haven, Paddy Nealon of Rossa’s. Our choice is Tomas O’Leary, who never plays a bad game and has perfected the position.
Right-half back sees Roland Whelton of Haven, Denis Murphy of Clon, Mark Collins of Rossas and Niall Canty of Bantry in contention. Our choice is Mark Collins who burst on the scene this season and has all the qualities of a great wing back.
Some great footballers manned the centre back position all season, Damien Cahalane of Haven, Thomas Clancy of Clon, Padraig Hodnett of Ross, Donal Rice of Dohenys, Danny O’Donovan of Ilen, Graham Canty of Bantry. Our choice is Thomas Clancy for his versatility and man-marking ability.
Left-half back is open to Robbie Kiely of Ross, Chris Hayes of Haven, Jimmy O’Leary of Bantry and David Collins of Dohenys. Our choice is Chris Hayes of Haven, a constant attacking threat and non-stop worker.
Cork football isn’t blessed with strong midfielders at present but West Cork can supply Sean Dineen of Haven, James Fitzpatrick of Ross, Sean Nagle and Sean White of Clon, Ruairí Deane of Bantry, Sean Carmody and Donal Óg Hodnett of Rossa’s, Denis Healy of Dohenys, Fionn Keane of Newcestown and Peadar O’Driscoll of Ilen.
Our choice would be Sean Dineen for his great fielding ability and Donal Óg Hodnett, who has adopted brilliantly to his new position.
At right-half forward, we have a pick from Mark Collins of Haven, Mark Buckley of Dohenys, Kevin McMahon of Ross and Stephen Leonard of Ilen. Our choice is Mark Collins for his play-making and great football brain.
Centre-forward, a hard position to play, has Seanie Cahalane of Haven, Kevin Davis of Rossas, Jerry McCarthy of Dohenys and Dan MacEoin of Ilen in contention. Our pick goes to Kevin Davis, a great hope for the future of Cork football and scorer supreme.
At left-half forward we have Sean O’Donovan of Ilen, David Lowney of Clon, Luke Meade of Newcestown, Paudie Crowley of Rossa’s and John O’Rourke of Ross. Our choice is John O’Rourke for his work rate and raw courage.
Right-corner forward features a wealth of fine players in Conor Cahalane of Haven, Declan Hayes of Ross, Thomas Hegarty of Rossas, Mark Quinn of Dohenys, Daniel Twomey of Newcestown and Jonathan Leahy of Clon. Our choice is Daniel Twomey, a top-class scoring machine and superb athlete.
No shortage of stars at full forward, such as Brian Hurley of Haven, David Shannon of Rossa’s, Seamus Hayes of Ross, Tadhg Twomey of Newcestown and Stephen Coughlan of Bantry. Our choice is Seamus Hayes for his superb football skills and play-making qualities.
Final position is at left-corner forward. Here we have Kevin O’Sullivan of Ilen, Sean McEvoy of Clon, John Hayes of Ross, Michael Hurley of Haven and Carthach Keane of Newcestown. Our choice is John Hayes, a class player who shows great leadership qualities and a prolific scorer who never knows when he is beaten.
So there’s our Carbery senior football All-Star team for 2015. Now for that challenge game against the Junior All-Stars…
Carbery Senior All-Star team 2015: Ryan Price (O’Donovan Rossa), Daniel Hazel (do.), Brian Shanahan (Carbery Rangers), Tomás O’Leary (Castlehaven), Mark Collins (O’Donovan Rossa), Thomas Clancy (Clonakilty), Chris Hayes (Castlehaven), Sean Dineen (do.), Donal Óg Hodnett (O’Donovan Rossa), Mark Collins (Castlehaven), Kevin Davis (O’Donovan Rossa), John O’Rourke (Carbery Rangers), Daniel Twomey (Newcestown), Seamus Hayes (Carbery Rangers), John Hayes (do.).
A choice of manager to take charge of that team would be Shane Crowley of O’Donovan Rossa who led his side to the semi-final of the championship and the winning of the Kelleher Shield during the season.
Next week we’ll look at the hurling All-Stars.
Slán go Fóill
