Royals set to rumble in Texas
The 2021 and 2022 TG4 All Stars travelled to Austin, Texas, on Tuesday morning for the 2023 TG4/LGFA All Star tour.
38 of the game’s leading stars made the trip to the US, with this tour rescheduled after it was postponed in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The local Celtic Cowboys will host the traditional exhibition game between the 2021 and 2022 All Star selections, which will be played at St Edward’s University on Easter Sunday 9th April.
This game, which can be viewed at http://bit.ly/42YMFwN, will be live-streamed on the Spórt TG4 YouTube page, with coverage getting underway from 2.20pm local time (8.20pm Irish time), ahead of throw-in at 2.30pm local time (8.30pm Irish time).
The 2021 selection will be managed by former Meath supremo Eamonn Murray, who guided the Royal County to TG4 All-Ireland Senior championship glory in 2021 and 2022, with Kerry joint-manager Darragh Long taking charge of the 2022 team.
The match will be overseen by Cavan’s Maggie Farrelly, one of the most experienced whistlers on the circuit and referee for the 2014 and 2022 TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship Finals.
This is the ninth All-Star tour for the LGFA and the travelling party left Dublin airport early this morning.
Reacting to his appointment Murray said he was delighted to be back on the sideline and couldn’t wait to catch up with the players when they flew out last Monday.
"I was delighted to be asked to manage the All-Star team. It used to be the case that the All-Ireland winning manager managed the All-Star team but Covid changed a lot of things, however I'm glad they brought that trip back," Murray added.
"It’s a lovely reward for the girls and great recognition for all the success the Meath girls have enjoyed over the last few years.
"You know me and my management style at this stage, so the main aim is that the girls enjoy the experience and that they create memories from this trip that will last a lifetime.
"They have given Ladies GAA so much, it’s nice to reward them with this. I can't wait to catch up with the Meath girls again. I've stayed in touch with them since stepping away, but it'll be great to meet up and have a few laughs again. I really can't wait, this is another opportunity of a lifetime afforded to me by these great girls, I'm forever grateful to them,” concluded Murray.
“For many of our players, the prospect of a TG4 All Star tour is a once in a lifetime experience," said Ladies Gaelic Football Association President Mícheál Naughton.
“After the proposed 2020 tour was cancelled, we are delighted to now finally get the chance to visit Austin, Texas, and this trip is a brilliant reward for our players who have provided such wonderful football in recent times.
“The players making the trip are among the very best in our sport and to be selected as a TG4 All Star, or indeed nominated, is a huge achievement.
“This TG4 All Star tour is a lovely bonus for our players who provide us with such joy on the playing fields, and who continue to perform at extraordinarily high levels.
“It’s a lovely opportunity also for players to mingle with counterparts from other counties before they prepare for the big games that lie in store during the coming months.
“I would like to acknowledge our official broadcast partner and Championship sponsors, TG4, for their ongoing support and a special word of thanks also to representatives from the Celtic Cowboys, who have been busy preparing for our visit.”
Alan Esslemont, Director General, TG4, added "The 2023 Oscar nomination of ‘An Cailín Ciúin/The Quiet Girl’ demonstrated that TG4’s ambitions for creativity and for the Irish language are truly global and the same is true for the sporting ambitions of the LGFA, our partner for more than two decades.
“I applaud the professionalism and the vision which is evident to me at every level of the LGFA throughout Ireland and which has also brought incredible international growth for this fantastic sport.
“Showcasing the finest athletes in today’s game, the 2023 All-Stars tour to Austin, Texas, is certain to bring even more attention in the USA to the potential, attraction and excitement of Ladies Gaelic Football."
The travelling party will return to Ireland on Tuesday April 12, with local school visits and river cruises also factored into a packed itinerary.
The squad line-outs for the 2023 TG4/LGFA All Star Exhibition game are as follows:
All Star Team 2021 - Monica McGuirk (Meath); Emma Troy (Meath), Mary Kate Lynch (Meath), Leah Caffrey (Dublin); Erika O'Shea (Cork), Aoibhín Cleary (Meath), Orlagh Nolan (Dublin); Hannah Looney (Cork), Máire O'Shaughnessy (Meath); Hannah Tyrrell (Dublin), Rachel Kearns (Mayo), Niamh O'Sullivan (Meath); Vikki Wall (Meath), Emma Duggan (Meath), Geraldine McLaughlin (Donegal). Subs - Róisín Phelan (Cork), Lauren McConville (Armagh), Olivia Divilly (Galway), Lyndsey Davey (Dublin).
All Star Team 2022 - Ciara Butler (Kerry); Shauna Ennis (Meath), Kayleigh Cronin (Kerry), Danielle Caldwell (Mayo); Aishling O'Connell (Kerry), Aoibheann Leahy (Meath), Nicole McLaughlin (Donegal); Cáit Lynch (Kerry), Niamh McLaughlin (Donegal); Niamh Carmody (Kerry), Carla Rowe (Dublin), Shauna Howley (Mayo); Aimee Mackin (Armagh), Stacey Grimes (Meath), Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh (Kerry). Subs - Sinéad Cafferky (Mayo), Nicola Ward (Galway), Anna Galvin (Kerry), Mo Nerney (Laois).