Boylan names 44-man International Rules training panel
Sean Boylan, Ireland's manager for the 2006 International Rules series, has confirmed his provisional training panel for the autumn encounters with Australia.
The panel, which numbers 44, does not include players from counties still involved in the concluding stages of the All-Ireland championship.
Players from the Cork, Dublin, Kerry, Laois and Mayo teams will be considered for inclusion at a later date.
Ulster counties have the biggest representation on the training panel, with last year's All-Ireland champions Tyrone having six players included, Ulster champions Armagh five, while Derry, Galway and Boylan's own County Meath have four each.
Armagh's former captain Kieran McGeeney, who was omitted from the Irish squads in 2004 and 2005, is a notable inclusion, as is Meath attacker Graham Geraghty, who has not played in the series since 2002.
2005 manager Pete McGrath included Sydney Swans star Tadhg Kennelly in his provisional panel last August, but the Kerryman is absent this time around - as are Carlton duo Setanta and Aisake Ó hAilpín, and Brisbane's recent recruit Colm Begley.
Boylan is yet to confirm whether he will be calling up any of Ireland's Aussie Rules talent. Swans half-back Kennelly missed last year's series due to an ankle injury.
Other players to miss out on making Boylan's first squad are Galway's Michael Meehan, Offaly star Ciaran McManus, Wexford sharpshooter Mattie Forde and Westmeath skipper Dessie Dolan.
Boylan, who has set up a trial match for Saturday at Westmanstown, will be assisted for the series by Anthony Tohill (Derry), Eoin Liston (Kerry), Hugh Kenny (Wicklow) and Padraic Joyce (Galway), who ended his playing involvement in the hybrid game last season.
The first Test takes place at Salthill's Pearse Stadium on October 28, with the second a week later (November 5) at Croke Park.
PROVISIONAL IRELAND TRAINING PANEL FOR THE 2006 INTERNATIONAL RULES SERIES (V AUSTRALIA):
John Galvin, Johnny McCarthy (Limerick), Gary Hurney, Karl O'Keeffe (Waterford), Mark Brennan (Louth), Kevin Reilly, Anthony Moyles, Joe Sheridan, Graham Geraghty (Meath) Dermot Earley (Kildare) Thomas Walsh (Carlow) Brendan Egan, Eamonn O'Hara, Sean Davey (Sligo) Karol Mannion, Seamus O'Neill (Roscommon) Michael Walsh, Brendan Coulter (Down) Paddy Bradley, Kevin McCloy, Fergal Doherty, Sean Marty Lockhart (Derry) Anthony Gaynor (Cavan) Sean Cavanagh, Stephen O'Neill, Conor Gormley, Enda McGinley, Ryan McMenamin, Philip Jordan (Tyrone) Conor Whelan (Clare) Kieran Fitzgerald, Damien Burke, Joe Bergin, Dermot Blake (Galway) Niall McNamee, Karl Slattery (Offaly) Paul Barden, Brian Kavanagh (Longford) Karl Lacey (Donegal) Kieran McGeeney, Paul McGrane, Ronan Clarke, Steven McDonnell, Ciaran McKeever (Armagh).
