Net spread wide as Reardens Cork Club All-Star Hurling Team of the Year revealed

We’ll start with the usual disclaimer – it is scientifically impossible to pick a composite team that will be met with universal agreement.

Another old saw that needs disputing are the idea that a team of the year should follow a formula of distribution – winners receive X awards, runners-up Y and the two semi-finalists Z each, where each letter represents a number that is slightly less than the preceding one.

When a team does well but receives less than what is perceived to be the ‘right’ amount of All-Stars, it’s actually a compliment of sorts – their achievement is one of the collective, with a large number of players playing well, rather than being reliant on star men going above and beyond to lift the overall effort.

All of which is a way of flagging the fact that Midleton and Blackrock, the beaten county semi-finalists, have one selection each in the Reardens Hurling Team of The Year while Fr O’Neills, knocked out in the quarter-finals, have two.

Blackrock did beat O’Neills when the clubs met in the group stage – both had secured qualification by that stage, it should be noted – and Midleton would fancy their chances against the Ballymacoda/Ladysbridge side. However, anybody who saw the 2022 Premier IHC winners in action could not fail to be impressed with the consistently displayed by Ger Millerick and Declan Dalton. When they needed big moments, the Cork squad members provided them, showing the kind of leadership one wants to see from such players at club level. Millerick is chosen at full-back on the team, with Dalton – who scored 3-42 in four matches – at right half-forward.

O’Neills’ adventure came to an end with a 0-27 to 2-14 loss to Imokilly – the east Cork divisional side would follow that seven-point win by beating Blackrock and then Sarsfields by nine points each.

Again, such a regal journey towards the title might be deemed worthy of more than ‘just’ seven gongs on the team. Denis Ring’s side’s immense firepower was such that any one or two forwards could catch fire on a given day and so they were not reliant on the same attackers to lead the way.

It means that Séamus Harnedy, Seán Desmond, Diarmuid Healy or Adam Murphy could be seen as unlucky to an extent but Jack Leahy’s 3-45 (3-6 from play) saw him in a corner-forward spot.

The rest of the Imokilly vote speaks to their defensive durability – across the quarter-final, semi-final and final, they conceded 3-51, or an average of just over 21 points per game. Goalkeeper Eoin Davis was a model of consistency – and could also bring his long-range free-taking to bear – while captain Ciarán O’Brien and Timmy Wilk were so good in the full-back line that one would scarcely know that both prefer the more open prairie of half-back.

In that half-back line itself, Dáire O’Leary and Ciarán Joyce were immense and so central to the divisional team going all the way, while Shane Hegarty put in a series of understated but not unimportant performances at midfield.

Incidentally, the seven Imokilly awards are split among six clubs – two Dungourney (Hegarty and Leahy) and one each for St Catherine’s (Davis), Cobh (Wilk), St Ita’s (O’Brien), Watergrasshill (O’Leary) and Castlemartyr (Joyce).

The remaining defensive spot goes to Sarsfields left half-back Luke Elliott, who caught the eye with three points in the semi-final win over Midleton but also showed his defensive wares in limiting the impact of some big-name half-forwards. Eoin Moloney of Midleton misses out on a judgement call.

Joining Hegarty at midfield is Brian O’Sullivan, who was so prominent as Kanturk reached the knockout stages. In addition, hie free-taking ability meant he contributed 0-30 over four games.

The remaining half-forward spots go to Daniel Hogan and Conor Lehane. Hogan has really stepped up in terms of leadership for Sarsfields while Lehane's virtuosity yielding 1-55, the highest scorer in the championship, with 0-13 (seven frees, two 65s) in the semi-final unlucky not to at least lead to a draw.

In the inside line, two men who were among the goals: Alan Connolly had 5-32 in Blackrock’s run to the semi-finals, but even he was eclipsed by Tim Hawe’s 7-7 – all from play – despite a disappointing year overall for Charleville. Proof that a successful year for your team need not be an impediment to individual recognition.

The awards ceremony takes place on Friday, December 27 in Reardens.

2024 Reardens Hurling Team of The Year: 

Eoin Davis (Imokilly); 

Timmy Wilk (Imokilly), Ger Millerick (Fr O'Neills), Ciarán O'Brien (Imokilly); 

Dáire O'Leary (Imokilly), Ciarán Joyce (Imokilly), Luke Elliott (Sarsfields); 

Shane Hegarty (Imokilly), Brian O'Sullivan (Kanturk); 

Declan Dalton (Fr O'Neills), Daniel Hogan (Sarsfields), Conor Lehane (Midleton); 

Tim Hawe (Charleville), Alan Connolly (Blackrock), Jack Leahy (Imokilly).

Breakdown: Imokilly 7, Sarsfields, Fr O'Neills 2, Blackrock, Charleville, Kanturk, Midleton 1