Hurling All-Stars: Limerick earn 13 nominations, Galway get 11, and seven for Cork 

Hurler of the year nominees, from left, Gearóid Hegarty (Limerick); Brian Hayes (Cork), Diarmaid Byrnes (Limerick).

Hurler of the year nominees Diarmaid Byrnes and Gearóid Hegarty lead a 13-strong Limerick contingent in this year’s PwC All-Star nominations.

Only Mike Casey and Aaron Gillane are missing from the team that began the All-Ireland SHC final win over Galway, who themselves have 11 included in the 45-man longlist. 

It is the first time 2023 hurler of the year Gillane, who missed the first two Munster games through injury, has been omitted in his nine-year senior inter-county career.

Munster and Division 1 runners-up Cork are represented by seven players — four defenders and three forwards including Brian Hayes, who is nominated for the top individual award for the second season in a row and young hurler of the year possibility William Buckley.

Fellow All-Ireland semi-finalists Clare pick up six, while Dublin are acknowledged with three. Waterford’s goalkeeper Billy Nolan and forward Stephen Bennett are noted as are Offaly pair Ben Connelly and Eoghan Cahill.

Cian Kenny is Kilkenny’s sole player and while he continues the county’s record of claiming a nomination in every year, it’s their lowest representation since DJ Carey was their only hurler included in the 1996 selection.

Byrnes and Hegarty will be vying for their second hurler of the year award. Shortlisted by journalists and voted on by inter-county hurlers, Patrickswell man Byrnes was chosen as the best player in 2022, two years after Hegarty was honoured with the accolade.

Limerick’s 13, the same as Tipperary’s figure when they lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup in 2025, is one better than their All-Ireland winning haul in 2022, and one less than their 2020 and ’23 successes. In 2018 and ‘21, they had 15 feted.

As Kyle Hayes hopes for a sixth All-Star, Byrnes, Hegarty and Seán Finn are looking to claim a fifth, while Nickie Quaid and two-time hurler of the year Cian Lynch are seeking their fourth.

Galway’s 11 is their best return since their All-Ireland success of 2017 when all but one of their team were in the shake-up for All-Stars. Their collection is two better than their ’18 total after losing to Limerick in the final.

Among their numbers this year are Jason Rabbitte and Cillian Trayers who along with Buckley are in the running for the young hurler of the year (U22) accolade. Daithí Burke is in the mix for a sixth All-Star.

As semi-finalists, Cork’s number was always expected to be lower than the previous two seasons (10 in 2024, 11 in ’25) when they made the final. Nevertheless, seven is a good reflection of a season when they went undefeated in the group stages of Munster.

Despite being dropped after June’s provincial final loss to Limerick, Buckley makes the nominations grade as do corner-backs Niall O’Leary and Seán O’Donogue, Rob Downey, Mark Coleman, Shane Barrett and Hayes.

In Clare’s sextet, Tony Kelly is in the shake-up for a sixth All-Star and Peter Duggan his second after his previous came in 2018. Niall O’Farrell and Seán Rynne are rewarded after breaking into the team on a regular basis this year.

Dublin’s Donal Burke is nominated for the fourth time and he is joined by county team-mates Paddy Smyth and Brian Hayes. For their excellent personal Munster campaigns at either end of the field, the presence of Nolan and Bennett in the 45 is not surprising.

Conneely and Cahill are Offaly’s first nominations since Brian Carroll in 2014 and before that Shane Dooley in ’10. It’s their biggest representation in 18 years when David Franks and Brian Carroll were listed.

Alongside Cork’s Hayes, there are 11 other nominees who were in last year’s list – Quaid, O’Leary, O’Donoghue, Coleman, Hayes, Kenny, Adam English, Cathal Mannion, Barrett, Cian Lynch and Bennett.

For Hayes, it’s a ninth consecutive All-Star nomination, while Quaid is applauded for the seventh season in a row. Cork’s Barrett makes the cut for the third straight year.

For the second time in three years and third in 12, there is no Tipperary player among the 45. Wexford miss out for the first time in three years – Lee Chin had been in the 2024 and ’25 The hurler and young hurler of the year award winners will be announced at the gala on the evening of October 30 in the RDS.

2026 PwC All-Star Hurling Nominations 

GOALKEEPERS: Nickie Quaid (Limerick); Éibhear Quilligan (Clare); Billy Nolan (Waterford).

DEFENDERS: Diarmaid Byrnes, Seán Finn, Kyle Hayes, Barry Nash, William O’Donoghue (all Limerick); Daithí Burke, Ronan Glennon, Pádraic Mannion, Darren Morrissey, Cillian Trayers (all Galway); Mark Coleman, Rob Downey, Seán O’Donoghue, Niall O’Leary (all Cork); Niall O’Farrell. Diarmaid Ryan (both Clare); Paddy Smyth (Dublin); Ben Connelly (Offaly).

MIDFIELDERS: Adam English, Cian Lynch (both Limerick). Cathal Mannion (Galway); Tony Kelly (Clare); Brian Hayes (Dublin); Cian Kenny (Kilkenny).

FORWARDS: Peter Casey, Gearóid Hegarty, Shane O’Brien, Aidan O’Connor, Cathal O’Neill (all Limerick); Tom Monaghan, Darragh Neary, Aaron Niland, Jason Rabbitte, Conor Whelan (all Galway); Shane Barrett, William Buckley, Brian Hayes (all Cork); Peter Duggan, Seán Rynne (both Clare); Donal Burke (Dublin); Eoghan Cahill (Offaly); Stephen Bennett (Waterford).

County breakdown (45): Limerick 13; Galway 11; Cork 7; Clare 6; Dublin 3; Offaly 2; Waterford 2; Kilkenny 1.

Hurler of the Year: Diarmaid Byrnes, Gearóid Hegarty (both Limerick); Brian Hayes (Cork).

Young hurler of the year (U22): Jason Rabbitte, Cillian Trayers (both Galway); William Buckley (Cork).