Seven UCD players in GAA Rising Stars team of the year

Posted April 22, 2015

• UCD GAA won Sigerson Cup and Ryan Cup this season
  
• UCD players take half of outfield places in GAA Rising Stars team
• Senior All Star and Footballer of the Year Jack McCaffrey included

(opens in a new window)UCD GAA’s success this year has been rewarded with seven players named on the GAA Football Rising Stars team. The Rising Stars are the third-level equivalent of the senior football All Stars.

All-Ireland winner and UCD Ad Astra Elite Athlete Jack McCaffrey was named alongside Ryan Wylie, David Byrne, Michael Fitzsimons, Liam Casey, Paul Mannion and John Heslin.

The seven played together on UCD GAA’s team that won the Sigerson Cup in February, beating Dublin City University 0-10 to 2-2 in the final. They also won the Ryan Cup in November.

Pictured top: The UCD team with the Sigerson Cup in February.
Credit: Oliver McVeigh/Sportsfile

McCaffrey was named senior Footballer of the Year and All Star in 2015. He was a key member of the Dublin team that won the All-Ireland and scored a point in the final as Dublin beat Kerry 0-12 to 0-9.

Defenders Byrne and Fitzsimons joined McCaffrey in the Dublin squad for their 25th All-Ireland win.

Wylie was nominated for a Young Player of the Year in 2015. He was a defender in the Monaghan squad that won the Ulster Senior Football Championship in 2013.

Casey is a centre-forward and was a member of the Tipperary team that won the Munster U-21 Football Championship in 2015.

Mannion is a right corner forward and scored a goal for Dublin when they won the All Ireland U-21 final in 2012.

Heslin was a member of the Irish Australian rules team that won the 2011 Australian Football International Cup. He plays county football in midfield with Westmeath.

"Some of these players have lifted Sam Maguire already. As a group they have many fine years of football ahead of them at club and county level and I look forward to watching them fulfil all of the promise that they have shown here – Rath Dé ar an obair,” said (opens in a new window)GAA President Aogán Ó Fearghail.

By: Jonny Baxter, digital journalist, UCD University Relations