Trio with local links on Ireland squad for world championship
Westmeath's Ronan Foxe, John Devine from Ballinasloe and Buccaneers player Harry West are all included in the Ireland squad for the World Rugby U20 Championship in South Africa.
Prop forward Foxe is one of the four uncapped players in the travelling party, while Devine and West are included among the 13 backs.
Foxe is from Rahugh, near Kilbeggan, but also has very close connections to Rosemount, where his father Jack hails from. Ronan went to school in Rosemount NS, where his mother, Marie Reid, is a teacher. He is also a former student of Mercy Secondary School, Kilbeggan.
A former player with the Moate-based Midland Warriors and Tullamore RFC, Ronan now plays for Old Belvedere and Leinster.
Ballinasloe native John Devine, who plays for Galway Corinthians and Connacht, is a son of former Buccaneers player Mike Devine from Shannonbridge.
Mayo native Harry West is a current Buccaneers and Connacht player and played for the Athlone club in the 2022/2023 season.
Ireland head coach Richie Murphy has retained consistency in selection from the memorable Grand Slam-winning campaign earlier this season, with 26 of the 30-player squad for South Africa having featured in the U20 Six Nations.
Leinster hooker Gus McCarthy will again captain the side, having led Ireland to Six Nations glory in March.
Ireland have been paired in Pool B alongside England, Australia and Fiji, with Murphy's side playing all three of their Pool matches at Paarl Gymnasium in the Western Cape.
Ireland will open their campaign against Six Nations rivals England on Saturday, June 24 (12.30pm Irish time), before facing Australia on Thursday, June 29 (10am) and Fiji on Tuesday, July 4 (12.30pm).
The Ireland squad is sponsored by PwC and PwC Ireland Managing Partner, Athlone native Feargal O’Rourke, has wished the squad the best of the luck in the upcoming World Rugby U20 Championship.
Ireland squad - World Rugby U20 Championship
Forwards (17):
George Hadden (Clontarf/Leinster)
George Morris (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Gus McCarthy (UCD/Leinster)
Max Clein (Garryowen/Munster)
Danny Sheahan (UCC/Munster)
Paddy McCarthy (Dublin University/Leinster)
Fiachna Barrett (Corinthians/Connacht)
Ronan Foxe (Old Belvedere/Leinster)
Conor O'Tighearnaigh (UCD/Leinster)
Charlie Irvine (Queen's University/Ulster)
Joe Hopes (Queen's University/Ulster)
Diarmuid Mangan (UCD/Leinster)
Evan O'Connell (UL Bohemians/Munster)
James McNabney (Ballymena/Ulster)
Ruadhan Quinn (Old Crescent/Munster)
Brian Gleeson (Garryowen/Munster)
Dan Barron (Dublin University/Leinster).
Backs (13):
Fintan Gunne (Terenure/Leinster)
Jack Oliver (Garryowen/Munster)
Oscar Cawley (Naas/Leinster)
Sam Prendergast (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Matthew Lynch (Dublin University/Leinster)
John Devine (Corinthians/Connacht)
Hugh Cooney (Clontarf/Leinster)
Hugh Gavin (Galwegians/Connacht)
Andrew Osborne (Naas/Leinster)
Rory Telfer (Queen's University/Ulster)
James Nicholson (UCD/Leinster)
Henry McErlean (Terenure/Leinster)
Harry West (Buccaneers/Connacht).