When the All-Ireland hurling final takes place this Sunday, some of the game's best young players will be watching on from the USA.
With their sides eliminated from the championship at the quarter-final stages, many players chose to head Stateside before the transfer deadline passed on July 1.
1. Dean Mason (Kilkenny)
Home club: Ballyhale Shamrocks
US club: Tipperary Hurling Club San Francisco
Mason has won five Kilkenny SHC titles and three All-Ireland titles since joining the Ballyhale senior panel as a 17-year-old. He has also won two Fitzgibbon Cups with UL.
4 December 2022; Dean Mason of Shamrocks Ballyhale saves a free during the AIB Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Club Championship Final match between Kilmacud Crokes of Dublin and Shamrocks Ballyhale of Kilkenny at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile
2. Niall O'Leary (Cork)
Home club: Castlelyons
US club: Galway Hurling Club Boston
The corner-back has been a member of the Cork senior panel since 2019. He won Fitzgibbon Cup titles with UCC in 2019 and 2020.
3. Tommy Doyle (Westmeath)
Home club: Lough Lene Gaels
US club: Tipperary Hurling Club San Francisco
One of hurling's best fullbacks. He was Joe McDonagh Cup Hurler of the Year in 2021.
23 April 2022; Tommy Doyle of Westmeath in action against Cianan Fahy, centre, and Brian Concannon of Galway during the Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 2 match between Galway and Westmeath at Pearse Stadium in Galway. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
4. Damien Cahalane (Cork)
Home club: St Finbarr's (hurling) / Castlehaven (football)
US club: Tipperary Hurling Club San Francisco
The defender, who made his Cork senior debut in 2012, was one the county's best players in this year's championship. He won a Cork Premier SHC with St Finbarr's last year.
57mins: COR 0-23 WAT 0-13
Patrick Fitzgerald’s ferocious shot is remarkably saved by Cork defender Damien Cahalane to prevent a goal. Clever quick free from the Deise.
📺 https://t.co/ZfZ9mAavJw
📱 https://t.co/VdyllwGsw3
📻 https://t.co/2SRRKdgRp2 pic.twitter.com/ElayKdKpUh— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) April 30, 2023
5. Iarlaith Daly (Waterford)
Home club: Lismore
US club: Na Fianna San Francisco
Daly, whose brother Carthach also hurls with Waterford, made his senior Deise bow in 2020. He was nominated for Young Hurler of the Year in his debut season.
Iarlaith Daly has impressed since making his debut for @WaterfordGAA! The @LismoreGAA club man has been nominated for the 2020 @PwCIreland GAA/@gaelicplayers Young Player of the Year Award in Hurling.
The winner will be announced this Saturday at the #PwCAllStars Awards Ceremony pic.twitter.com/OCAOhWgHuf
— The GAA (@officialgaa) February 17, 2021
6. Ciaran Joyce (Cork)
Home club: Castlemartyr
US club: Galway Hurling Club Boston
28 May 2023; Ciaran Joyce of Cork is tackled by Darragh O'Donovan of Limerick during the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 5 match between Limerick and Cork at TUS Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Ray McManus/Sportsfile
Barring injury, Joyce should be a key building block for the Cork defence for years to come. Last year, he transitioned from a promising underage player to starting centre-back. He is a two-time All-Ireland U20 Hurling Championship winner and was nominated for a PwC All-Star and Young Hurler of the Year in 2022.
7. Ger Millerick (Cork)
Home club: Fr O'Neills
US club: Galway Hurling Club Boston
Millerick joined the Cork senior panel in 2019. He made his Rebels championship bow in 2021. He has won three Cork Premier SHC titles with divisional side Imokilly.
8. Reuben Halloran (Waterford)
Home club: De La Salle
US club: Na Fianna San Francisco
The midfielder made his Waterford senior debut earlier this year in the Munster Hurling League and was part of the SETU Waterford side which reached the semi-finals of the Fitzgibbon Cup. He was named on the Electric Ireland GAA Higher Education Rising Stars Hurling Team of the Year.
