Record hauls for hurling finalists
Galway matched their total of seven in 1988, the last time they won the Liam MacCarthy Cup prior to this year, while the Déise collected the same number as they did in 2007 when they were All-Ireland semi-finalists.
There were six first-time All-Ireland winners — Stephen O’Keeffe, Pádraic Mannion, Gearóid McInerney, Mark Coleman, Conor Whelan and Conor Cooney — while the same midfield pairing as last year — Jamie Barron and David Burke — were selected again. It’s the first time an identical midfield duo has been acclaimed in successive seasons.
