34-man Ireland training panel announced

A 34-man panel has been announced for the two-day Ireland training camp due to take place in Dublin next week.

The camp is the final get together of three scheduled for July, August and September and will take place from September 14-15.

The squad contains 20 forwards and 14 backs and sees Leinster duo Bernard Jackman and Eoin Reddan included for the first time this season.

Among the six uncapped players are two Connacht front rowers: hooker Sean Cronin and South African born prop Brett Wilkinson.

Leinster supply the other four in out-half Jonathan Sexton, centre-cum-wing Fergus McFadden, second row Devin Toner and prop Cian Healy.

Commenting on the training camp, Ireland Coach Declan Kidney said: 'The two camps that we have had have been hugely beneficial in terms of continuing the work from last season and preparing for the year ahead in what will certainly be a big challenge for the squad.

'We set out to maintain the building process of a panel based on the summer tours as well as that already knew about the players.'

'The next time we meet as a squad will be November, so hopefully the players can produce good form so that the foundations laid now will benefit us at that point.'

Jerry Flannery, still recovering from a calf injury, Tony Buckley, Tom Court, John Hayes and Marcus Horan bring the front row contingent to nine although there is no place for recent Leinster recruit Mike Ross.

Stephen Ferris, Jamie Heaslip, Shane Jennings, Denis Leamy and David Wallace are the five specialist back rowers in the squad. There is no place for Alan Quinlan despite the end of his suspension.

Leo Cullen, Paul O'Connell Donncha O'Callaghan, Devin Toner and Mick O'Driscoll are the five specialist second rows in the squad while Munster utility back five forward Donnacha Ryan is also included.

There is no room for Leinster wing forward Sean O'Brien or Munster number seven Niall Ronan.

At scrum-half, Kidney has opted for Reddan and Munster pair Peter Stringer and Tomás O'Leary, who suffered a broken leg at the end of last season that saw him miss the Lions tour.

Ronan O'Gara and Sexton are the sole recognised out-halves in the squad, with occasional 10 Paddy Wallace also included. Ian Keatley and Ian Humphreys remain outside the fold.

McFadden, Shane Horgan, Gordon D'Arcy, Brian O'Driscoll, Keith Earls, Andrew Trimble, Luke Fitzgerald and Rob Kearney make up the rest of the centre-wing-full-back contingent.

Ireland Squad (34):

Tony Buckley (Shannon/Munster)
Tom Court (Malone/Ulster)
Sean Cronin (Buccaneers/Connacht)*
Leo Cullen (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Gordon D'Arcy (Lansdowne/Leinster)
Keith Earls (Young Munster/Munster)
Stephen Ferris (Dungannon/Ulster)
Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock College/Leinster)
Jerry Flannery (Shannon/Munster)
John Hayes (Bruff/Munster)
Cian Healy (Clontarf/Leinster)*
Jamie Heaslip (Naas/Leinster)
Marcus Horan (Shannon/Munster)
Shane Horgan (Boyne/Leinster)
Bernard Jackman (Clontarf/Leinster)
Shane Jennings (St.Mary's College/Leinster)
Robert Kearney (UCD/Leinster)
Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Fergus McFadden (UCD/Leinster)*
Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Paul O'Connell (Young Munster/Munster)
Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Brian O'Driscoll (UCD/Leinster)
Ronan O'Gara (Cork Constitution/Munster)
Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin/Munster)
Eoin Reddan (Old Crescent/Leinster)
Donnacha Ryan (Shannon/Munster)
Jonathan Sexton (St.Mary's College/Leinster)*
Peter Stringer (Shannon/Munster)
Devin Toner (Lansdowne/Leinster)*
Andrew Trimble (Ballymena/Ulster)
David Wallace (Garryowen/Munster)
Paddy Wallace (Ballymena/Ulster)
Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians/Connacht)*