De La Salle and Waterford legend Kevin Moran told Balls earlier this year, "From a club point of view, we always knew [Reuben] was going to be a top senior club player with us."
He added: "He lives up beside our club grounds, so he's always up there practising frees, and in the gym. I think he's developed over the last six months, particularly. He might not be there yet, but he's up to that physical level, he seems to have got very strong - I've definitely noticed that.
"I think he'll get better. He's a very level-headed fella. He's ambitious."
9. Robbie Hanley (Limerick)
Home club: Kilmallock
US club: Na Fianna San Francisco
19 May 2019; Robbie Hanley of Limerick prior to the Munster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 2 match between Limerick and Cork at the LIT Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile
The midfielder was part of Limerick's All-Ireland winning panels in recent years. He was dropped from John Kiely's group before this year's Allianz Hurling League campaign.
10. Seamus Harnedy (Cork)
Home club: St. Ita's
US club: Tipperary Hurling Club San Francisco
The Cork veteran made his senior in 2013. The secondary school teacher won All-Stars in 2013 and 2018, and captained Imokilly to three consecutive Cork Premier SHC titles between 2017 and 2019.
11. Gearoid O'Connor (Tipperary)
Home club: Moyne/Templetuohy
US club: Tipperary Hurling Club San Francisco
After making his Tipperary championship debut last year, 2023 was a breakthrough season for O'Connor under new manager Liam Cahill. He scored 1-19 in total as Tipp exited the championship to Galway at the quarter-final stage. He is a two-time Fitzgibbon Cup winner with UL.
Gearoid O’Connor rifles in a goal for @TipperaryGAA #GAANOW pic.twitter.com/PlzPMwDsze
— The GAA (@officialgaa) May 6, 2023
12. Jack Prendergast (Waterford)
Home club: Lismore
US club: Na Fianna San Francisco
19 March 2023; Jack Prendergast of Waterford in action against David Blanchfield of Kilkenny during the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group B match between Waterford and Kilkenny at UPMC Nowlan Park in Kilkenny. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Prendergast made his Waterford senior debut in 2019 and is now firmly established as a first choice player for the county.
13. Shane Barrett (Cork)
Home club: Blarney
US club: Galway Hurling Club Boston
Barrett made his Cork senior debut in 2021 and was nominated for Young Hurler of the Year that season. He has won All-Ireland minor and U20 titles with the Rebels.
Shane Barrett has impressed since making his debut for @OfficialCorkGAA! The Blarney clubman has been nominated for the 2021 the @PwCIreland #GAA / @gaelicplayers Young Player of the Year in Hurling Award! #PwCAllStars pic.twitter.com/UHhA2nrhFG
— The GAA (@officialgaa) December 7, 2021
14. Brian Hayes (Cork)
Home club: St Finbarrs
US club: Tipperary Hurling Club San Francisco
Brian Hayes makes an instant impact and scores a dramatic late GOAL for @OfficialCorkGAA. What a finish to this game. #GAANOW pic.twitter.com/77L6mgsWNY
— The GAA (@officialgaa) May 6, 2023
A much in-demand dual player. Hayes lined out for the Cork footballers in 2022 but opted to play with the Rebel hurlers this season. He scored a goal in his championship debut against Tipperary.
He won All-Ireland U20 Hurling Championship medals with Cork in 2020 and 2021, and a Cork Premier SHC title with St Finbarr's last year.
15. Pat Ryan (Limerick)
Home club: Doon
US club: Tipperary New York
The three-time All-Ireland winner put in an impressive performance in this year's New York hurling final, scoring 1-3 for Tipperary as they beat the Waterford club.
Ryan was omitted from the Limerick panel for this year's Allianz Hurling League. He had been dropped from the squad in 2022 over an "incident after a game" where he "let the standards of the group down".
Earlier this year, Ryan was convicted of perjury. The offence was committed during criminal proceedings in 2020 when he was accused of speeding.
