Limerick are on course for another record haul of All Star winners after all 15 members of their successful All-Ireland hurling line-up have been named among the 2021 nominations.
Such was the blockbuster nature of their win over Cork in the showdown last August – their finally tally of 3-32 a record score for a hurling final – Limerick could push that final winning tally into double digits for the first time.
Their 2020 All-Ireland winning team had 14 players nominated, and Limerick ended winning nine All-Stars –equalling the record jointly held in hurling by Kilkenny (last achieved in 2009) and in football by Dublin (1977, 2020) and Kerry (1981).
After another unbeaten championship season, their dominance of the 45 nominations is no surprise, as is the fact the three nominations for hurling of the year – Seán Finn, Kyle Hayes and Cian Lynch – are also all from Limerick
In all nine counties have secured nominations, beaten All-Ireland finalists Cork the next best represented with nine, following by Waterford with seven, Kilkenny with five, three each for Clare and Tipperary, and one each for Dublin, Laois and Wexford.
Also announced as part of the All Star nominations, sponsored by PwC and jointly presented by the GAA and the Gaelic Players Association (GPA), is the young hurler of the year award, which will be contested between Kilkenny's Eoin Cody, Cork's Shane Barrett and Clare's Aidan McCarthy. Like the senior prize, that will be voted on by their peers for the overall award.
In defence, the 18 nominees are from Limerick, Cork, Waterford, Kilkenny, Tipperary and Clare; Nickie Quaid (Limerick), Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny) and Patrick Collins (Cork) will contest the goalkeeping award. The six midfield nominees include the high-scoring Laois player Paddy Purcell.
“To be recognised and shortlisted as being among the cream of the crop from what was yet another thrilling hurling summer is a significant achievement for all the players, and is shared by their families, clubs and the communities they represent,” said GAA president Larry McCarthy. “Since 1971 the All Stars has been synonymous with excellence. Our thanks to PwC for their continuing support of this wonderful scheme.”
All 45 nominations were chosen by a panel of Gaelic Games correspondents from across, print, radio, TV and digital media, chaired by McCarthy. The nominations in football will be announced on Friday morning, before the presentation of the awards will take place on December 10th in a televised ceremony.
PwC All-Stars Hurling nominations 2021
Goalkeepers
Patrick Collins (Cork)
Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny)
Nickie Quaid (Limerick)
Defenders
Seán Finn, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash, Diarmaid Byrnes, Kyle Hayes, Declan Hannon (all Limerick)
Tim O'Mahony, Seán O'Donoghue, Mark Coleman, Robert Downey (all Cork)
Calum Lyons, Kieran Bennett, Conor Prunty (all Waterford)
Huw Lalor, Paddy Deegan (both Kilkenny)
Cathal Barrett, Ronan Maher (both Tipperary)
Rory Hayes (Clare)
Midfielders
Will O'Donoghue, Darragh O'Donovan (both Limerick)
Cathal Malone, Tony Kelly (both Clare)
Jamie Barron (Waterford)
Paddy Purcell (Laois)
Forwards
Gearóid Hegarty, Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey, Peter Casey, Séamus Flanagan, Aaron Gillane (all Limerick)
Séamus Harnedy, Patrick Horgan, Shane Kingston, Jack O'Connor (all Cork)
Stephen Bennett, Austin Gleeson, Dessie Hutchinson (all Waterford)
Eoin Cody, TJ Reid (both Kilkenny)
Danny Sutcliffe (Dublin)
Jason Forde (Tipperary)
Lee Chin (Wexford)
PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year nominees
Seán Finn, Kyle Hayes, Cian Lynch (all Limerick)
PwC GAA/GPA Young Hurler of the Year nominees
Eoin Cody (Kilkenny), Shane Barrett (Cork), Aidan McCarthy (Clare).
