Seán Óg Ó hAilpín and Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh pick the best hurling team of the last 25 years
Seán Óg Ó hAilpín and Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh have combined to select their best hurling XV of the last 25 years, .
We’re sure few will be happy with every pick, but it’s tough to disagree with Ó Muircheartaigh’s claim: “That’d make the thing that was never done – the five in a row.”
Kilkenny and Ó hAilpín’s native Cork dominate their combined selection, with five and four players respectively.
Eight counties were represented in all, with one pick from each of Clare, Offaly, Waterford, Limerick, Galway and Tipperary.
You can check out their debate, filmed as part of Centra’s #WeAreHurling campaign, here:
Ó hAilpín was selected by Ó Muircheartaigh but the former Cork captain argued to drop himself to accommodate Offaly’s Brian Whelahan. He also bargained for the inclusion of his ex-teammates Dónal Óg Cusack, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Brian Corcoran and Ben O’Connor.
JJ Delaney, Tommy Walsh, DJ Carey, Henry Shefflin were concensus picks, but Ó Muircheartaigh won the argument to include Eddie Brennan ahead of Jamesie O’Connor.
Further Kilkenny picks by Ó Muircheartaigh, Jackie Tyrrell and Michael Fennelly, made way as Ó hAilpín included Limerick’s Ciarán Carey alongside Ken McGrath of Waterford in midfield.
Clare were represented by Brian Lohan, Galway by Joe Canning and Tipperary by Eoin Kelly, although Tommy Dunne just missed out.
Dónal Óg Cusack (Cork); JJ Delaney (Kilkenny), Brian Lohan (Clare), Diarmuid O’Sullivan (Cork); Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny), Brian Corcoran (Cork), Brian Whelahan (Offaly); Ken McGrath (Waterford), Ciarán Carey (Limerick); Ben O’Connor (Cork), Joe Canning (Galway), DJ Carey (Kilkenny); Eoin Kelly (Tipperary), Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny), Eddie Brennan (Kilkenny).
Kilkenny: 5 (JJ Delaney, Tommy Walsh, DJ Carey, Henry Shefflin, Eddie Brennan)
Cork: 4 (Dónal Óg Cusack, Diarmuid O’Sullivan, Brian Corcoran, Ben O’Connor)
Clare: 1 (Brian Lohan)
Offaly: 1 (Brian Whelahan)
Waterford: 1 (Ken McGrath)
Limerick: 1 (Ciarán Carey)
Galway: 1 (Joe Canning)
Tipperary: 1 (Eoin Kelly)
Dónal Óg Cusack (Cork); Brian Lohan (Clare), Diarmuid O’Sullivan (Cork), Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny); Brian Whelahan (Offaly), Brian Corcoran (Cork), JJ Delaney (Kilkenny); Ken McGrath (Waterford), Ciarán Carey (Limerick); Ben O’Connor (Cork), Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny), DJ Carey (Kilkenny); Eoin Kelly (Tipperary), Joe Canning (Galway), Jamesie O’Connor (Clare).
Dónal Óg Cusack (Cork); JJ Delaney (Kilkenny), Brian Lohan (Clare), Jackie Tyrrell (Kilkenny); Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny), Brian Corcoran (Cork), Seán Óg Ó hAilpín (Cork); Ken McGrath (Waterford), Michael Fennelly (Kilkenny); Tommy Dunne (Tipperary), Joe Canning (Galway), DJ Carey (Kilkenny); Eoin Kelly (Tipperary), Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny), Eddie Brennan (Kilkenny).
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