Irish international midfielder Peter Brown will become the latest player to switch provinces as attention turns to the U21 interpros at Grange Road this weekend.
Banbridge native Brown made his name with his hometown club, and represented Ulster at various age grades. However, the 19-year-old is currently plying his trade with UCD and will line out for Leinster this time around.
He is one of a handful of players to switch allegiances on a residency basis; Cork native Jason Lynch has represented Ulster in the past, in line with his move to Lisnagarvey.
With fellow Irish senior panellists Kirk Shimmins and Mark Ingram also in situ, Leinster will start as favourites to retain a title they won in dramatic fashion in Ulster last year via Shane O’Donoghue’s hat-trick against the hosts.
Munster have had to rejig their squad after initially naming too many of their U18 squad in the panel – five is the maximum allowed for the southern province – but still have many young talents in situ, not least current underage internationals Julian Dale (Cork Harlequins) and Cork C of I pair Simon Wolfe and Alex Burns.
Former Ireland U18 man Richard Lynch captains the side while UCD’s Nick Burns – recently capped at senior level – and Gary Wilkinson (UCC) will be hoping to do enough to be kept in a trimmed-down Ireland U21 squad for next week’s Four Nations tournament involving England, Germany and Scotland. There’s also a return to interpro action for Pembroke Wanderers’ Scott Sullivan, back in a Munster jersey after a year spent in Australia.
Ireland’s U18 boys will once again provide a fourth team to expand the tournament; with such a youthful Munster side named the province has no representatives here although C of I’s Clyde Buttimer may be called on having been named in reserve.
Malcolm Coombes’ hopes of guiding Munster U21 women to the title took a blow when UCC’s Shauna Fagan was ruled out due to a concussion suffered on Irish Junior Cup duty, but C of I’s Rachel O’Hanlon is a nifty replacement to be able to call upon.
With 10 UCC players in his panel, including skipper Amy-Kate Trevor, Coombes will hope their familiarity – plus quality performers such as Bandon’s Vicky Burns and Ireland U18 schemer Abby Oakes – can upset the fancied Leinster and Ulster sides.
Recent senior cap Kate Lloyd, in tow with Emily Beatty and Emma Russell – recently repatriated from a stint in the USA with Syracuse University – will lead Leinster’s charge, while Ulster also have an American returnee in Kerri McDonald (Richmond Spiders) back in situ as co-captain.
Senior Irish internationals Katie Mullan and Chloe Brown are the northern province’s main dangerwomen while Elaine Carey, Michelle Carey and Freddie Timmins will lead the charge for underdogs Connacht.
The interpros have drastically curtailed the domestic Division 1 calendar but there’s a huge relegation battle in north Cork as Fermoy host UL.
The Limerick students stole a vital march in their bid to avoid the drop with a shock 3-2 win over Ashton last weekend and another victory here will all but keep them in the top tier next season.
Fermoy, having picked up just one point all season, need to summon the determination that saw them shock Bandon in the Munster Senior Cup as they realistically can’t afford to lose.
Ondine Roche has been widely acknowledged Munster’s best goalkeeper this year but in Elaine O’Flynn – a Fermoy native – UL have an in-form netminder too, suggesting chance conversion will go a long way to deciding this one.
Both sides were beaten heavily by Catholic Institute in their last outings; Fermoy lost 10-0 last Saturday with UL going down 9-0 on Thursday night.
MUNSTER U21 squads for U21 Interpros, Grange Road, Dublin
Men: J Phillips (GK, Cork C of I), D Moore (GK, Midleton), A Burns (Cork C of I), N Burns (UCD), G Chambers (UCC), A Colton (UCC, vice-capt), J Dale (Cork Harlequins), P Daunt (Cork C of I), A Deane (Cork C of I), N Eacrett (Limerick), C Kingston (Bandon), R Lynch (Cork C of I, captain), S Miller (UCC), S Sullivan (Pembroke Wanderers), R Sweetnam (Cork C of I), J Sweetnam (UCC), G Wilkinson (UCC), Simon Wolfe (Cork C of I). Manager: P Colton; Coach: N Welch; Assistant Coach: D Hobbs.
Women: A Axson (GK, Cork C of I), K Healy (GK, Limerick); S Browner, E Dobson, K Harvey, N Kerr, A McGrath (vice-capt), A O’Leary, E O’Leary, E Reidy, A-K Trevor (captain), S Sullivan (UCC), V Burns (vice-captain), L Copithorne (Bandon), S James, R O’Hanlon (Cork C of I), A Oakes (Cork Harlequins), E Buckley (UCD). Manager: K Noonan; Coach: M Coombes; Assistant Coach: S Gray.
U21 Interpros, Grange Road, Dublin
Friday
Men: Leinster v Ireland U189 4pm, front pitch; Ulster v Munster, 6.30pm, back pitch; Women: Connacht v Ulster, 4.30pm, back pitch; Leinster v Munster, 6pm, front pitch.
Saturday
Men: Ireland U18 v Munster, 11am, back pitch; Leinster v Ulster, 3.30pm, front pitch; Women: Ulster v Munster, 12.30pm, front pitch; Connachy v Leinster, 2pm, back pitch.
