Hennessy retired from Waterford in 2011. Cathal Noonan
Cathal Noonan
The Ardmore goalkeeper made his inter-county debut in 2005 and called time on his days in a Déise jersey in 2011 at 33 years of age. He leaves for Boston where he will link up with the Tipperary club.
2. Ross Mullins – Dublin
The corner-back from the Castleknock club was a dual player throughout his youth. The talented footballer and hurler has been playing both codes from U14 level in a county jersey. Last season was the first year in which he focused exclusively on football, playing under Dessie Farrell at U21 level for Dublin, but his performances for the U21 hurlers in 2013 prove he’ll be a great addition to Naomh Padraig in San Francisco.
3. William Egan – Cork
Egan played in the 2013 All-Ireland final. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
The 24-year-old defender was heralded for his rise onto the Cork senior team in 2011. Egan lined out at wing-back for Cork in the 2013 All-Ireland final against Clare and also captained the Cork U21 team in 2010 and 2011. After winning two Fitzgibbon Cups with UCC in 2012 and 2013 Egan found himself on the bench for much of last year’s championship. He’s gone to Boston to play with Tipperary Boston.
4. Killian McIntyre – Cork
McIntyre under pressure from Waterford's Jamie Barron. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
McIntyre was wing-back for the Cork U21′s last year as they eventually lost out to Clare in the Munster final by 15 points last year. McIntyre is also a talented footballer, representing the county at U21 level last year as they won the Munster title before eventually being pipped by Roscommon in the All-Ireland semi-final.
5. Brendan O’Leary – Kerry
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Michael and Brendan O'Leary have both left Kerry for Boston. Colm O'Neill / INPHO
Colm O'Neill / INPHO / INPHO
O’Leary was the captain of the Kerry side that won the U21 All-Ireland ‘B’ title in 2013 thanks to a thrilling one-point win over Kildare in the final. He was a member of the Kerry senior panel this year before he took the option of heading off to Boston for the summer. His brother Michael, who was also on the Kerry panel, has joined him in America.
6. Conor McDonnell – Dublin
The St Oliver Plunkett’s man was nominated for the Dublin championship All-Star team in 2014 and was also a star of the Trinity College side that landed their first ever Ryan Cup in March. The powerful centre-back has opted to play with the Naomh Pádraig club in Chicago this summer.
7. Conor Robinson – Dublin
McDonnell played midfield for the Dublin U21's last year. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
Last year’s Dublin U21 midfielder will be playing with Wexford in Boston this summer. Having played at midfield for the first two rounds of the Leinster championship in 2014, Robinson was eventually moved to wing-back for his sides defeat to Wexford in the Leinster final.
8. Stephen Roche – Waterford
Roche won a Fitzgibbon with WIT in 2014. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
The Mount Sion hurler lost out in the Fitzgibbon Cup final when representing WIT against UL this year but leaves both his club and county as a bit of a loss. He played a pivotal role in midfield for WIT as they won the Fitzgibbon in 2014 and was corner back on the Waterford U21 side that lost out to Clare in the Munster semi-final last year.
9. Colm Galvin – Clare
Galvin is a huge loss to the Clare hurlers this summer. Cathal Noonan / INPHO
Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO
The most high profile of all the departures on this list, Galvin leaves a big hole in the middle of Davy Fitzgerald’s Banner side. Still only 22, this would have been the Clonlara hurlers fourth season on the panel, having been a driving force from midfield as Clare won the the All-Ireland in 2013. He can’t be faulted for wanting a summer off in Boston.
10. Tadhg Dowling – Laois
Dowling played U21 hurling for Laois last year and scored the only Laois goal of the game as they succumbed to Dublin in the Leinster quarter-final. Dowling, from the Rathdowney Errill club, will play with Na Fianna in San Francisco this summer.
11. Sean Linnane – Galway
Sean Linane grabs a hold of Cian Lynch during the All-Ireland minor semi-final in 2013. Donall Farmer / INPHO
Donall Farmer / INPHO / INPHO
Linnane has long been regarded as one of Galway hurling’s finest young prospects and he captained the county minor side last year as they crashed out at the hands of Limerick in the All-Ireland semi-final. He’s one of the rare few that will be hurling in Chicago this summer, rather than the popular destinations of New York, Boston and San Francisco.
12. Joey Boyle – Westmeath
Joey Boyle holds off Chris Crummy of Dublin. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Boyle was wing-forward on the Westmeath U21 side that agonisingly lost out to Dublin in the Leinster championship last year. Boyle has also represented Ireland in shinty at U21 level.
13. Cathal Horan – Tipperary
The former Tipperary minor burst onto the scene in 2011 when he fired in 2-2 as he led the Premier County’s 2-16 to 1-9 thrashing of Cork. The Mullinahone speedster has been in flying form for his club since then and they will miss his threat from corner-forward as he joins the Na Fianna club in San Francisco.
14. Michael Ryan – Limerick
Ryan was a member of last year’s Limerick U21 panel that was defeated by Clare in the first round of the Munster championship last year. Ryan will leave his club Murroe Boher as he heads Stateside to play with Tipperary Boston.
