Five hurling All-Stars for Rebels

Cork have been honoured with five hurling team selections at the PwC GAA/GPA Hurling All-Star Awards.

In what is the county’s biggest haul since 2005 – the last year that the Rebels won the All-Ireland SHC – the players chosen are Eoin Downey, his brother and new Cork captain Robert Downey, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Shane Barrett and Séamus Harnedy.

It is the third time for St Ita’s man Harnedy to be picked, having also been on teams of 2013 and 2018, while Fitzgibbon was also chosen in that latter year. For the other three players, it represents a maiden award.

The Downeys are the fourth set of Cork brothers to win All-Stars, after Tom and Jim Cashman, Seán Óg and Setanta Ó hAilpín and Ben and Jerry O’Connor. The Ó hAilpíns were on the same team in 2003, while the O’Connors were both picked in 2005.

Along with the Cork quintet, All-Ireland champions Clare have six players on the team with Limerick receiving four – it is the first time ever that the entire team is composed of players from the same province.

Limerick goalkeeper Nickie Quaid wins his third All-Star, while Eoin Downey is at full-back, flanked by Clare’s Adam Hogan and Limerick’s Dan Morrissey, who is being honoured for the fourth time.

The half-back line also has a Downey anchoring it, with David McInerney of Clare (second All-Star) and Kyle Hayes of Limerick (fifth) on the wings. Fitzgibbon is picked at midfield, partnering Clare’s Tony Kelly. While the champions’ captain won the man of the match award for the All-Ireland final, in which he scored a marvellous individual game, due to injury he had not started a championship game in Munster. The Ballyea man now has five All-Star awards.

The half-forward line has two Cork representatives, Barrett at centre-forward and Harnedy on the wing, with Clare’s David Fitzgerald also featuring after his excellent year. It is a second All-Star for the Banner star.

The only outfield line with a Cork player featuring in it is the full-forward division, where Patrick Horgan and Brian Hayes had been shortlisted.

Gearóid Hegarty of Limerick is perhaps surprisingly chosen there, given that he usually operates at half-forward. It is his fourth time receiving the accolade while Shane O’Donnell (Clare) is selected for the third time.

O’Donnell also won the hurler of the year award – Darragh Fitzgibbon and Kyle Hayes had been the other nominees. His fellow countyman Mark Rodgers receives recognition for the first time.

Aside from the players chosen on the team, the other Cork nominees were goalkeeper Patrick Horgan, defender Ciarán Joyce, midfielder Tim O’Mahony and attackers Hayes and Horgan.

2024 PwC GAA/GPA Hurling All-Stars: Nickie Quaid (Limerick); Adam Hogan (Clare), Eoin Downey (Cork), Dan Morrissey (Limerick); David McInerney (Clare), Robert Downey (Cork), Kyle Hayes (Limerick); Tony Kelly (Clare), Darragh Fitzgibbon (Cork); David Fitzgerald (Clare), Shane Barrett (Cork), Séamus Harnedy (Cork); Gearóid Hegarty (Limerick), Shane O’Donnell (Clare), Mark Rodgers (Clare).