Nine Irish players have made Warren Gatland’s Lions squad, while Wales’ Sam Warburton has been named captain.

Rob Kearney, Tommy Bowe, Brian O’Driscoll, Johnny Sexton, Conor Murray, Cian Healy, Paul O’Connell, Jamie Heaslip and Sean O’Brien were all named as members of the 37 man squad, this morning.

The major exclusions from an Irish point of view will surely be Simon Zebo, Rory Best, Peter O’Mahony and Donnacha Ryan.

Otherwise, the English will no doubt feel aggrieved that their captain, Chris Robshaw, and Johnny Wilkinson have been overlooked, while Scottish fans may rightly wonder why there was room for neither Greig Laidlaw, Tim Visser or, their captain, Kelly Brown.

Overall there are 15 players selected from the Welsh side that won this year’s Six Nations championship, ten from the English side that finished a close second, with a further nine from Ireland and just three from Scotland.

Full Lions squad:

Fullbacks: Leigh Halfpenny (Wales, Cardiff Blues), Stuart Hogg (Scotland, Glasgow Warriors), Rob Kearney (Ireland, Leinster)

Wings: Tommy Bowe (Ireland, Ulster), Alex Cuthbert (Wales, Cardiff Blues), Sean Maitland (Scotland, Glasgow Warriors), George North (Wales, Scarlets)

Centres: Jonathan Davies (Wales, Scarlets), Brian O'Driscoll (Ireland, Leinster), Jamie Roberts (Wales, Cardiff Blues), Manusamoa Tuilagi (England, Leicester Tigers)

Out-halves: Owen Farrell (England, Saracens), Jonathan Sexton (Ireland, Leinster)

Scrum halves: Conor Murray (Ireland, Munster), Mike Phillips (Wales, Bayonne), Ben Youngs (England, Leicester Tigers)

Props: Dan Cole (England, Leicester Tigers), Cian Healy (Ireland, Leinster), Gethin Jenkins (Wales, Toulon), Adam Jones (Wales, Ospreys), Matt Stevens (England, Saracens), Mako Vunipola (England, Saracens)

Hookers: Dylan Hartley (England, Northampton Saints), Richard Hibbard (Wales, Ospreys), Tom Youngs (England, Leicester Tigers)

Second rows: Ian Evans (Wales, Ospreys), Richie Gray (Scotland, Sale Sharks), Alun Wyn Jones (Wales, Ospreys), Paul O'Connell (Ireland, Munster), Geoff Parling (England, Leicester Tigers)

Back rows: Tom Croft (England, Leicester Tigers), Toby Faletau (Wales, Newport Gwent Dragons), Jamie Heaslip (Ireland, Leinster), Dan Lydiate (Wales, Newport Gwent Dragons), Sean O'Brien (Ireland, Leinster), Justin Tipuric (Wales, Ospreys), Sam Warburton (Wales, Cardiff Blues)

Image: 2013 British & Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton with head coach Warren Gatland
©INPHO/Billy Stickland