Five players not involved in the Wexford Senior hurling panel for 2025

There are some changes to the Wexford Senior hurling panel for 2025…

At least five players from last year’s panel will not be involved for the 2025 season.

As per a report in last week’s Wexford People by Dave Devereux, five players have either been ruled out, or ruled themselves out of the panel, for the upcoming season for various reasons.

They include Matthew O’Hanlon and Dee O’Keeffe who have both hanged up the hurls and have retired from the inter-county scene after lengthy service in the Purple and Gold.

Diarmuid O’Keeffe who retired ahead of the new season

Alongside those, Jack Doran from Naomh Eanna GAA Club will not feature in the Wexford squad for 2025, having not received any game-time during last year’s championship.

Meanwhile, it’s also interesting to note that Wexford’s two sub goal-keepers from last year will no longer be part of the squad.

Last season’s two sub-goalkeepers were James Lawlor (Ferns) and Aaron Duggan, who plays with the Oylegate-Glenbrien Senior hurling team.

It means that Wexford have been on the look-out for a new goalkeeper to compete with Glynn-Barntown’s Mark Fanning for the number one spot.

Lining out in goal for Wexford in a challenge match against the ‘Team of the Year’ was Andy Kennedy, who plays with St Annes GAA Club, while HWH Bunclody clubman, Derry Mahon, has also been drafted into the Wexford Senior hurling training panel.

The current training panel for the Wexford Senior hurling team stands at 46 members, but there will be many changes with more long-serving members still set to return.

Another player who did not feature in last year’s campaign and will not feature in 2025 is Crossabeg’s Oisin Foley. He emerged onto the panel in 2022 and was an excellent attacking option in the wing-forward line, but he has opted to travel for 2025. Meanwhile, as per the Wexford People report, Joe O’Connor is still recovering from injuries – and he’s taking a break at the moment – but has not ruled himself out of contention of returning to the panel once he his back fully fit.

There were also question marks over the return of Liam óG McGovern for the 2025 season. In August, the St Annes attacker stated that he was unsure if he would return for the 2025 season. The Wexford faithful will be hoping to see him line-out in the Purple and Gold, as there is no doubt that he remains a key forward for the Model County.

The Wexford Senior hurlers will have their first outing of the National Hurling League against last year’s All-Ireland hurling finalists, Cork, on January 25th at 5pm. The match will be part of a double-header in Wexford Park, with John Hegarty’s Wexford Senior footballers taking on London in the following game at 7pm.