More than a dozen Kilkenny legends to take part in Hurling for Cancer charity match

A plethora of Kilkenny hurling and camogie icons will be involved in the 14th annual Hurling for Cancer charity match at Carlow’s Netwatch Cullen Park on Monday. 

Brian Cody will return to the sideline to take charge of the Davy Russell’s Best team alongside Tipperary’s Liam Cahill while trying to get the better of many of his former players who will mostly tog out for the opposing side.

TJ Reid, who has played the match every year for the past decade, will be joined by current teammates Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Paddy Deegan and Eoin Cody in the starting line-up of the Jim Bolger’s Stars team with retired All-Ireland winners Walter Walsh, Tommy Walsh, Jackie Tyrell, Eddie Brennan and Grace Walsh providing plenty of veteran presence from the bench.

The starters will be further supplemented by Adrian Mullen, Richie Reid and Katie Nolan.

The strong Kilkenny contingent in the Bolger’s Stars team will be managed by All-Ireland winning coaches in Wexford’s Liam Griffin and Limerick’s John Kiely with talents like Lee Chin, Dan Morrissey, and Con O’Callaghan to play from the start while Ollie Canning, Brian Carroll, and former Irish soccer international Stephen Hunt, who played underage hurling for Waterford, will also provide experience as subs.

In the opposing dugout, Cody and Cahill will have plenty of pedigree on their own starting XV with intercounty greats Patrick Horgan, Peter Duggan and former Tipperary goalkeeper Brendan Cummins to tog out.

There will be some Kilkenny options for Cody to call on from the bench in the form of Laura Murphy, Mary O’Connell and Killian Doyle while entertainer Sean Carroll could provide a wildcard option later in the match.

A large team of other sporting heroes will assist the players as commentators, umpires and maor uisce including Kilkenny’s Willie and Danny Mullins along with former world champion boxer Bernard Dunne, RTÉ’s Marty Morrissey and former Ireland international Niall Quinn.

Hurling for Cancer has raised over €1.6 million for cancer research since its 2011 founding by horseracing figures Davy Russell and Jim Bolger, and it is hoped that his figure will pass €2 million this year.

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“This year’s match promises incredible skill, fierce competition and plenty of entertainment with a line-up to rival any All-Ireland final,” Bolger said.

“We’re especially grateful to our sponsor Centra, to Carlow GAA, the Carlow County Board, and everyone at Netwatch Cullen Park for making cancer research possible,” he added.

Gates will open at 5pm with throw-in at 7:30pm and the match will also be broadcast on TG4 from 7:15pm. 

Tickets are available from selected Centra and Supervalu ticket agents stores and online at www.hurlingforcancer.ie at €10 for adults and €5 for children with all proceeds going directly to funding life-saving cancer research.

Teams

Jim Bolger’s Stars

Bainisteoirí: Liam Griffin, John Kiely

Starting XV: Damien Fitzhenry (Wexford), Mikey Butler (Kilkenny), Huw Lawlor (Kilkenny), Paddy Deegan (Kilkenny), Darragh O’Donovan (Limerick), Dan Morrissy (Limerick), Chris Crummy (Dublin), Lee Chin (Wexford), Ryan Taylor (Clare), Rory O’Connor (Wexford), TJ Reid (Kilkenny), Tom Morrissey (Limerick), Eoin Cody (Kilkenny), Con O’Callaghan (Dublin), Adam Screeney (Offaly)

Subs bench: Liam Hoare (Offaly), Walter Walsh (Kilkenny), Jack O’Connor (Wexford), Fergal Whitely (Dublin), Conor McDonald (Wexford), Brian Duignan (Offaly), Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny), Jackie Tyrell (Kilkenny), Brian Carroll (Offaly), Aidan McCarthy (Clare), Eoin Ryan (Wexford), Eddie Brennan (Kilkenny), Grace Walsh (Kilkenny), Katie Nolan (Kilkenny), Stephen Hunt (Waterford), Mark Molloy (Wexford), Brian Cadigan (Kilkenny), James Dowling (Kilkenny), Richie Reid (Kilkenny), Adrian Mullen (Kilkenny), Dan Bourke (Offaly), Ollie Canning (Galway), Sammy McEvoy (Wexford)

Selectors: Jim Bolger (Wexford), Dave Bernie (Wexford), Larry O’Gorman (Wexford)

Davy Russell’s Best

Bainisteoirí: Brian Cody, Liam Cahill

Starting XV: Brendan Cummins (Tipperary), Davy Russell (Cork), Eoin Downey (Cork), Dion Wall (Carlow), Alan Tynan (Tipperary), Robert Downey (Cork), Andrew Ormond (Tipperary), Noel McGrath (Tipperary), Brendan Maher (Tipperary), Jake Morris (Tipperary), Peter Duggan (Clare), Mark Rodgers (Clare), Darragh McCarthy (Tipperary), Patrick Horgan (Cork), Brian Hayes (Cork)

Subs bench: Brian Tracey (Carlow), Craig Morgan (Tipperary), Ronan Hayes (Dublin), Brian Hayes (Dublin), Rian Boran (Kildare), Jack Sheridan (Kildare), Billy Seymour (Tipperary), Ciaran Whelan (Carlow), Ashling Thompson (Cork), Laura Murphy (Kilkenny), Mary O’Connell (Kilkenny), David Doyle (Tipperary), Mikey Fogarty (Wexford), Johnny Fogarty (Wexford), Neil Ryan (Tipperary), Gavin Dowling (Kildare), Liz Lawless (Meath), Aisling O’Reilly (Meath), Killian Doyle (Kilkenny), Michael Deady (Kilkenny), Sean Carroll (Kilkenny)

Selectors: Davy Russell (Cork), Andrew Kelly (Carlow)