Sunday
(All games on front pitch)
Men: Ulster v Ireland U18, 11.30am; Leinster v Munster, 3.30pm; Women: Munster v Connacht, 9.30am; Ulster v Leinster, 1.30pm.
Munster Women’s Div 1: Fermoy v UL, Loreto Fermoy, Saturday, 12.30pm.
Munster have had to rejig their squad after initially naming too many of their U18 squad in the panel – five is the maximum allowed for the southern province – but still have many young talents in situ, not least current underage internationals Julian Dale (Cork Harlequins) and Cork C of I pair Simon Wolfe and Alex Burns.
Former Ireland U18 man Richard Lynch captains the side while UCD’s Nick Burns – recently capped at senior level – and Gary Wilkinson (UCC) will be hoping to do enough to be kept in a trimmed-down Ireland U21 squad for next week’s Four Nations tournament involving England, Germany and Scotland. There’s also a return to interpro action for Pembroke Wanderers’ Scott Sullivan, back in a Munster jersey after a year spent in Australia.
Ireland’s U18 boys will once again provide a fourth team to expand the tournament; with such a youthful Munster side named the province has no representatives here although C of I’s Clyde Buttimer may be called on having been named in reserve.
Malcolm Coombes’ hopes of guiding Munster U21 women to the title took a blow when UCC’s Shauna Fagan was ruled out due to a concussion suffered on Irish Junior Cup duty, but C of I’s Rachel O’Hanlon is a nifty replacement to be able to call upon.
With 10 UCC players in his panel, including skipper Amy-Kate Trevor, Coombes will hope their familiarity – plus quality performers such as Bandon’s Vicky Burns and Ireland U18 schemer Abby Oakes – can upset the fancied Leinster and Ulster sides.
Recent senior cap Kate Lloyd, in tow with Emily Beatty and Emma Russell – recently repatriated from a stint in the USA with Syracuse University – will lead Leinster’s charge, while Ulster also have an American returnee in Kerri McDonald (Richmond Spiders) back in situ as co-captain.
Senior Irish internationals Katie Mullan and Chloe Brown are the northern province’s main dangerwomen while Elaine Carey, Michelle Carey and Freddie Timmins will lead the charge for underdogs Connacht.
The interpros have drastically curtailed the domestic Division 1 calendar but there’s a huge relegation battle in north Cork as Fermoy host UL.
The Limerick students stole a vital march in their bid to avoid the drop with a shock 3-2 win over Ashton last weekend and another victory here will all but keep them in the top tier next season.
Fermoy, having picked up just one point all season, need to summon the determination that saw them shock Bandon in the Munster Senior Cup as they realistically can’t afford to lose.
Ondine Roche has been widely acknowledged Munster’s best goalkeeper this year but in Elaine O’Flynn – a Fermoy native – UL have an in-form netminder too, suggesting chance conversion will go a long way to deciding this one.
Both sides were beaten heavily by Catholic Institute in their last outings; Fermoy lost 10-0 last Saturday with UL going down 9-0 on Thursday night.
MUNSTER U21 squads for U21 Interpros, Grange Road, Dublin
Men: J Phillips (GK, Cork C of I), D Moore (GK, Midleton), A Burns (Cork C of I), N Burns (UCD), G Chambers (UCC), A Colton (UCC, vice-capt), J Dale (Cork Harlequins), P Daunt (Cork C of I), A Deane (Cork C of I), N Eacrett (Limerick), C Kingston (Bandon), R Lynch (Cork C of I, captain), S Miller (UCC), S Sullivan (Pembroke Wanderers), R Sweetnam (Cork C of I), J Sweetnam (UCC), G Wilkinson (UCC), Simon Wolfe (Cork C of I). Manager: P Colton; Coach: N Welch; Assistant Coach: D Hobbs.
Women: A Axson (GK, Cork C of I), K Healy (GK, Limerick); S Browner, E Dobson, K Harvey, N Kerr, A McGrath (vice-capt), A O’Leary, E O’Leary, E Reidy, A-K Trevor (captain), S Sullivan (UCC), V Burns (vice-captain), L Copithorne (Bandon), S James, R O’Hanlon (Cork C of I), A Oakes (Cork Harlequins), E Buckley (UCD). Manager: K Noonan; Coach: M Coombes; Assistant Coach: S Gray.
U21 Interpros, Grange Road, Dublin
Friday
Men: Leinster v Ireland U189 4pm, front pitch; Ulster v Munster, 6.30pm, back pitch; Women: Connacht v Ulster, 4.30pm, back pitch; Leinster v Munster, 6pm, front pitch.
Saturday
Men: Ireland U18 v Munster, 11am, back pitch; Leinster v Ulster, 3.30pm, front pitch; Women: Ulster v Munster, 12.30pm, front pitch; Connachy v Leinster, 2pm, back pitch.
Sunday
(All games on front pitch)
Men: Ulster v Ireland U18, 11.30am; Leinster v Munster, 3.30pm; Women: Munster v Connacht, 9.30am; Ulster v Leinster, 1.30pm.
Munster Women’s Div 1: Fermoy v UL, Loreto Fermoy, Saturday, 12.30pm.