Other new faces include Connacht pair Mike McCarthy and Brett Wilkinson while several players are kept in despite being on the injury list.

Those include flankers Stephen Ferris and Shane Jennings along with full-back Rob Kearney and Tony Buckley.

Northampton pair James Downey and Roger Wilson are not part of the set-up despite their impressive form for Northampton in their run to the Heineken Cup final.

The players will meet at Kildare for the first of three training camps during June and July ahead of the Guinness Summer Series.

And Kidney says that will be the ideal time for players to stick their hands up for selection.

“This is the first step in preparation for the Rugby World Cup and the group called into our first camp shows that there is competition for places right across the board.

“There are players who we have identified as part of the larger Rugby World Cup squad who will not be in the first camp and will be based with their provincial and club fitness staff, but that may change as we go through June and July, so none of that larger group are necessarily out of contention for the final squad.

“The aim three years ago was to deepen the strength of the squad and there are a number of players that have come through in that time either playing with their provinces or with the Wolfhounds and the Ireland team.

“There are big challenges ahead for the group with the coming preseason and then five games in August.”

Backs:
Isaac Boss (Leinster), Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Gordon D'Arcy (Leinster), Gavin Duffy (Connacht), Keith Earls (Munster), Luke Fitzgerald (Leinster), Felix Jones (Munster), Robert Kearney (Leinster), Fergus McFadden (Leinster), Geordan Murphy (Leicester), Conor Murray (Munster), Brian O'Driscoll (Leinster), Ronan O'Gara (Munster), Tomas O'Leary (Munster), Eoin Reddan (Leinster), Jonathan Sexton (Leinster), Peter Stringer (Munster), Andrew Trimble (Ulster), Paddy Wallace (Ulster)

Forwards:
Rory Best (Ulster), Tony Buckley (Sale Sharks), Tom Court (Ulster), Sean Cronin (Leinster), Leo Cullen (Leinster), Stephen Ferris (Ulster), Jerry Flannery (Munster), John Hayes (Munster), Cian Healy (Leinster), Jamie Heaslip (Leinster), Marcus Horan (Munster), Shane Jennings (Leinster), Denis Leamy (Munster), Mike McCarthy (Connacht), Kevin McLaughlin (Leinster), Sean O'Brien (Leinster), Donncha O'Callaghan (Munster), Paul O'Connell (Munster), Mick O'Driscoll (Munster), Michael Ross (Leinster), Donnacha Ryan (Munster), Damien Varley (Munster), David Wallace (Munster), Brett Wilkinson (Connacht)