With the Hurling All-Stars team to be announced on Friday, 7 November at the RDS in Dublin, it marks the end of what was a spectacular season.
The hurling season was not to be outclassed in drama and stakes, concluding with Tipperary becoming All-Ireland champions, having overcome Cork thanks to a second-half masterclass.
Alongside lifting the Liam MacCarthy cup, the Premier County has been rewarded for its efforts with 13 nominations and dominate the shortlists for both Hurler and Young Hurler of the Year.
Quickly following are All-Ireland finalists Cork with 11 nominations, while Limerick (7), Kilkenny (6), Dublin (4), Waterford (2) and Galway and Wexford with one nomination each are also represented.
The nominations were decided by GAA correspondents from across print, TV, radio and digital media and chaired by GAA president Jarlath Burns.
Of the 45-man list, 16 of the nominees were previous All-Star recipients, while five players from last year's All-Stars team, Nickie Quaid, Dan Morrissey, Kyle Hayes from Limerick, as well as Cork pair Darragh Fitzgibbon and Shane Barrett, are in contention again.
Tipp team-mates John McGrath and Jake Morris will battle it out with Cork forward Brian Hayes for Hurler of the Year, while Premier pair Darragh McCarthy and Robert Doyle will be up against Limerick’s Adam English for the Young Hurler of the Year accolade.
The goalkeeper slot will be keenly contested as Rhys Shelly (Tipperary), Patrick Collins (Cork) and Nickie Quaid (Limerick) compete for number one.
Quaid had a particularly sensational season, returning four months after knee surgery to start against Tipperary in their opening clash, which ended in a 2-23 to 2-23 draw.
Tipperary defenders Eoghan Connolly, Ronan Maher, Robert Doyle, Michael Breen, Bryan O’Mara and Craig Morgan are all in the mix in the backline, joined by Cork’s Seán O’Donoghue, Niall O’Leary, Mark Coleman and Ciaran Joyce.
Limerick trio Mike Casey, Hayes and Dan Morrissey are included, as are Kilkenny pair Mikey Carey and Huw Lawlor as well as Dublin’s Conor Burke and John Bellew. Mark Fitzgerald of Waterford completes the list.
Midfield sees Cork pair Darragh Fitzgibbon and Tim O’Mahony, Kilkenny’s Cian Kenny, Young Hurler of the Year nominee English of Limerick, All-Ireland winner with Tipp Willie Connors and Galway’s Cathal Mannion harbouring ambitions of an award.
The forward line sees the most concentrated pool of players from the different counties, with Tipperary and Cork dominating.
Morris, Andrew Ormond, McCarthy, Jason Forde and John McGrath fly the Premier flag, while the Rebels will be represented courtesy of Shane Barrett, Alan Connolly, Hayes and the retired Patrick Horgan.
Aaron Gillane and Cian Lynch both come in for Limerick, while Kilkenny has Billy Ryan, Martin Keoghan and TJ Reid in the mix. Rounding off the list are Cian O’Sullivan and Seán Currie for Dublin, as well as Wexford talisman Lee Chin and Waterford sharpshooter Stephen Bennett.
PwC are proud sponsors of The PwC All-Star Awards since 2017, celebrating excellence and recognising talent for the country’s top male intercounty players. For more information visit www.pwc.ie
