Touring party gear up for All Star trip

The touring party for the 2009 GAA Hurling All Stars, sponsored by Vodafone, has been confirmed, with a spread of hurlers from eight counties added as replacements.

Four in a row All-Ireland winning Kilkenny manager Brian Cody will manage the 2008 selection while 2009 All-Ireland final manager Liam Sheedy will oversee the challenge of the 2009 team.

This year's tour will leave Dublin on Wednesday next for the week long trip and the highlight will be provided by the clash of the two travelling teams on Saturday, 12 December at the Hurling Club, Hurlingham, Buenos Aires.

A total of 32 players will make up the All Stars touring party and they have been drawn from eight counties. Of those, 12 players have been added as replacements, with four of those from Kilkenny, two from Waterford and one each from Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Offaly and Tipperary.

Kilkenny's dominance of the hurling championship over the past four years is reflected in the inclusion of 13 of their players. Tipperary and Waterford will each have five players travelling, Galway with three, Dublin and Cork with two each and Offaly and Limerick with one each.

Four players are unable to travel due to family, work and exam commitments. They are Kilkenny's Noel Hickey and Henry Shefflin and Tipperary's Shane McGrath and Conor O'Mahony.

Cork's Diarmuid Kirwan, who took charge of the 2009 All Ireland Final, has been confirmed as the match referee. He will be joined on the tour by this year's All Ireland football final referee Marty Duffy.