A season for firsts runs into November for Limerick at  All-Stars ceremony

Nine first-timers are included in this year’s PwC All-Stars hurling team as All-Ireland champions Limerick claimed six and runners-up Galway’s three being matched by Munster winners Cork.

Just one Limerick forward - Graeme Mulcahy - has been included but the strength of John Kiely’s side is honoured in them earning four of the six awards in outfield defence - Seán Finn, Richie English, captain Declan Hannon and Dan Morrissey being honoured.

All six Limerick players, midfielder Cian Lynch being the other, are first-time winners along with Cork’s Darragh Fitzgibbon and Clare pair Peter Duggan and John Conlon. It’s the biggest number of debutants since 2016 but falls short of the 12 in 2013 when all seven of the All-Ireland winning Clare side were chosen for the first time.

Limerick’s half-dozen is their greatest representation as in 1973 runners-up Kilkenny picked up seven awards, two more than the Limerick team that beat them. They also claimed five All-Stars in 1996 after losing to Wexford in the final.

All-Ireland champions Limerick boast six names on the 2018 All-Star hurling team of the year. Galway and Cork have three representatives each, while two Clare players make the cut with one Kilkenny player. #rtegaa pic.twitter.com/jZPYWwm3lF

— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) November 2, 2018

Since then, they have won just seven - Mark Foley (2001), Brian Murray, Ollie Moran and Andrew O’Shaughnessy in 2007, Richie McCarthy in 2013 and Shane Dowling the year after. Last year’s haul brings their all-time figure to 53.

Along with Charleville’s Fitzgibbon, Cork captain Seamus Harnedy and former skipper Patrick Horgan are selected, the county’s best representation since 2013 when they lost out in an All-Ireland final replay.

Harnedy was last an All-Star in that season and Horgan is now a three-time recipient. Cork’s trio is the best return for non-All-Ireland winning Munster champions since Tipperary in 2011 when they picked up four.

All three Galway selections are multiple winners, Joe Canning earned his fifth gong, the four previous coming in 2008, ’09, ’13 and last year and Pádraic Mannion emulated his achievement of last year.

However, it’s the consistency of Daithí Burke that is most remarkable, the Turloughmore man stringing together a fourth consecutive All-Star and only turning 26 later this month. Burke’s achievement is the first one outside Kilkenny since John Mullane (2009-12). Before that, it was Michael Cleary (1990-93) and Burke’s fellow Galway man Pete Finnerty (1985-88).

Burke, Mannion and Canning are the only survivors from last year’s honoured 15. David Burke was nominated but the selection of Lynch and Fitzgibbon in midfield means his run of three successive All-Stars ends.

Limerick ace Cian Lynch is the 2018 Hurler of the Year #rtegaa pic.twitter.com/4bIOUSYloR

— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) November 2, 2018

Revealed in Dublin’s National Convention Centre last night after being chosen on Wednesday, goalkeeper Eoin Murphy picked up his second All-Star after a spectacular year between the posts.

Given he was unlucky to miss out on the hurler of the year shortlist, Conlon was a cert for inclusion in attack as was his Clare colleague Duggan after two man-of-the-match displays in the Championship.

Unfortunate to miss out were Limerick’s Mike Casey, Tom Morrissey and Aaron Gillane as well as Cork’s Daniel Kearney, who impressed in the latter part of his county’s campaign. TJ Reid was also considered for some of his compelling performance for Kilkenny.