John Kiely: All-Star scheme will always be divisive 

The Limerick boss accepts it was unusual that beaten All-Ireland finalists Cork failed to receive a hurling award

Limerick manager John Kiely with Cork manager Kieran Kingston

John Kiely accepts it was "unusual" to see beaten All-Ireland finalists Cork fail to earn a single hurling All-Star. 

Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, the Limerick manager acknowledged an individual awards scheme will always be 'divisive' in a team game, but says the gongs are something to look back on when a player's career is over.

"It is unusual, it has to be said," Kiely said of Cork's omission, the first time in 50 years of the All-Stars where a beaten finalist failed to receive an award.

"For a team to be in an All-Ireland final and not to be acknowledged with one, or two or three or four or five, whatever it might be. Usually, you'd have multiples of them.

"But our focus is on our own group and the acknowledgment of their work and their achievement and their performance levels."

"All-Stars are by their nature very divisive," Kiely added.

"And there'll be debates held the length and breadth of the country trying to select them from year to year. And there'll always be individuals who are disappointed and there are individuals who'll be surprised, pleasantly surprised.

"They're nice things for fellas to look back on when they're finished. To pick one up on your journey through your career is a nice achievement to have. But the real awards were handed out on the 22 August."