Where Are They Now - 8 Former Electric Ireland Minor Hurling Stars

The Electric Ireland Minor All-Ireland hurling championship has for years been an incredible breeding ground for the stars of tomorrow.

This year yet again produced a championship full of surprises, as Waterford claimed their first title at minor grade in 12 years with a gripping victory over Clare in June's final.

A new mural has recently been unveiled at Croke Park to honour all those who have won an award over the past eight years and you can find it on your way to the upper tier in the Hogan Stand.

Later this year, the Minor Stars team will be named, a huge honour in the young careers of the 15 hurlers selected.

History shows that the annual XV can be a big reflection of who we will see lining out at senior level in years to come. Some players have even gone on to succeed in sports further afield after securing their Minor Hurling Star awards.

As we look back on this year's championship, we've picked a standout player from each team featured on the wall, going right back to the first side in 2017, who went on to even greater things after the conclusion of their minor career.

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The Dublin hurlers are enjoying a renaissance this year, and plenty of that is thanks to the impressive work done at underage level in recent years.

In 2017, they reached the Leinster final and All-Ireland semi-finals, with Lee Gannon an instrumental player from wing-back.

Of course, Gannon will be more familiar to football fans, as he made the switch when progressing to senior level. The Whitehall Colmcilles would win a senior All-Ireland medal in football in 2023, starting at wing-back in the final victory over Kerry.

As Limerick hurling finally awoke in the late 2010s, their minor team too was churning out stars.

Chief among those was Cathal O'Neill, who was the second-top scorer in the 2018 championship even with the Treaty County exiting at the All-Ireland quarter-final stage. The following year, Limerick won the Munster minor championship and O'Neill was once again pivotal, scoring 1-52 across their six championship games.

O'Neill was awarded with a Minor Star award in both years, and has since gone on to become an important part of John Kiely's senior Limerick panel. He won three senior All-Ireland medals from 2021 through '23, appearing off the bench in the '22 and '23 finals and scoring two points in the latter.

Another minor star who went on to win a senior All-Ireland medal is Clare's Cian Galvin.

The Banner lost out to Limerick in the Munster final but Galvin had been superb from centre-back throughout the championship, and earned himself a spot on the Minor Star team alongside the aforementioned O'Neill.

Like his Limerick counterpart, Galvin has become an important panel player for Brian Lohan's senior team in Clare, and was an extra-time substitute in last year's famous All-Ireland final win over Cork.

Like a few other names on this list, Zach Bay Hammond has excelled at more than one sport in his young career.

Hammond was one of the standout stars in defence for the Cats in both the 2019 and 2020 championships, showing his versatility in switching between the full-back and half-back lines.

He combined his exploits in hurling with an impressive young football career, lining out at U19 level for League of Ireland side Waterford FC.

Hammond is also an All-Ireland winner, having claimed an intermediate medal with his club Thomastown in 2023.

Now 22 years old, Hammond made his senior debut for Kilkenny earlier this year, and was a regular feature throughout this year's All-Ireland journey.

Yet another man who excelled at both hurling and another sport, Ben O'Connor has found his place with the Munster rugby team since leading Cork to the 2021 All-Ireland minor title.

Captain from centre-back, O'Connor was instrumental as Cork dispatched of Galway in the final, lifting the trophy as the Rebels ended a four-year wait for minor glory.

O'Connor's simultaneous rise through the ranks of Munster Rugby was widely publicised, and he would go on to prioritise rugby as his career progressed, though he won another All-Ireland at U20.

The Corkonian has since gone on to establish himself in the Munster squad, making his senior debut in 2024 and becoming a regular matchday feature in the URC last season.

It's no stretch to say that Adam Screeney is one of the most exciting young hurling talents in Ireland.

Screneey is an All-Ireland champion at U20 level, having helped Offaly to the 2024 title after heartbreak in the 2022 minor final and 2023 U20 final.

While lining out at U20 level in 2024, Screneey was also busy establishing himself as a pivotal player for the Offaly seniors, driving their march to promotion from the Joe McDonagh cup back into the Leinster championship.

Injury woes have befallen the youngster in 2025 but, still only 20 years old, the future is hugely bright for the corner-forward.

The younger brother of established senior star Evan, Aaron Niland was a key figure in Galway's march to the All-Ireland minor final in 2023.

Though the Tribesmen came up short in that decider against Clare, Niland was one of a few players to make the step up to the U20 side the following year, and he has continued to impress.

We may yet see him follow in the footsteps of his brother Evan and make the step up to senior level.

Cathal O'Reilly captained Tipperary to one of their most famous ever hurling days last summer.

Down to 13 men and playing on enemy turf, the odds were stacked against Tipp in the All-Ireland minor final against Kilkenny in Nowlan Park. Incredibly, though, they battled through to prevail in one of the most epic minor deciders in recent memory.

O'Reilly was one of several players who graduated straight to the U20 team for 2025. The full-back once again tasted All-Ireland glory, with Tipp claiming another brilliant U20 win with victory over Kilkenny in Nowlan Park in May.

With Liam Cahill's famed faith in underage players, it would be no surprise to see O'Reilly stepping up to line out for the All-Ireland senior champions in 2026.