Connacht forward Mike McCarthy is the only uncapped player named in Declan Kidney's squad © Getty Images

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Players/Officials: Declan Kidney | Rory Best | Luke Fitzgerald | Mike McCarthy

Tournaments/Tours: Six Nations

Teams: Ireland

Uncapped Connacht forward Mike McCarthy has been included in Ireland's squad for this year's Six Nations.

The 29-year-old back-row player, who previously played for Newcastle, is rewarded following consistently impressive displays in this season's Magners League. Leinster back Luke Fitzgerald and Ulster hooker Rory Best return after suffering injuries during Ireland's autumn Test series, but Leicester captain Geordan Murphy misses out.

The Tigers fullback suffered a serious ankle injury during his club's Aviva Premiership win against Northampton earlier this month, and it is thought he could struggle to play again this season. And there is also no place for Munster scrum-half Tomas O'Leary, who has to be content with a place in the Irish Wolfhounds squad as Eoin Reddan and Peter Stringer are preferred as the senior number nines.

Ireland coach Declan Kidney, whose side kick off against Italy in Rome on February 5, hailed the competition for places ahead of his side's latest assault on the northern hemisphere crown.

"As always the selection of the squad is never an easy one but certainly the level of competition in each position is probably as great as it has ever been over the last two years," said Kidney,. "Players have been really pushing their performances for their provinces, so that level of competition can only be good. That translates into more competition for each place in the squad and then for the first selection against Italy, which can only be a good thing coming into the championship."

Kidney, who steered his side to a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2009, is primed for a tough opener against the Azzurri. "As we know from last year and every other time we have faced Italy, they represent a greater threat every year," he said. "The addition of their teams in the Magners League is building their experience and I think that will have an even greater influence on their national side for the championship. The key for us is to work hard in setting the foundations for the tournament in our first week in camp and our only focus will be on that opening game against Italy."

The Ireland Wolfhounds squad was also named ahead of their clashes with Scotland 'A' on January 28 and England Saxons on February 4. "In terms of player game time ahead of the Championship and Rugby World Cup squad development, the two Wolfhound games are of enormous importance to us," added Kidney. "The players named today in the Wolfhounds squad are very much in contention for the game against Italy. We have left a vacancy in the squad that we will fill after the provinces play this weekend and weigh up who we want to have game time and who we want to retain with the senior squad in Limerick".

Ireland squad:

Backs: Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Gordon D'Arcy (Landowne - Leinster), Gavin Duffy (Galwegians - Connacht), Keith Earls (Thomond - Munster), Luke Fitzgerald (Blackrock - Leinster), Shane Horgan (Boyne - Leinster), Ronan O' Gara (Cork Constitution - Munster), Brian O'Driscoll (UCD - Leinster), Eoin Reddan (Landowne - Leinster), Jonathan Sexton (St. Mary's College - Leinster), Peter Stringer (Shannon - Munster), Andrew Trimble (Ballymena - Ulster), Paddy Wallace (Ballymena - Ulster),

Forwards: Rory Best (Banbridge - Ulster), Tom Court (Malone - Ulster), Sean Cronin (Buccaneers - Connacht), Leo Cullen (Blackrock - Leinster), Stephen Ferris (Dungannon - Ulster), Jerry Flannery (Shannon - Munster), John Hayes (Bruff - Munster), Cian Healy (Clontarf - Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Naas - Leinster), Shane Jennings (St. Mary's College - Leinster), Denis Leamy (Cork Constitution - Munster), Mike McCarthy (Buccaneers - Connacht), Donncha O'Callaghan (Cork Constitution - Munster), Paul O'Connell (Young Munster - Munster), Sean O'Brien (Clontarf - Leinster), Mick O'Driscoll (Cork Constitution - Munster), Michael Ross (Clontarf - Leinster), Rhys Ruddock (St. Mary's College - Leinster), David Wallace (Garryowen - Munster)

Wolfhounds:

Backs: Isaac Boss (Terenure College - Leinster), Ian Humphreys (Ballymena - Ulster), Denis Hurley (Cork Constitution - Munster), Keith Matthews (Buccaneers - Connacht), Fergus McFadden(Old Belvedere - Leinster), Johne Murphy (Young Munster - Munster), Niall O'Connor (Belfast Harlequins - Ulster), Tomas O'Leary (Dolphin - Munster), Eoin O'Malley (Old Belvedere - Leinster), A.N. Other

Forwards: Nigel Brady (Dungannon - Ulster), Tony Buckley (Shannon - Munster), Willie Faloon (Ballynahinch - Ulster), Jamie Hagan (Galway Corinthians - Connacht) , Chris Henry (Ballymena - Ulster), Kevin McLaughlin (St. Mary's College - Leinster), Dominic Ryan (Lansdowne - Leinster), Donnacha Ryan (Shannon - Munster), Devin Toner (Lansdowne - Leinster), Dan Tuohy (Ballymena - Ulster), Damien Varley (Garryowen - Munster), Brett Wilkinson (Galwegians - Connacht)