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Shane O'Donnell shines brightest as Sunday Game Team of the Year is named

Updated / Monday, 22 Jul 2024 10:07

The Liam MacCarthy Cup is part of the Clare entourage for the evening but how many players at the winning banquet will force their way onto the Sunday Game Team of the Year?

In recent years, this team has been a sea of green. This year, with Limerick far from Croker while the biggest prize was being handed out, the Munster champions have only two in the team.

Everyone else that's been selected played their part in this afternoon's absurdly tense All-Ireland final.

Leinster hurling stalwarts look away now, Munster hurling triumphalists can bask in the glow.

Nickie Quaid (Limerick)

Quaid pips out Patrick Collins to goalkeeper's spot

The Limerick goalkeeper was pipped to this spot by Eoin Murphy last year, the Kilkenny keeper nabbing the All-Star as well, his famous save from Shane O'Donnell in the dying minutes of the semi-final tipping the balance.

But it's Quaid who gets the nod this year, ironically after a season in which Limerick came up short. The Effin keeper collected his seventh Munster SHC title this summer and shone in particular in the two victories over Clare, pulling off a stunning stop from David Reidy in Ennis and at the near post from Aidan McCarthy in the Munster final.

Adam Hogan (Clare)

Adam Hogan reacts at full-time

In only his second year in the Clare starting side, the Feakle corner back has already emerged as one of the most stickiest defenders in the game.

Especially notable was the second half display against Kilkenny, when he held Eoin Cody scoreless after a trying opening 35 minutes.

Shipped an early yellow card in the final against Cork but stayed the right side of the law afterwards, delivering another bravura display in the corner as Clare kept the much-vaunted Cork full-forward line on a tight leash.

Eoin Downey (Cork)

An exultant Downey after the semi-final win over Limerick

The second member of the full-back line born in 2003. The two-time All-Ireland U20 winner had made just one championship appearance prior to this year but nailed down the full-back position, forming the spine of the defence alongside his older brother Robert.

The Glen Rovers defender coped well under severe pressure in this afternoon's final, reacting quickest after a Tony Kelly point attempt came back off the upright and then executing a vital block to deny Diarmuid Ryan a goal shortly after. Already pegged as a Cork stalwart at full-back for a long time to come.

Conor Leen (Clare)

Leen pursued by Declan Dalton

A comparative veteran in our full-back line, Leen was born way back in 2002.

Alongside Hogan in the other corner, gave a stellar All-Ireland final performance, widely touted as a potential Man of the Match after being assigned to mind Patrick Horgan.

Won a Clare intermediate title with Corofin late last year and only made his inter-county debut in February. Five months later, wins his first All-Ireland senior medal.

David McInerney (Clare)

McInerney breaks out of defence during the semi-final win over Kilkenny

The 31-year old McInerney was one of four Clare players to start in both the 2013 and 2024 All-Ireland final wins - the other three being Tony Kelly, John Conlon and Shane O'Donnell. Stationed at full-back 11 years ago, he's now deployed at wing-back.

Enjoyed one of his finest hours as Clare finally sunk their white whale Kilkenny in the semi-final, McInerney taking the Man of the Match crystal.

Robert Downey (Cork)

Robert Downey mobbed after the win over Limerick in May

Second member of the Downey family in the 2024 Sunday Game Team of the Year. The 24-year old was in the full-back slot now occupied by his brother Eoin when Cork last reached the All-Ireland final in 2021.

The elder Downey made the centre-back berth - famously a headache position for Cork over several years - his own this summer, nailing down the position with a relevatory display against Limerick in the famous two-point victory last May, with Cian Lynch eventually moved elsewhere to allow him influence the game.

Lit up the All-Ireland final with a Kyle Hayes-esque solo goal in the first half but the day was to end in exquisite agony for the Rebels.

Kyle Hayes (Limerick)

Hayes selected for the fifth year in a row

An extremely difficult year off the pitch for Hayes but the four-time All-Star once again showed his enduring worth to the Munster champions.

Landed a brace of magnificent points in a supreme Munster final display and hit 0-03 from play in the round robin demolition job against Waterford.

His fifth year in a row on the half-back line in the Sunday Game Team of the Year.

Tony Kelly (Clare)

Kelly's pose after slipping home the magical third goal in Sunday's final

Kelly was a few months shy of his 20th birthday when he won his first All-Ireland title and picked up the Hurler of the Year award and the Young Hurler of the Year award on the same evening.

Now aged 30, Kelly has added a second All-Ireland senior medal to his haul after a final display which copper-fastened his status as the greatest Clare hurler in history and one of the greatest in the history of the game.

Hit 1-04 from play in the final, though less notable than the tally was the sheer viral quality of the scores and their importance in the context of the game. Aside from the goal, he scored the lead point in injury-time in normal time, and then another point to give them the lead with two minutes remaining in extra-time as they began the decisive kick for home.

Had a comparatively quiet semi-final, by many accounts but that's a mere detail now.

