Limerick have equalled the all-time record PwC GAA-GPA All-Star nominations haul of 15, in turn emulating their impressive return from 2018.
Their collection is one more than last season’s and all three of the hurler of the year nominees hail from the All-Ireland winning team — three-time All-Star Seán Finn, former young hurler of the year Kyle Hayes and Cian Lynch who is aiming for his second such accolade in the space of four seasons.
As the Irish Examiner reports, it is the third occasion in six seasons that all 15 of the Liam MacCarthy Cup victors have been honoured — Tipperary’s full complement comprised a third of the 45 in 2016.
All-Ireland champions @LimerickCLG have a full set of 15 players included as nine different counties are represented in the hurling nominations for the 2021 @PwCIreland GAA-GPA All-Stars! #PwCAllStars #GAABelong
— The GAA (@officialgaa) October 7, 2021
Goalkeepers: Patrick Collins (Cork); Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny); Nickie Quaid (Limerick).
Defenders: Rory Hayes (Clare); Mark Coleman, Robert Downey, Seán O’Donoghue, Tim O’Mahony (all Cork); Paddy Deegan, Huw Lawlor (both Kilkenny); Diarmaid Byrnes, Seán Finn, Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash (all Limerick); Cathal Barrett, Ronan Maher (both Tipperary); Kieran Bennett, Calum Lyons, Conor Prunty (both Waterford).
Midfielders: Cathal Malone, Tony Kelly (both Clare); Paddy Purcell (Laois); William O’Donoghue, Darragh O’Donovan (both Limerick); Jamie Barron (Waterford).
Forwards: Seamus Harnedy, Patrick Horgan, Shane Kingston, Jack O’Connor (all Cork); Danny Sutcliffe (Dublin); Eoin Cody, TJ Reid (both Kilkenny); Peter Casey, Seamus Flanagan, Aaron Gillane, Gearóid Hegarty, Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey (all Limerick); Jason Forde (Tipperary); Stephen Bennett, Austin Gleeson, Dessie Hutchinson (both Waterford); Lee Chin (Wexford).
County totals: Limerick 15, Cork 9, Waterford 7, Kilkenny 5, Clare 3, Tipperary 3, Dublin 1, Laois 1 Wexford 1.
Hurler of the year nominations: Seán Finn, Kyle Hayes, Cian Lynch (all Limerick).
Young hurler of the year (U21) nominations: Aidan McCarthy (Clare), Shane Barrett (Cork), Eoin Cody (Kilkenny).
In its 50th year, the record number of hurling All-Stars is nine, which Limerick matched last season but following a dominant year they could break when the awards are announced in December.
The award for young hurler of the year, those who turned 21 or younger in 2021, will be contested by last year’s victor Eoin Cody of Kilkenny as well as Cork starlet Shane Barrett and Clare forward Aidan McCarthy.