15. Thomas Breen – Kilkenny
Breen scored in the 2014 Walsh Cup final. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
The captain and star of Kilkenny’s 2008 minor winning side, Breen led the side from full-forward as Kilkenny captured their 19th title in the grade. Breen was called into the Kilkenny panel at the beginning of 2014 and started in the Walsh Cup final against Dublin and scored two points.
Here's our hurling XV of players who've left to America this summer
1. Clinton Hennessy – Waterford
The Ardmore goalkeeper made his inter-county debut in 2005 and called time on his days in a Déise jersey in 2011 at 33 years of age. He leaves for Boston where he will link up with the Tipperary club.
2. Ross Mullins – Dublin
The corner-back from the Castleknock club was a dual player throughout his youth. The talented footballer and hurler has been playing both codes from U14 level in a county jersey. Last season was the first year in which he focused exclusively on football, playing under Dessie Farrell at U21 level for Dublin, but his performances for the U21 hurlers in 2013 prove he’ll be a great addition to Naomh Padraig in San Francisco.
3. William Egan – Cork
The 24-year-old defender was heralded for his rise onto the Cork senior team in 2011. Egan lined out at wing-back for Cork in the 2013 All-Ireland final against Clare and also captained the Cork U21 team in 2010 and 2011. After winning two Fitzgibbon Cups with UCC in 2012 and 2013 Egan found himself on the bench for much of last year’s championship. He’s gone to Boston to play with Tipperary Boston.
4. Killian McIntyre – Cork
McIntyre was wing-back for the Cork U21′s last year as they eventually lost out to Clare in the Munster final by 15 points last year. McIntyre is also a talented footballer, representing the county at U21 level last year as they won the Munster title before eventually being pipped by Roscommon in the All-Ireland semi-final.
5. Brendan O’Leary – Kerry
O’Leary was the captain of the Kerry side that won the U21 All-Ireland ‘B’ title in 2013 thanks to a thrilling one-point win over Kildare in the final. He was a member of the Kerry senior panel this year before he took the option of heading off to Boston for the summer. His brother Michael, who was also on the Kerry panel, has joined him in America.
6. Conor McDonnell – Dublin
The St Oliver Plunkett’s man was nominated for the Dublin championship All-Star team in 2014 and was also a star of the Trinity College side that landed their first ever Ryan Cup in March. The powerful centre-back has opted to play with the Naomh Pádraig club in Chicago this summer.
7. Conor Robinson – Dublin
Last year’s Dublin U21 midfielder will be playing with Wexford in Boston this summer. Having played at midfield for the first two rounds of the Leinster championship in 2014, Robinson was eventually moved to wing-back for his sides defeat to Wexford in the Leinster final.
8. Stephen Roche – Waterford
The Mount Sion hurler lost out in the Fitzgibbon Cup final when representing WIT against UL this year but leaves both his club and county as a bit of a loss. He played a pivotal role in midfield for WIT as they won the Fitzgibbon in 2014 and was corner back on the Waterford U21 side that lost out to Clare in the Munster semi-final last year.
9. Colm Galvin – Clare
The most high profile of all the departures on this list, Galvin leaves a big hole in the middle of Davy Fitzgerald’s Banner side. Still only 22, this would have been the Clonlara hurlers fourth season on the panel, having been a driving force from midfield as Clare won the the All-Ireland in 2013. He can’t be faulted for wanting a summer off in Boston.
10. Tadhg Dowling – Laois
Dowling played U21 hurling for Laois last year and scored the only Laois goal of the game as they succumbed to Dublin in the Leinster quarter-final. Dowling, from the Rathdowney Errill club, will play with Na Fianna in San Francisco this summer.
11. Sean Linnane – Galway
Linnane has long been regarded as one of Galway hurling’s finest young prospects and he captained the county minor side last year as they crashed out at the hands of Limerick in the All-Ireland semi-final. He’s one of the rare few that will be hurling in Chicago this summer, rather than the popular destinations of New York, Boston and San Francisco.
12. Joey Boyle – Westmeath
Boyle was wing-forward on the Westmeath U21 side that agonisingly lost out to Dublin in the Leinster championship last year. Boyle has also represented Ireland in shinty at U21 level.
13. Cathal Horan – Tipperary
The former Tipperary minor burst onto the scene in 2011 when he fired in 2-2 as he led the Premier County’s 2-16 to 1-9 thrashing of Cork. The Mullinahone speedster has been in flying form for his club since then and they will miss his threat from corner-forward as he joins the Na Fianna club in San Francisco.
14. Michael Ryan – Limerick
Ryan was a member of last year’s Limerick U21 panel that was defeated by Clare in the first round of the Munster championship last year. Ryan will leave his club Murroe Boher as he heads Stateside to play with Tipperary Boston.
15. Thomas Breen – Kilkenny
The captain and star of Kilkenny’s 2008 minor winning side, Breen led the side from full-forward as Kilkenny captured their 19th title in the grade. Breen was called into the Kilkenny panel at the beginning of 2014 and started in the Walsh Cup final against Dublin and scored two points.
Here’s our Gaelic football XV of players who’ve left for America this summer
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Colm Galvin Jetsetters Clare Cork Dublin