Gaelic Games

Hurling All Stars: Champions Clare lead the way with 14 nominations

Shortlist for Hurler of the Year is Shane O’Donnell, Kyle Hayes and Darragh Fitzgibbon

Clare’s Shane O'Donnell with Eoin Downey and Robert Downey of Cork. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Clare’s Shane O'Donnell with Eoin Downey and Robert Downey of Cork. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho
Gordon Manning
Fri Sept 20 2024 - 07:00

Clare have received 14 PwC All Star hurling nominations after their Liam MacCarthy winning season in 2024.

The Banner boast the strongest representation on the list of 45, with beaten All-Ireland finalists Cork having 10 hurlers nominated.

Players from a total of eight counties are included among the nominees, with Limerick (9), Kilkenny (4), Waterford (2), Wexford (2), Dublin (2) and Antrim (2) all represented.

The shortlist for Hurler of the Year is Clare’s Shane O’Donnell, Limerick’s Kyle Hayes and Cork’s Darragh Fitzgibbon.

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The Young Hurler of the Year nominees are Clare’s Adam Hogan, Cork’s Eoin Downey and Limerick’s Cathal O’Neill.

The tally of 14 is a record number of nominations for Clare. They received 13 nominations when they last won the All-Ireland title in 2013, with eight players ultimately making the All-Star team that year.

For their triumphs in the 1990s, the Banner picked up 11 nominations in 1995 while in 1997 they received 13.

Cathal Malone is the only starting player from Clare’s All-Ireland final team not to be nominated.

This is also the first year TJ Reid has not received a nomination since 2013. The Kilkenny forward has been an ever-present in the list of nominees over the last decade. Reid has accumulated a total of seven All Stars during his career.

Clare's David Fitzgerald and Kyle Hayes of Limerick. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho
Clare's David Fitzgerald and Kyle Hayes of Limerick. Photograph: Bryan Keane/Inpho

There are seven survivors from last year’s team among the nominees – Huw Lawlor, Dan Morrissey, John Conlon, Kyle Hayes, Shane O’Donnell, Tom Morrissey and Aaron Gillane.

With Paddy Burke and James McNaughton making this year’s list, it is the first time since 1991 that Antrim have received multiple nominations.

Clare’s haul of 14 nominations is in keeping with the recent trend in relation to All-Ireland hurling champions. Last year, Limerick received 14 nominations too after claiming a fourth successive Liam MacCarthy Cup triumph.

There were 12 Limerick players nominated in 2022, while in 2021 the Treaty County had 15 players included in the list of 45.

John Conlon and Shane O’Donnell both picked up All Stars last year while Clare also had inclusions on the team in 2022, 2021, 2020 and 2018.

With Brian Lohan’s side sweeping up league and All-Ireland titles this season, several Banner players are expected to make the final 15 when it is announced on November 1st.

Eibhear Quilligan is in the mix for the goalkeeping spot for the second year running, only this term the Clare number one will be up against Limerick’s Nickie Quaid and Cork’s Patrick Collins for the award. Eoin Murphy was last year’s All-Star goalkeeper.

All six of Clare’s All-Ireland final starting defenders have been nominated – Adam Hogan, Conor Cleary, Conor Leen, Diarmuid Ryan, John Conlon and David McInerney.

But only three Cork players are included in the list of 18 defenders – Eoin Downey, Robert Downey and Ciaran Joyce.

Cork's Darragh Fitzgibbon. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho
Cork's Darragh Fitzgibbon. Photograph: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho

There are also three Limerick backs nominated – Dan Morrissey, Kyle Hayes and Barry Nash while Kilkenny have two defenders selected in Huw Lawlor and David Blanchfield.

Calum Lyons and Tadhg de Búrca from Waterford are included, as is Dublin’s Chris Crummey.

Tony Kelly is Clare’s solitary midfield nominee. If Kelly wins his fifth individual accolade, he will move out on his own ahead of Lohan and Jamesie O’Connor as Clare’s most decorated All Star.

Both Darragh Fitzgibbon and Tim O’Mahony from Cork have been included in the midfield shortlist of six players. They will be battling it out with Dublin’s Conor Burke, Kilkenny’s Cian Kenny and Limerick’s Cathal O’Neill for the two midfield berths.

Clare have the full sextet of forwards nominated in the form of Shane O’Donnell, Mark Rodgers, Aidan McCarthy, Peter Duggan, David Reidy and David Fitzgerald.

There are four Cork forwards included – Shane Barrett, Seamus Harnedy, Patrick Horgan and Brian Hayes. However, there is no place for Alan Connolly who can consider himself unfortunate to miss out after his contribution to Cork’s season.

Aaron Gillane, Gearóid Hegarty, Tom Morrissey and David Reidy are the Limerick forwards nominated while John Donnelly is the only attacker from Leinster champions Kilkenny.

Lee Chin and Rory O’Connor make up Wexford’s total of two nominations while Antrim’s McNaughton completes the list of 18 forwards. Dublin’s Donal Burke is also unlucky to miss out.

The All-Stars banquet will take place in the RDS on Friday, November 1st, with the hurling team to be unveiled live on the night. The All-Stars football team will be named on Thursday, October 31st.

GOALKEEPERS

  • Patrick Collins (Cork)
  • Nickie Quaid (Limerick)
  • Eibhear Quilligan (Clare)

DEFENDERS

  • Adam Hogan (Clare)
  • Conor Cleary (Clare)
  • Conor Leen (Clare)
  • Diarmuid Ryan (Clare)
  • John Conlon (Clare)
  • David McInerney (Clare)
  • Eoin Downey (Cork)
  • Robert Downey (Cork)
  • Ciarán Joyce (Cork)
  • Dan Morrissey (Limerick)
  • Kyle Hayes (Limerick)
  • Barry Nash (Limerick)
  • Huw Lawlor (Kilkenny)
  • David Blanchfield (Kilkenny)
  • Calum Lyons (Waterford)
  • Tadhg de Búrca (Waterford)
  • Chris Crummey (Dublin)
  • Paddy Burke (Antrim)

MIDFIELDERS

  • Tony Kelly (Clare)
  • Darragh Fitzgibbon (Cork)
  • Tim O’Mahony (Cork)
  • Cathal O’Neill (Limerick)
  • Conor Burke (Dublin)
  • Cian Kenny (Kilkenny)

FORWARDS

  • Shane O’Donnell (Clare)
  • Mark Rodgers (Clare)
  • Aidan McCarthy (Clare)
  • Peter Duggan (Clare)
  • David Fitzgerald (Clare)
  • David Reidy (Clare)
  • Shane Barrett (Cork)
  • Seamus Harnedy (Cork)
  • Patrick Horgan (Cork)
  • Brian Hayes (Cork)
  • Gearóid Hegarty (Limerick)
  • Tom Morrissey (Limerick)
  • Aaron Gillane (Limerick)
  • David Reidy (Limerick)
  • Lee Chin (Wexford)
  • Rory O’Connor (Wexford)
  • John Donnelly (Kilkenny)
  • James McNaughton (Antrim)

HURLER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

  • Shane O’Donnell (Clare)
  • Darragh Fitzgibbon (Cork)
  • Kyle Hayes (Limerick)

YOUNG HURLER OF THE YEAR NOMINEES

  • Adam Hogan (Clare)
  • Eoin Downey (Cork)
  • Cathal O’Neill (Limerick)
Gordon Manning

Gordon Manning

Gordon Manning is a sports journalist, specialising in Gaelic games, with The Irish Times