Rising Offaly star named on Minor Team of the Year

Offaly's Cathal Ryan has been selected on the 2020 Electric Ireland GAA Minor Football Team of the Year.

The Daingean player was a key figure on the Offaly team which reached the 2020 Leinster minor football final.

Ryan was selected at wing-back on the Team of the Year (see below for full team list).

In a season badly hampered by the Covid-19 pandemic, Offaly and Meath didn't get to play their 2020 Leinster final until June 30 of this year. Meath edged out Offaly in the decider on a scoreline of 1-7 to 1-6.

Ryan is also part of the Offaly U-20 squad which memorably defeated Dublin in last week's Leinster final, and they are currently preparing to face Cork in their All-Ireland semi-final in Portlaoise tomorrow (Saturday).

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

All-Ireland finalists Kerry have four players represented and Leinster champions Meath contribute two players to the team. Offaly, Roscommon and Monaghan have one representative each on the team.

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 stepped up to score the decisive penalty in added time against Kerry in the All-Ireland final, which was played in Tullamore.

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.

Electric Ireland also spotlighted Minor players who stepped up and made life-changing contributions to society during 2020. Monaghan's 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)