Eleventh Heaven: Limerick chairman hails Kyle Hayes' ‘unprecedented’ medal haul

Kyle Hayes of Limerick with the Liam MacCarthy Cup after All-Ireland final win over Cork earlier this year. Picture: Stephen McCarthy/Sportsfile

Limerick chairman John Cregan has hailed star hurler Kyle Hayes after he was presented with 11 medals at the All-Ireland winners’ medal ceremony in Limerick city’s Strand Hotel last Saturday evening.

Along with his team-mates, the 23-year-old, who is fancied to claim a third PwC All-Star next month, collected his two Celtic Crosses from this and last year’s All-Ireland SHC final successes against Cork and Waterford respectively. As well as that, there were the 2019, ‘20 and ‘21 Munster medals for their victories over Tipperary (‘19, ‘21) and Waterford (‘20) and the Allianz League Division 1 medals for 2019 and ‘20.

STOCKING FILLERS: Kyle Hayes after receiving his 11 medals at the gala medal ceremony to honour Linerick’s All-Ireland senior hurling title winners from 2019, 2020, and 2021 at the Strand Hotel in Limerick.Picture: Diarmuid Greene

Limerick’s players were also provided with medals for their 2019 Munster Hurling League win as well as those from the Super 11s Fenway Hurling Classic win in Boston in November 2018. And Hayes also received his Munster and All-Ireland minor runners-up medals from 2016.

“It is unprecedented, really,” said Cregan of what Hayes has amassed, which excludes his 2018 All-Ireland SHC medal that he previously received. “Included in the medals are his minor runners-up ones from 2016 and it is a remarkable achievement in such a few short years to move on from there and gather such a prestigious collection of medals.

“It’s all about the collective and he is one part of that but it’s a phenomenal medal haul.

He’s still a very young man and to have achieved so much success at this stage in his career is incredible.

Representing 22 different clubs, a total of 51 players who represented Limerick during their eight competition triumphs since 2019 were feted at the event. Included in the honoured were the likes of Paul Browne, Richie McCarthy and Tom Condon who retired across the last few seasons.

Having had no team holiday after they lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup last December, Limerick returned earlier this month from a holiday in Sandy Lane, Barbados. A trip to Dubai follows later this month before a number of them travel to New York for a major fundraiser on December 10. Club Limerick New York have organised a night in Eastchester which Kiely is also due to attend. The event coincides with the PwC All-Stars TV ceremony where it is anticipated they could break the record number of awards in a team, nine set by themselves last year and Kilkenny on three occasions (1983, 2000, ‘08).

It was announced last week that the gala event to mark the awards in its 50th year had been cancelled due to rising Covid numbers.