Rock Steady Progress for Fingal’s Latest Ireland International

Neil, born and raised in Fingal has a fine pedigree with no lesser judge than ICC award winning Fingal Development Manager Brian O’Rourke rating him as ‘one of the finest wicketkeeper batsmen I have worked with’.

Aged just 20, Neil is already a former Leinster youth captain, Catholic University School and Glenwood High School student in South Africa.  He has made a rapid rise through the cricket ranks of Irish teams featuring for the u15, u17, u19s, Academy, and A-teams.  He had a most successful u19 World Cup campaign in 2018, held in New Zealand, scoring 235 runs in six games joining former Leinster batsmen Eoin Morgan, Kevin O’Brien, Lorcan Tucker, Harry Tector & Jamie Grassi who returned similar impressive batting statistics at previous World Cups.

Neil has also already made 38 appearances in Ireland Inter-Provincial cricket, making him one of the most capped aged 20-year olds in Ireland. Almost all these appearances came against his teammates in Leinster, playing for Munster and Northern Knights, such has been Ireland’s desire to find games for him and the talent available to Leinster in the wicketkeeping department.

Mayor of Fingal Cllr. David Healy added: “On behalf of the whole Fingal County Council I send our congratulations to Neil, and his family, on his international call up.  This is a fantastic start to 2021, and after such a tough 2020, we are proud to see a young Fingal cricketer starting the year by achieving their goal, and may this be, as your first tour with the senior squad, a big learning experience for you.”

Margaret Geraghty, Director of Services, Fingal County Council, noted the importance of Neil’s call-up to all those working in sport: “Neil’s news is inspirational to all of the Fingal Sports Team.  We have worked hard, with the local clubs and NGBs, to keep sport available during this pandemic, and this news, as with Rush CC’s Stephen Doheny being selected in 2020, shows everyone the international talents being produced locally, and if we can just keep on working together to get through this pandemic we can achieve great things”.

A modest Neil was quick to thank everyone who has been contacting him and sending their congratulations. He said: “It is at these times you appreciate how many people have helped you along the way, in particular in Fingal. I am really looking forward to being part of this trip to the UAE and hope the experience gained will help further develop my game.”

If people are right, then Neil may well shed his nickname ‘Pebbles’, and soon become known as the “Irish Rock” for the strength he adds to the Irish batting line up for the decade to come.

All Ireland cricket fans would be thankful for that.

The fixtures over the coming weeks are as follows:

January 8th UAE v Ireland 1st ODI Abu Dhabi

January 10th UAE v Ireland 2nd ODI Abu Dhabi

January 12th UAE v Ireland 3rd ODI Abu Dhabi

January 14th UAE v Ireland 4th ODI Abu Dhabi

January 18th Afghanistan v Ireland 1st ODI Abu Dhabi

January 21th Afghanistan v Ireland 2nd ODI Abu Dhabi

January 23rd Afghanistan v Ireland 3rd ODI Abu Dhabi