Darragh Fitzgibbon (Cork)

Fitzgibbon races away from the chasing Will O'Donoghue

The finest campaign yet for the regally gifted midfielder from Charleville, who already has an All-Star in his possession from the 2018 season.

The pacy, hard-running Fitzgibbon hit 0-08 from play across two games against Limerick, five of which came in that unforgettable evening in Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Failed to fire to the same extent in the final.

David Fitzgerald (Clare)

Fitzgerald hit 2-14 across the Munster championship

The loping midfielder/wing-forward from Inagh-Kilnamona has been a shockingly consistent source of points from play for a few seasons now, usually after tearing forward into space from the middle third.

Struck 2-14 from play in the Munster hurling championship, including 1-04 in the nerve-jangling win over Waterford in Ennis and four points in the otherwise flat provincial final display. Has an All-Star from the 2022 season - may add to it this year.

Shane Barrett (Cork)

Barrett rifled home the first half goal on the famous evening against Limerick

An ultimately disappointing showing in the final after a bright start, in which he had landed 0-02 in the first 10 minutes. Subbed with four minutes remaining in normal time.

Still, on the whole, a superb year for the Blarney centre-forward, who was relentless in the semi-final victory over Limerick, hitting 0-03 from play and was instrumental in the creation of the goal for Brian Hayes.

Fired the first half goal in the first installment of this summer's two-part saga against Limerick.

Seamus Harnedy (Cork)

Harnedy hit 0-04 in the final

Another modern Cork stalwart who is running out of time to get his hands on the Celtic Cross. Harnedy, who turned 34 during the week, was rampant in the early stages of the final, flashing over three wondrous points from play before the commentators had cleared their throats.

Added another after the break and finished as one of the best performing Cork forwards, though his influence waned as the game wore on.

Like much of the Cork forward line, he gave a blistering display in the semi-final win over Limerick, racking up a four-point haul. Already has two All-Stars to his name, including in 2013, when they fell short to Clare in the decider.

Mark Rodgers (Clare)

Rodgers drilling home Clare's second goal shortly after half-time

Cork had Rodgers to thank after his last-gasp '65 against Waterford effectively kept them in the championship in the penultimate round in Munster.

They were less inclined to thank him after he rifled home the second goal in the final, after tearing past Sean O'Donoghue and cutting inside the cover tackle of Mark Coleman. Hit 1-03 altogether in the final, including Clare's first point after a stuttering start.

Shane O'Donnell (Clare)

O'Donnell found the net against Cork and Wexford earlier in the Championship

The hat-trick hero from the 28 September 2013 was a surprise late inclusion that day, a wildcard. On Sunday he entered the game as a leading contender for Hurler of the Year and all around marked man.

Was majestic in the Munster Championship campaign, especially in the wins over Cork and Tipperary, where his contribution was best measured by chances created for others and all around influence rather than scoring tally.

Sparked Clare's revival with some wonderful jinking to create Clare's opening goal for Aidan McCarthy and followed it with two rousing points.

Brian Hayes (Cork)

Hayes prods the ball past Nickie Quaid - for a point - in the semi-final victory

The St Finbarr's corner-forward didn't quite scale the heights of his semi-final performance though that was a bit much to expect. Operating under the supervision of the famously adhesive Clare full-back line, he still managed to hit 0-02 from play and all told was one of the more dangerous Cork attackers.

A dead cert for the team on the strength of his explosive semi-final display, where hit 1-04 in total and collected the Man of the Match prize as Limerick's five-in-a-row dreams were left in ashes.

ALL-IRELAND HURLING FINAL MAN OF THE MATCH

Tony Kelly (Clare)

Was very little doubt from early evening that Kelly would be crowned the 2024 All-Ireland hurling final Man of the Match.

He was deployed very deep in the first half, hoovering up possession closer to his own half-back line than his half-forward line.

Didn't score until the 52nd minute but it was a seismic score, the Ballyea maestro jinking and feinting through the Cork defence to score one of the all-time great final goals.

Might have thought he'd scored the winner in injury-time of normal time but then hit three more in extra-time, including the 88th minute lead point after another stroke of genuis on the right wing.

SUNDAY GAME HURLER OF THE YEAR

Shane O'Donnell (Clare)

See above. Like Kelly, the Ennis man now has two All-Irelands, one of them won in his teens, the other in his 30s.

While the hat-trick from 11 years ago might have been hard to top, O'Donnell had no hesitation calling Sunday "the greatest day of his life."

O'Donnell was electric throughout the season and was unmarkable in the wins over Cork and Tipperary in Munster and against Wexford in the All-Ireland quarter-final, where he was as much a creator as a scorer.

Led the charge in the final when Clare trailed by seven early on, creating the opening goal and landed two rallying scores from play.

O'Donnell was on the brink of retirement after suffering an extremely serious and debilitating concussion in 2021. Three years on, he's at the zenith of his career and a two-time All-Ireland winner.

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