All-Ireland finalists get two nominations each for hurler of year

Two Tipperary and two Kilkenny players have been nominated for the Opel GPA hurler of the year award.

Lar Corbett and Brendan Maher of Tipperary along with Kilkenny's Michael Fennelly and Tommy Walsh were nominated by the GPA today.

The Hurling Team of the Year shortlist contains 14 nominations for All-Ireland champions Tipperary, while Kilkenny received 12 and semi-finalists Waterford and Cork both received six and five nominations respectively. Galway also received five.

Dublin, Antrim and Offaly got two nominations while Clare received one.

The shortlists were drawn up by a selection committee headed up by Chairman Donal O’Grady.

The winners will be selected by GPA members.

The Opel GPA Player of the Year for Hurling will be announced at the GPA Gala Evening at the City West Hotel on Friday, November 5, 2010.

Chairman of the Hurling Selection Committee, Donal O’Grady said: "The GPA selection committee has put forward what it believes are the three best nominations for the various positions on the 2010 Team of the Year and four nominations for Hurler of the Year. However, the GPA scheme gives the player the final say and it is the players themselves who will now make the ultimate choice and select their best 15 and their Player of the Year."

Dessie Farrell, Chief Executive of the Gaelic Players' Association said: "2010 was a historic season for hurling, one which was capped off with another memorable battle between Tipperary and Kilkenny. The dominance of these two counties is once again reflected in the nominations. The players will now decide who will be honoured in each position. "