Limerick dominate All Stars with 14 nominations

All but one of the Limerick team that started their All-Ireland final win over Waterford last month have been nominated for a 2020 hurling All Star, reflecting their virtually complete dominance which saw them go unbeaten for the entire year, league and championship.

It’s actually one less nomination than when Limerick won the 2018 All-Ireland, when all 15 players were nominated, but they still lead the way by some distance, with Munster and beaten All-Ireland finalists Waterford the next best represented, with 10 players named among the 45-strong shortlist.

Beginning with goalkeeper Nickie Quaid, all six of Limerick’s defenders are then nominated – Seán Finn, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash, Diarmuid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes – with Will O’Donoghue nominated at midfield along with Cian Lynch, who played most of his hurling in that position this year but named at centre-forward for the final.

Five Limerick forwards are also nominated - Gearóid Hegarty, Tom Morrissey, Aaron Gillane, Séamus Flanagan and Graeme Mulcahy - which means the only player to miss out from the starting final 15 is Darragh O’Donovan, who started at midfield alongside O’Donoghue.

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Sponsored by PwC and presented by the GAA in association with the Gaelic Players Association (GPA), it is intended that a televised presentation of the 2020 All Star awards in both hurling and football will take place late next month, in line with Covid-19 restrictions. The football nominations were announced on Friday, All-Ireland champions Dublin seeing 13 players shortlisted.

There are eight counties represented in all, same as 2019, with seven Galway hurlers named along with five from Kilkenny, two from Cork and two from Tipperary. Tony Kelly, who scored 1-53 in the championship, is nominated in midfield and one of four Clare hurlers selected, while there’s a notable inclusion for Dublin forward Donal Burke in recognition of his prolific finishing in the championship.

The 2020 Hurler of the Year will be decided between Kelly (Ballyea), Limerick forward Gearóid Hegarty (Naomh Pádraig) and Waterford’s Stephen Bennett (Ballysaggart) who was the top scorer with his 1-54. That award will be voted on by their intercounty playing colleagues. In 2018, Cian Lynch became the first Limerick player to win the Hurler of the Year and Hegarty, who scored seven points from play in the final win over Waterford, is fancied to land the award this time.

The Young Hurler of the Year Award will be voted on between Kilkenny’s Eoin Cody (Ballyhale Shamrocks), Waterford’s Iarlaith Daly (Lismore) and Tipperary’s Jake Morris (Nenagh Éire Óg).

“Sport was one of the few unforgettable elements to an otherwise forgettable 2020 and yet again the hurling campaign was a highlight,” said GAA president John Horan. “The PwC All-Stars provide an opportunity to salute the stand-out performers who lit up the campaign and gave so much excitement and I congratulate all of those who have been nominated and it is a big day for them and their clubs.”

Paul Flynn, Chief Executive of the GPA said: “To all 45 players who have been nominated for PwC All-Star Awards, my heartiest congratulations. The 2020 season was one like no other and their efforts on the pitch meant so much to so many. Congratulations also to the nominees for both the PwC Hurler of the Year and the PwC Young Hurler of the Year.”

The nominations were chosen by a panel of Gaelic Games correspondents from across, print, radio, TV and digital media, chaired by Horan. It’s also been confirmed that there will be two additional hurling selections - a team of the year for the players in the Joe McDonagh Cup, as well as a Champion 15 that is comprised of star players from across the Christy Ring, Nicky Rackard and Lory Meagher Cups. Details of these teams will be announced next month.

Meanwhile, RTÉ have announced December’s All-Ireland football final as their highest-rating live sports event broadcast on Irish television in 2020. An average of 877,000 viewers tuned-in to the Saturday Game Live on RTÉ2 as Dublin made it six-in-a-row All Ireland titles against Mayo; it made for a 60 per cent share of those watching TV at the time.

2020 All Star hurling nominations

Goalkeepers

Stephen O’Keeffe (Waterford), Nickie Quaid (Limerick), Eibhear Quilligan (Clare)

Defenders

Seán Finn, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash, Diarmuid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes (all Limerick)

Conor Prunty, Shane McNulty, Calum Lyons, Tadhg De Burcá (all Waterford)

Daithí Burke, Aidan Harte, Pádraic Mannion (all Galway)

Conor Delaney, Padraig Walsh (Kilkenny)

Rory Hayes (Clare), Mark Coleman (Cork), Ronan Maher (Tipperary)

Midfielders

Will O’Donoghue (Limerick), Cian Lynch (Limerick), Jamie Barron (Waterford), Tony Kelly (Clare), Michael Breen (Tipperary), Conor Browne (Kilkenny)

Forwards

Gearóid Hegarty, Tom Morrissey, Aaron Gillane, Seamus Flanagan, Graeme Mulcahy (all Limerick).

Stephen Bennett, Dessie Hutchinson, Austin Gleeson, Jack Fagan (all Waterford)

Brian Concannon, Joe Canning, Conor Whelan, Cathal Mannion (all Galway)

TJ Reid, John Donnelly (Kilkenny)

Donal Burke (Dublin), Cathal Malone (Clare), Shane Kingston (Cork)

GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year nominees

Gearóid Hegarty (Limerick), Tony Kelly (Clare), Stephen Bennett (Waterford)

GAA/GPA Young Hurler of the Year nominees

Jake Morris (Tipperary), Eoin Cody (Kilkenny), Iarlaith Daly (Waterford)