DJ Carey | Eugene Cloonan | Martin Comerford | Brendan Cummins
Ronan Curran | Gar Farragher | James 'cha' Fitzpatrick | Paul Flynn
John Gardiner | Niall Gilligan | Damian Hayes | Conal Keaney | Eoin Kelly
Eoin Larkin | Fergus McMahon | Andrew Mitchell | Pat Mulcahy
Sean Óg Ó Hailpin | Ben O'Connor | Joe Rabbite | Dan Shanahan
Henry Shefflin | Tommy Walsh

Meath native, Fergus McMahon, became the first person to lift the Nicky Rackard Cup in Croke Park after leading London to an emphatic win over Louth in a scoreline of 5-08 to 1-05. It now means that London will step up to the second tier hurling level when they take part in the Christy Ring Cup next year, a real boost for hurling in London.

Even though he suffered a fractured ankle in London's last league game, the big defender recovered to take his place at centre-back for the Championship campaign. The Exiles earned their place in the final with a semi-final win over Donegal in Letterkenny, where the home side had not lost in two years!

What was it like to play in Croke Park?
It was brilliant. It's every player's childhood dream to play in Croker in front of a big crowd. I could hear the noise from the crowd from the start, but once the match began I was focused on playing. But I could hear the crowd again towards the end.

What was your proudest moment?
It was definitely walking up the steps to collect the Nicky Rackard Cup. It was an unreal feeling. It's something I thought I would never do as a Meath man.

What will the win do for hurling in London?
It's a massive boost for London hurling, it gives us a bit more status and makes people realise how great it is to hurl in London. We have some very good hurlers but hopefully it will entice more people to hurl over here.

What was your toughest match of the campaign?
Donegal in the semi-final was the hardest match. It was a very tough match physically and mentally. They came back at us in the second half so it was difficult to overcome them.

Any advice for young players?
Practise your skills and listen to all the advice you get from your coaches and mentors. It will always stand to you.

What are your hopes for next year?
We are into the Christy Ring Cup next year and will be up against tougher teams. If we get a few new players, hopefully we can give it a good go and make the semi-finals, but we’ll have to work hard.

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