Best of the West named on Rebel Óg GAA panels

THERE’S a strong West Cork influence on the Rebel Óg Academy football panels that were announced last Sunday and are heading into a busy weekend of action at various Munster tournaments.

This Saturday, the Rebel Óg West and Rebel Óg East U14 teams will compete in the Jim Power U14 football tournament in Dungarvan. Rebel Óg West are in Group 2 alongside Kerry North, Waterford and Limerick.

Also on Saturday, Cork East and Cork West U15 football teams will contest the Humphrey Kelleher U15 tournament in Duhallow. Cork West have been drawn against Tipperary in a quarter-final at Dromtarriffe.

The Munster U16 football tournament will see Cork White and Cork Red in action, with Cork White taking on North Kerry in the first round while Cork Red play Waterford, both on Saturday morning at 11am.

The Rebel Óg West U14 panel includes Adam Walsh Murphy (Valley Rovers), Alan Elphick (Urhan), Ben O’Sullivan (Urhan), Brian Simpson (Carrigaline), Cian McCarthy (St Oliver Plunkett’s), Cillian Drinan (Carrigaline), Colin O’Leary (Inniscarra), Denis Collins (Glengarriff), Hugh Murphy (Eire Óg), Jack Cahalane (Castlehaven), Jack McGrath (Carrigaline), Jospeh O’Shea (Urhan), Kelan Scannell (Carbery Rangers), Neil Lordan (Ballinora), Paul O’Riordan (Tracton), Rory Courtney (Castlehaven), Ryan O’Donovan (Ibane Gaels), Seamus O’Sullivan (Newcestown), Sean Andrews (Shamrocks), Sean Bohane (Castlehaven), Sean McCarthy (Inniscarra), Sean O’Donoghue (Ballincollig), Shane Vaughan (Carrigaline) and Tim Twohig (Bandon).

The mentors for the Rebel Óg football team are: manager, Bobby O’Dwyer (Macroom); GDA, Pat Spratt (Buttevant); East coach, Brendan Driscoll (St Finbarr’s); West coach, Daniel Cronin (St Mary’s); mentors, Ollie O’Sullivan (Garnish), Alan O’Keeffe (Carrigaline), Michael Prout (Shamrocks), Martin O’Brien (Granard Gaels) and Donal O’Connor (Ballydesmond).

Local interest on the Rebel Óg U15 panel will centre around the fortunes of Alex Minihane and Sam Burchill (both Castlehaven), Brian White (Clonakilty), Dara O’Shea (Valley Rovers), David Buckley (Newcestown), Dean Harte and Padraig Cullinane (both Ballinascarthy), Jordi O’Brien (Gabriel Rangers), Kieran Forbes (Sam Maguires), Michael McCarthy and Paddy Burke (both Tadhg MacCarthaigh), Paul Hodnett (Carbery Rangers), Sean Brady (St Colum’s), Sean O’Riordan (Iveleary), Sean O’Sullivan (Adrigole), Shane Crowley (Bantry Blues), Tadhg Bradley (Aghabullogue) and Tim O’Connell (Cill na Martra). O’Donovan Rossa’s Gene O’Donovan is the coach of the U15 football team while fellow Skibbereen club member Paudie Crowley is a selector.

Included on the Rebel Óg U16 football panel are Aaron O’Sullivan, Jack Collins and Matthew Bushe (all Ilen Rovers), Charlie Lyons (Valley Rovers), Cian O’Donoghue (Clonakilty), Cian Feury (Cill na Martra), Cullan Barry, Eoin Murray and Fionn Herlihy (all Sam Maguires), Darragh Hayes (Carbery Rangers), David Twomey, Rian O’Flynn and Jack Murphy (all Eire Óg), Elliot Connolly (O’Donovan Rossa), Gavin O’Connell and Robert O’Driscoll (both Bandon), Jamie O’Neill (Urhan), and Neil O’Sullivan and Ryan O’Sullivan (both Adrigole).

Brian Lotty (Glanmire) is the U16 manager while GDA James McCarthy (Castlehaven), Pat Hegarty (Tadhg MacCarthiagh), Aidan Cremin (Adrigole), Gary White (Ballygarvan), Ray O’Mahony (Eire Óg) and Liam O’Driscoll (Castlehaven) are amongst the backroom team.

There will also be a strong interest locally in the Rebel Óg U17 football panel that is managed by Carbery Rangers’ Philip Moore and has Niall Twomey (Ballinascarthy) as the strength and conditioning coach. Amongst the 38-strong panel are Cathal Hennessey (Carbery Rangers), Eoghan Minihane and Kevin Coakley (both Bantry), Eoghan O’Riordan, Jonathan O’Regan, Luke Boyle, Sean Desmond, Shane Moran, Jack McCarthy and Ian Giltenan (all Carrigaline), Eoin O’Driscoll and Peter O’Driscoll (Ilen Rovers), James O’Sullivan and Colm O’Callaghan (Eire Óg), Damien Gore (Kilmacabea) and Rory O’Driscoll (Garnish).