This article was first published in the Kilmacud Crokes 2012 Féile Commerative Programme in June 2012.

Kilmacud Crokes Féile Peil na nÓg All-Star Team

By Paraic McDonald

During my time as Coaching Director with Kilmacud Crokes one of the most enjoyable parts of the job has been the numerous journeys that some of our Under 14 teams have gone on competing in the National Féile competitions all over the country. Since 2003 I have been lucky enough to have been involved in 5 Féile Peil na nÓg and 1 Féile na nGael National competitions. I have seen some great young players develop and grow through their experiences and go on to bigger and better things with their club and county (and indeed their province). As its nearly 10 years since Kilmacud Crokes went on that first journey to Galway in the Féile, it is an opportune time to maybe look back at some of the teams and players that represented the club over those years. It is also an opportunity to have a bit of fun and raise a bit of controversy by doing the age old GAA pastime of picking All Star teams or team of the Millennium or some such team from different eras.

I will now set you the criteria I used to pick an all star team from the 5 Féile Peil na nÓg teams that have represented the club and county so well. The rules are very simple –

  1. You must pick at least 2 players and no more than 4 from each year.
  2. You must pick the player in the position that he is named in.

(For the purpose of this article I concentrated on no’s 1 to 15. My apologies if I have left anybody out of the teams named. Of course it was a total panel effort in each of the years named, you don’t do well over a Féile weekend unless you have 24 strong players. The memory is getting a little hazy with old age so it took a couple of phone calls to try and pick a 1-15 of the players that probably were the starting teams in the finals or semi finals). Some of the players have become household names within GAA and in other sports. For me , something which I am delighted to see and which emphasises the core value of participation and pride in the club, is the many players who are still playing with the club and/or who are working and helping with teams within the club. Good role models are important and we are fortunate many good young men and women who are active within the club.

Getting back to the task at hand: The 5 teams are as follows –

Féile 2003 - Galway

Winners Division 1 Final vs Castlebar Mitchells

Manager Gerry Greene

James Mulvaney

Oran TurleyRobert O’LoughlinRory O’Carroll

Ronan WalshIan McKinleyRonan Byrne

Karl DiasCillian McCaffrey

Barry O’RorkeIan MadiganWilliam McEvoy

Shane McNicholasConor AllenCiaran O’Grady

Féile 2004 - Tyrone

Runners up Divison 1 Final vs Corofin

Managers Michael Staines & Mick Coughlan

Daragh Byrne

Donal Monnelly Cian McGowan Daniel McEvoy

Craig Dias Eoin CulliganBen Logan

Brian HanamyMark Coughlan

Niall ColleranAndrew NaughtonFionn Murphy

Brian CantwellDavid HigginsEoin McArthur

Féile2005 – Limerick

Beaten Division 1 Semi Final vs Corofin

Manager Mac McCague

Eoin Dalton

Alan Carr Jack KellyPaul Collins

Sean McGrathBill O’CarrollNaomhan O’Reardon

Eddie O’Byrne Killian Doherty

Kevin RyanJamie O’Sullivan Shane Horan

Gavin Gunning Godfrey GreenePeter McCague

Féile2006 – Wicklow

Beaten Division 1 Semi Final vs Celbridge

Manager Joe O’Dwyer

Alan Smyth

Graham FogarthyGreg DineenEnda Grogan

Michael DurcanMark O’DwyerDillonMulligan

Jude Sweeney David Kilgallen

Patrick DalyLouis WhelanAlex Mulvey

Paul MannionMark KavanaghScott Lynch

Féile2008 – Cavan

Winners Division 1 Final vs Salthill Knocknacarra

Manager Michael McNicholas

Conor Ferris

Conor O’DwyerKJ MCGowanJames Murphy

Oisin O’RorkeRoss McGowanCJ O’Dwyer

Kenneth MurrayMark Hanratty

Brian McCannShane CunninghamConor O’Byrne

Jeff LandersConor DevinsDavid Campbell

My 10 year All Ireland Féile selection is as follows (currently the oldest player on this team is the present Dublin Senior full back Rory O’Carroll at 23 and the youngest members are the 4 current Dublin Minors Conor, Ross, Shane and David at 18) –

Conor Ferris (2008)

Alan Carr (2005)Cian McGowan (2004)Rory O’Carroll (2003)

Craig Dias (2004) Ross McGowan (2008)Ronan Byrne (2003)

Mark Coughlan (2004) David Kilgallen (2006)

Barry O’Rorke (2003)Shane Cunningham (2008)Shane Horan (2005)

Paul Mannion (2006)David Higgins (2004)David Campbell (2008)

If anybody would like to pick a team to beat this one you can email your team to or