Kilkenny head All Star list

FOR the second year running, the All-Ireland hurling champions have earned 14 All Star nominations with all but one of Kilkenny’s team that started this month’s final being selected.

Eddie Brennan, who was excellent in the decider, is the one name missing although that is hardly surprising given it was his first championship start of the season. TJ Reid, who had played all three of Kilkenny’s SHC games before being dropped for the final, has also been overlooked.

Behind Kilkenny, runners-up Tipperary picked up 10 nominations, the same amount as semi-finalists and Allianz Division 1 champions Dublin.

The recognition of three-quarters of Anthony Daly’s team is further proof of the progress made under the Clare man having picked up four selections in 2009 and none last season.

Waterford, who like Dublin also reached the semi-finals, are represented by six players with John Mullane in line for a third consecutive All Star and 39-year-old Tony Browne being acknowledged for the second year running.

Division 2 champions and quarter-finalists Limerick have three staking claims for awards, Declan Hannon, Donal O’Grady and Tom Condon, while Galway have two men among the candidates in Joe Canning and David Collins.

Just three of last year’s All Star team failed to be nominated this year — Waterford’s Noel Connors, Tipperary’s Brendan Maher, who was injured for a large part of the year, and Galway’s Damien Hayes.

For the 10th consecutive time, Henry Shefflin has been short-listed while team-mate Tommy Walsh has picked up his ninth successive nomination.

Along with Michael Fennelly, Walsh was one of two Kilkenny players voted as players of the month. The Tullaroan man was voted by his peers as the top man in September with Fennelly being chosen for his exploits in August. Lar Corbett, who like Mullane is gunning for a third All Star in a row, was named player of the month in July and was joined in the honours by Padraic Maher who got the nod in June. Dublin’s Conal Keaney got the thumbs-up from his fellow hurlers for May.

While the hurling nominees were chosen by the All Star hurling selection committee comprising GAA journalists, GPA members were asked to pick their players of the month from short-lists put together by the All Star steering committee.

The football nominations and players of the month will be announced next Tuesday. The final team of 15 players will be presented at the banquet event at Convention Centre Dublin on Friday, October 21.