Uachtarán CLG Larry McCarthy formally announced the players who will make up the international wheelchair hurling squad on Wednesday, August 2.
The 12-person panel, made up of wheelchair all-star hurlers from each of Ireland's four provinces, will travel to take part in the 2023 Prague Wheel Open Floorball International, which takes place from August 10 - 12.
The GAA says that floorball is a game being considered for addition to the list of sports in the Paralympics. It differs from wheelchair hurling in that players play on a field and use a stick, like those used in ice hockey.
The GAA team will represent the Association in competition against Floorball teams from the Czech Republic, The Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland.
The team is sponsored MyClubShop.ie, owned by long-standing wheelchair hurling sponsor Martin Donnelly, and is captained by Limerick Paralympian James McCarthy.
Uachatrán Larry McCarthy said: “Thanks to the work of the GAA For All committee there is a programme in place to make our games as inclusive as possible.
“Wheelchair hurling is a skillful game that lives up to the motto of the GAA being a place ‘Where We All Belong’ and is really going from strength to strength.
“Through this invitation to play in Prague, we have a chance to acknowledge some of our very best players and to offer them the opportunity, to not only compete at a very high level, but to represent their families, their clubs, their counties, and our Association, on the international stage.
“Congratulations and best wishes to all who have been selected and our thanks to Martin Donnelly for his continued support.”
The squad is: James McCarthy (Capt) (Limerick), Melanie Griffith (Vice Capt)(Carlow), Sean Bennett (Laois), Ciaran Bradley (Down), Shane Curran (Galway), Paul Hannon (Armagh), Alex Hennebry (Waterford), Cian Horgan (Kerry), Damhan Hughes (Tyrone), Aidan Hynes (Sligo), Maurice Noonan (Limerick), Ellie Sheehy (Limerick)
Team management: Paul Callaghan (Donegal), Tom Carey (Kildare), John Carey (Clare), Shane McCann (Tyrone)
The @GAACommunity Twitter page will be providing live updates.
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The Munster Wheelchair and Hurling Club said it was "thrilled and extremely proud" that five of its members were named to the international squad.
We're thrilled & extremely proud to announce that 5 people from the Club have been selected to represent Ireland @ the Wheelchair Floorball Games in Prague nxt week.
— Munster Wheelchair Hurling Camogie Club (@club_munster) August 1, 2023
Best of luck to each one of you & to all the player's & coach's selected for #TeamIreland
Ádh mór oraibh go léir! pic.twitter.com/vQteif7tHw
Last year, Munster won the M.Donnelly GAA Wheelchair Hurling / Camogie All-Ireland Finals 2022, which was hosted at Ashbourne Community School in Ashbourne in Co Meath.
Ahead of last year's finals, the first after a two-year pandemic hiatus, Shane Curran of Connacht said: “I think there's a massive potential for growing the game.
“I used to play a lot of wheelchair basketball and that grew massively.
"There's definitely the potential for wheelchair hurling to go as big as that.”
Ulster GAA also congratulated its players who were named to the squad and management team:
Comhghairdeas to Ciaran Bradley (@OfficialDownGAA), Paul Hannon (@Armagh_GAA), and Damhan Hughes (@TyroneGAALive) who have been selected for the international wheelchair hurling squad ⚾️🧑🦽
Ulster GAA's Paul Callaghan & Shane McCann will form part of the management team. https://t.co/OxVSFHmikQ
— Ulster GAA (@UlsterGAA) August 2, 2023
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