Young St Brigid's star named on Minor Team of the Year

Roscommon's Conor Hand has been selected on the 2020 Electric Ireland GAA Minor Football Team of the Year.

The St Brigid's player was a key figure on the Roscommon team which won the 2020 Connacht minor football title.

In a season badly hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic, Roscommon defeated Sligo in the Connacht final on St Stephen's Day (December 26) last year.

On a night when Storm Bella raged at the Connacht GAA Centre in Bekan, Hand's tally of three points helped the Rossies to overcome Sligo.

Roscommon had defeated Galway in the Connacht semi-final, in which Hand produced a man of the match display and scored 1-4.

Managed by Clann na nGael's Emmet Durney, Roscommon had to wait until earlier this month to play their 2020 All-Ireland semi-final against Kerry. The Munster champions ended Roscommon's hopes of reaching the All-Ireland final, but Derry went on to lift the Tom Markham Cup.

In total, there are six players from All-Ireland champions Derry on the 2020 Electric Ireland Minor Football Team of the Year.

All-Ireland finalists Kerry have four players represented and Leinster champions Meath contribute two players to the team. Roscommon, Offaly (Daingean's Cathal Ryan) and Monaghan have one representative each on the team. Hand was selected at right corner-forward on the team (see below for full team list).

Derry captain Matthew Downey has been named as the 2020 Electric Ireland Minor Football Player of the Year. The Lavey forward was brilliant throughout the campaign and showed maturity beyond his years by stepping up to score a penalty in added time of the All-Ireland final, securing a first Minor title for the Oak Leaf County since 2002.

The team was selected by a panel of GAA experts and was determined in part by Electric Ireland’s ‘Player of the Week’ initiative on Twitter.

During the 2020 Minor Championships, Electric Ireland also spotlighted Minor players who stepped up and made life-changing contributions to society. Connor Eccles, a member of the 2020 Team of the Year, was one such Minor whom Electric Ireland featured in their TV ad.

In 2020, Connor set up a fundraiser campaign for his teammate’s younger sister, who had fallen ill. Connor galvanised the Minor squad, Magheracloone GAA club in Monaghan and the wider community to either walk or run a socially distanced mile for Milly. The different fundraising campaigns raised nearly €200,000.

Sarah Sharkey, Electric Ireland's Brand, PR and Sponsorship Manager, and GAA President Larry McCarthy have both congratulated all players chosen on the Team of the Year.

2020 Electric Ireland GAA Minor Football Team of the Year

1. Kian McGonigle (Derry and Dungiven)

2. Liam Kelly (Meath and Ratoath)

3. Lee Brady (Derry and Bellaghy)

4. Dara O’Callaghan (Kerry and Kilcummin)

5. Oisín Maunsell (Kerry and Na Gaeil)

6. Eoin McEvoy (Derry and Magherafelt)

7. Cathal Ryan (Offaly and Daingean)

8. Connor Eccles (Monaghan and Cremartin)

9. Paudie O’Leary (Kerry and Gneeveguilla)

10. Mark Doherty (Derry and Newbridge)

11. Matthew Downey (Derry and Lavey)

12. Keith Evans (Kerry and Keel)

13. Conor Hand (Roscommon and St Brigid’s)

14. Lachlan Murray (Derry and Desertmartin)

15. Eoghan Frayne (Meath and Summerhill)