Cork and Tipp boast over 50 percent of hurling All-Star nominations

John McGrath of Tipperary scores his second and his side's third goal past Cork goalkeeper Patrick Collins and Seán O'Donoghue of Cork. Pic: Seb Daly/Sportsfile

All-Ireland finalists Cork and Tipperary comprise over 50% of this year’s PwC All Star hurling nominations.

Champions Tipperary are best represented with 13 including hurler of the year nominations John McGrath and Jake Morris. Cork have two less and Brian Hayes is also shortlisted for the main individual award.

Tipperary’s Robert Doyle and Darragh McCarthy, who both made their senior championship debuts this year, are also named in the trio for young hurler of the year (U23) along with Limerick’s Adam English.

All but Conor Stakelum and Sam O’Farrell from the Tipperary team that began the All-Ireland final are among their nominees. 

It is the county’s best total since 2016 when as winners they had 14 among the long list. Their collection this year is one more than 2019 when they previously lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

Along with goalkeeper Rhys Shelly, the entire back-line take six of the 18 defensive positions – Doyle, captain Ronan Maher, Michael Breen, Craig Morgan, Eoghan Connolly and Bryan O’Mara.

Willie Connors is the sole midfield nomination while McCarthy, McGrath and Morris are joined in the attacking cohort by Jason Forde and Andrew Ormond, who was twice named man of the match during the course of the championship.

Of Tipperary’s 13, only two have previously won All Star awards – Ronan Maher (2016 and ’19) and McGrath (’19). Eight of them have never previously been nominated for an award (Breen, Forde and Morris had been considered).

On the other hand, Cork’s Patrick Horgan is hoping for a fourth accolade while Darragh Fitzgibbon is seeking a third and Mark Coleman and Shane Barrett are in the shake-up for a second.

From the Cork 15 that began the All-Ireland final, missing from the nominations are the Downey brothers, Eoin and Robert, Declan Dalton and Diarmuid Healy. Of the 10 that were included in the 45 last year, there are seven survivors – Barrett, Patrick Collins, Hayes, Horgan, Ciarán Joyce, Fitzgibbon and Tim O’Mahony.

Runners-up to Cork in Munster, Limerick have seven nominations, two less than 2024 when they went one step further in the championship. Their septet is Mike Casey, English, Aaron Gillane, Kyle Hayes, Cian Lynch, Dan Morrissey and Nickie Quaid. It’s an eighth straight selection for Hayes and a sixth consecutive acknowledgment for Quaid.

All-Ireland semi-finalists Kilkenny’s collection amounts to six – defenders Mikey Carey and Huw Lawlor, midfielder Cian Kenny and forwards Martin Keoghan, TJ Reid and Billy Ryan. 

Reid is the most honoured hurler in the entire group with seven All Stars followed by Hayes with five, Gillane, Morrissey and Horgan with four and Lynch and Quaid with three. 

Reid, Lynch (twice) and Gillane are the previous hurler of the year winners included.

After reaching the last four for the first time since 2013, Dublin’s representation of four – John Bellew, Conor Burke, Seán Currie and Cian O’Sullivan – is their best return since that Leinster SHC-winning year under Anthony Daly when they received nine nods.

Despite not making it out of Munster, Waterford have two in the shake-up – Mark Fitzgerald and Stephen Bennett, who was the 1,500th All Star in 2020. The excellent Cathal Mannion is Galway’s sole representative as is Lee Chin’s Wexford.

Fifteen of last year’s 45 are included again this time around. Outside of the Cork contingent, Hayes and Quaid, there are Burke, Chin, Gillane, Kenny, Lawlor and Morrissey.

Last year’s All-Ireland champions Clare are omitted although Peter Duggan can count himself unfortunate having had an impressive championship. 

Likewise, Waterford midfielder Jamie Barron, Limerick forward Gearóid Hegarty and Dublin pair Paddy Doyle and Paddy Smyth had strong seasons.

The All Star hurling team for 2025 will be revealed on the morning of Thursday, November 6 with the football 15 and individual award winners in both codes announced at the gala event in Dublin the following evening.

PwC All Star hurling nominations:

Goalkeepers:

Patrick Collins (Cork); Nickie Quaid (Limerick); Rhys Shelly (Tipperary).

Defenders:

Mark Coleman, Ciarán Joyce, Seán O’Donoghue, Niall O’Leary (all Cork); Mikey Carey, Huw Lawlor (both Kilkenny); John Bellew, Conor Burke (Dublin); Mike Casey, Dan Morrissey, Kyle Hayes (all Limerick); Michael Breen, Eoghan Connolly, Robert Doyle, Ronan Maher, Craig Morgan, Bryan O’Mara (all Tipperary); Mark Fitzgerald (Waterford).

Midfielders:

Darragh Fitzgibbon, Tim O’Mahony (both Cork); Cathal Mannion (Galway); Cian Kenny (Kilkenny); Adam English (Limerick); Willie Connors (Tipperary).

Forwards:

Shane Barrett, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes, Patrick Horgan (all Cork); Seán Currie, Cian O’Sullivan (both Dublin); Martin Keoghan, TJ Reid, Billy Ryan (both Kilkenny); Aaron Gillane, Cian Lynch (Limerick); Jason Forde, Darragh McCarthy, John McGrath, Jake Morris, Andrew Ormond (all Tipperary); Stephen Bennett (Waterford); Lee Chin (Wexford).

County breakdown (45): Tipperary 13; Cork 11; Limerick 7; Kilkenny 6; Dublin 4; Waterford 2; Galway 1, Wexford 1.

Hurler of the year nominations: Brian Hayes (Cork); John McGrath, Jake Morris (both Tipperary).

Young hurler of the year (U23) nominations): Adam English (Limerick); Robert Doyle, Darragh McCarthy (both Tipperary).