Limerick hurling star Dan Morrissey proud to captain his country this weekend

DAN MORRISSEY will captain the Ireland Shinty team this weekend when they take on Scotland. Morrissey said it is a honour to captain his country. 

"The amount of text messages I've got over the last few days since it was announced shows how big of a deal it is. You don't get many opportunities like this, it's a huge honour for me and please god we will bringing the cup back on Saturday evening with us for the three-in-a-row," said Dan Morrissey. 

The Limerick full back has been impressed by the standard of hurling in the Irish team. Kilmallock clubman Shane O'Brien has also be included on the Ireland Shinty squad. Ireland will take on their Scottish shinty counterparts at Bught Park, Inverness on Saturday at 2pm. 

"There is a great panel of players there this year, some of the lads from the lower tier counties they're so skillful and probably don't get the recognition sometimes they deserve because they're not probably playing on TV as regularly. A lot of those lads would walk onto any inter-county team, it's a privelege to lead them out at the weekend."

READ NEXT: PICTURES: Looking back on Declan Hannon's inter-county hurling career with Limerick

Morrissey was part of the Ireland Shinty squad that defeated Scotland last year. The Ahane clubman enjoyed being part of last year's squad. 

"I just really enjoyed playing it last year, really enjoyed being involved with the group players and the management team there. I actually just really liked the rules, the mixture of it being a bit old style and aswell it's a very skillful game. We finished with the club five weeks ago when the boys called me and asked if I'd be interested, I didn't have to think twice about it.

Getting to meet lads from other counties and playing with lads from other counties that you're usually fighting with on the pitch, you don't get too many opportunites like that in the GAA. Fitzgibbon Cup might be one example but other than that with the Railway Cup gone, all-star trips are gone. There is not much opportunity you get to play on the same team with lads from rival counties. I enjoyed it so much last year, I'm really looking forward to this weekend," added the 2024 all star. 

There is a lot of skill involved in playing shinty according to Morrissey. 

"It's mixture of old school hurling but at the same time a very skilfful game especially for the inside forwards having to be able to control it without putting the ball in their hand and putting the ball over the bar, it's not an easy skill and something you don't see in the modern game too much anymore."

The shinty game between Ireland and Scotland will be broadcast live on the BBC Alba YouTube channel.

Ireland hurling panel to play Scotland:

Dan Morrissey (Limerick), Cianan Fahy (Galway), Paddy Burke (Antrim), Ger Walsh (Antrim), Shane O'Brien (Limerick), Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny), Eoghan Connolly (Tipperary), Darragh McCarthy (Tipperary), Alan Tynan (Tipperary), Podge Delaney (Laois), Cha Dwyer (Laois), Ben Conroy (Laois), James Doyle (Carlow), Marty Kavanagh (Carlow), Andrew Kavanagh (Wicklow), David Dooley (Laois), Donal Hughes (Down), Kevin McDonald (Carlow), Nicky Potterton (Meath), Mark Cunningham (Westmeath).

Management: Michael Kavanagh, Terence McNaughton, Damien Coleman, Joe O’Leary, Kevin O’Brien.