Rory Best will captain the Ireland squad for its summer tour

Ulster's Rory Best will captain Ireland on their forthcoming summer tour which sees them play Canada and the United States in Tests at the end of May.

Seven Ulster players are included in the squad, Best being joined by fellow forwards Bryan Young, Chris Henry, Tom Court and Ryan Caldwell.

Backs Darren Cave and Niall O'Connor are also in the 25-strong panel.

The squad is missing all 13 Irish players who are on Lions duty and Leinster's Heineken Cup finalists.

Leinster face Leicester in their European final on 23 May, the same day that Ireland play Canada in Vancouver in the first of two Tests.

Ireland's second match is against the USA on Sunday 31 May.

A total of 12 uncapped players are making the trip.

One place has yet to be filled and that may go to Paddy Wallace if he can prove his fitness before then.

Ian Humphreys is not included as O'Connor and Ian Keatley travel as fly-halves.

Meanwhile John Muldoon will captain the 27-man Ireland A Churchill Cup squad which includes some players who are also part of the senior tour panel and Leinster players who are available after the European final.

Five Ulster players are named in that tour party, with Henry, Young and O'Connor in both squads.

Isaac Boss and Ed O'Donoghue are the other Ulster players involved in Churchill Cup action. Exiled Ulstermen include former Ireland flanker Neil Best from Northampton Saints and Exeter Chiefs Belfast-born tight-head prop John Andress.

Ireland A will face Canada on Wednesday 10 June and Georgia on Sunday 14 June, with the finals on Sunday 21 June.

Ireland squad for tour to Canada and USA:

Rory Best (Ulster, captain); Tony Buckley (Munster), Ryan Caldwell (Ulster), Bob Casey (London Irish), Darren Cave (Ulster), Tom Court (Ulster), Sean Cronin (Connacht), Ian Dowling (Munster), Gavin Duffy (Connacht), Chris Henry (Ulster), Denis Hurley (Munster), Ian Keatley (Connacht), Denis Leamy (Munster), Keith Matthews (Connacht), John Muldoon (Connacht), Barry Murphy (Munster), Niall O'Connor (Ulster), Mick O'Driscoll (Munster), Eoin Reddan (Wasps), Niall Ronan (Munster), Mike Ross (Harlequins), Donnacha Ryan (Munster), Peter Stringer (Munster), Bryan Young (Ulster).

Ireland squad for Churchill Cup:

John Muldoon (Connacht, captain); John Andress (Exeter Chiefs), Neil Best (Northampton Saints), Isaac Boss (Ulster), Tony Buckley (Munster), Fionn Carr (Connacht), Sean Cronin (Connacht), James Downey (Northampton Saints), Denis Fogarty (Munster), Cian Healy (Leinster), Chris Henry (Ulster), Trevor Hogan (Leinster), Denis Hurley (Munster), Felix Jones (Leinster), Simon Keogh (Leinster), Keith Matthews (Connacht), Fergus McFadden (Leinster), Frank Murphy (Connacht), Johne Murphy (Leicester Tigers), Sean O'Brien (Leinster), Niall O'Connor (Ulster), Ed O'Donoghue (Ulster), Niall Ronan (Munster), Donnacha Ryan (Munster), Jonathan Sexton (Leinster), Devon Toner (Leinster), Bryan Young (Ulster).

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