Munster trio make Ireland A cut

The 18-player Ireland A selection – announced this morning and selected by Dave Passmore and Denis Pritchard – includes many names likely to feature in this summer’s Irish U21 panel. They will play England A twice this weekend with 15 of the panel eligible to play in this summer’s European campaign while two further U21 players – Dora Gorman and Ali Meeke – were both named as panelists but are injured for this tie. Catholic Institute duo Naomi Carroll and Rebecca Barry and Yvonne O’Byrne of Cork Harlequins are included, all three of whom are eligible at U21 level too.

Indeed, the side will be run by the Irish U21 management team. Shirley McCay will captain the side before she heads off on her travels, the reason why she is not included in the Investec London Cup selection while Mary Goode lends her experience on the goalkeeping front. Full international Stephanie Quinn is also included to provide midfield solidity but the rest of the panel is heavily drawn from the Irish U18 selection which played in the 2009 Europeans. Orla Fox, Hannah Matthews, Sammy Jo Greer, Anna Mae Morton, Brenda Flannery, Deirdre Duke, Naomi Carroll, Vanessa Surgeoner and Sarah Greene all were part of that selection while Niamh Atcheler and Chloe Watkins are in the senior panel this week. In London, meanwhile, Pritchard will take charge of his first international since taking over as interim Electric Ireland Irish women’s senior coach. Pritchard could hardly have asked for a tougher start to his stint as Ireland interim manager, as his side take on some of the world’s best in the Investec London Cup this week. The Corkman, who has taken over the reins since Gene Muller stepped down in March, takes his charges into a pool with world number one the Netherlands and seventh-ranked Australia at the event, which takes place at the University of Westminster’s grounds in Chiswick and serves as an Olympic warm-up. Great Britain, South Africa and Germany are on the other side of the draw. Ireland missed out on Olympic qualification three months ago when they ousted Spain to reach the final of the qualifiers in Belgium, only to fall flat in the final against the hosts. Against such high-ranking opposition and with little to lose, Pritchard will be hoping for some of the younger talent he has brought into the panel — notable UCD’s Irish Senior Cup winners Niamh Atcheler and Anna O’Flanagan — can express themselves. Ireland meet Australia tomorrow ahead of facing the Netherlands on Thursday, before potentially playing two classification matches on June 9 and 10 if they finish above third in their three-team pool. While the majority of the sides have London 2012 on their agenda, the next major tournament on Ireland’s horizon is the Champions Challenge I in September, likely to be held in Sardinia. Ireland National Women’s Squad – Investec London Cup: Niamh Atcheler (UCD, 14 caps), Hannah Bowe (Slough, 24), Emma Clarke (St Albans, 126),Aine Connery (Hermes, 54), Miriam Crowley (Hermes, 39), Nicci Daly (Loreto, 39), Nikki Evans (Railway Union, 28), Emma Gray (Hermes, 49), Michelle Harvey (Pegasus, 87),Sinead McCarthy (Hermes, 51), Anna O’Flanagan (UCD, 16),Audrey O’Flynn (Hermes, 64), Cliodhna Sargent (Cork Harlequins, 115), Niamh Small (Loreto, 55),Pamela Smithwick (Old Alex, 14),Alex Speers (Railway Union, 120),Nikki Symmons (Loreto, 175), Chloe Watkins (UCD, 45) Electric Ireland Irish women’s A squad: Sammy Jo Greer (GK) (Leeds Met), Mary Goode (GK) (Hermes), Nicola Gray (UCD), Brenda Flannery (UCD), Hannah Mathews (Loreto), Orla Fox (Railway Union), Anna Mae Morton (Clydesdale Western), Yvonne O’Byrne (Cork Harlequins), Stephanie Quinn (Pegasus), Sarah Greene (UCD), Shirley McCay (Capt, Old Alex), Leah Ewart (UCD), Rebecca Barry (Catholic Institute/Richmond Spiders), Naomi Carroll (Catholic Institute), Deirdre Duke (UCD), Vanessa Surgeoner (Pegasus), Zara Delany (Railway Union), Hayley Mulcahy (Loreto) Investec London Cup Pool A: Netherlands; Australia; Ireland Pool B: Germany; Great Britain; South Africa Tournament schedule: Tuesday, June 5: Netherlands v Australia, 2pm; Great Britain v South Africa, 4.30pm Wednesday, June 6: Australia v Ireland, 5.30pm; South Africa v Germany, 8pm Thursday, June 7: Ireland v Netherlands, 5.30pm; Germany v Great Britain, 8pm Saturday, June 9 and Sunday June 10: classification matches Ireland A international, match schedule Saturday, June 9: Ireland A v England A, 3.30pm, Belfield Sunday, June 10: Ireland A v England A, 1pm, Belfield