2025 Minor Hurling All-Star line-up: All eight Premier 1 clubs represented
Midleton’s Cian Lawton and Sarsfield’s Eoin Considine pictured here in theri P1 U16 Hurling League final last year, both made the starting 15. Picture Chani Anderson
With the Premier 1 Minor Hurling Championship wrapped up and Sarsfields crowned kings, the closing chapter of 2025 feels fittingly familiar. Twelve months on from heartbreak, they returned to the final and tore through Midleton to avenge last season’s defeat to Glen Rovers – emphatically, efficiently, inevitably.
So, what better time to single out those who defined the summer? The scorers, stoppers, and standouts.
As ever, these teams are not easy to settle. There was plenty of chopping, changing, and the usual handful of cruel omissions. But this is the best of the best, the 2025 Minor Hurling Championship Team of the Season.
Cool under pressure and commanding with ball in hand. Finn is excellent on restarts, calm on clearances, and was more than once their saviour. There’s a touch of Brion Saunderson about him, and a very bright future ahead.
Last year’s Cork minor captain might have worn six all year for Douglas, but you couldn’t name this XV without him. Fierce in the tackle, clever in possession, and the heartbeat of a Douglas defence that went down swinging against Midleton in the last four. A polished, serious talent.
Rock-solid until the very end. His incredible last-ditch tackle on Liam O’Callaghan in the semi-final was one of the moments of the championship. Was so unfortunate to see red in the final, and his loss was sorely felt by Midleton in the closing stages as Sars pushed clear.
A quiet leader in the corner, steady and sharp across five outings, even clipping two points along the way. Tierney embodies the Sars ethos – disciplined, consistent, unshowy but impossible to ignore.
Still only U16 and already a mainstay. Reads the game beautifully, attacks the ball with conviction, and never wastes a strike. In any age grade, Considine stands out. Another jewel off the Riverstown conveyor belt.
The standard-bearer. Higgins dictated tempo and tone from six, marshalling everything in front of him. A back-to-back All-Star and the defensive cornerstone of this Sarsfields vintage. You’d imagine Noel Furlong has his name underlined for the U20s.
Tall, skilful and fearless in the air. The only one from outside the semi-final quartet to secure a starting spot – a reflection of how influential he was for Inniscarra. Always willing to drive forward, never shirked a battle.
Elegant and economical. Whether stationed in midfield or sweeping deep, Lawton’s use of the ball was superb. Four points from play underline a player with brains as well as skill. A Cork minor for a reason.
Featured in all but the group win over Douglas, and delivered in each. A tireless campaign from the midfielder, so incredibly consistent all year. His form carried straight over from their league success against Inniscarra.
Goals, points, 65s – even sidelines. Mark O’Brien gave Douglas a bit of everything up front. The Cork U20 was unsurprisingly their showpiece, one of the best players in this year’s championship. Reminiscent of Ronan Dooley from last season, and if Dooley’s trajectory is anything to go by, O’Brien’s senior debut won’t be far away.
A year ago, we said if Sarsfields were to come back and win it, Dunlea would be at the heart of it. He was – and then some. Top scorer from play and overall, averaging a little over 11 points a game. Class, consistency, and confidence. A star for the future, and the player of the season without question.
The Midleton talisman. Back-to-back Team of the Season selections and another haul north of 30 points. Strong in the air, nerveless on frees, relentless in everything else. Senior breakthrough incoming – not if, but when.
Like Considine, another frighteningly good U16. His older brother Jack made the bench last season, and Tom gets a nod in the starting team this year, having scored 0-19 from play, four of which came in the decider against Midleton.
Colman’s best player without doubt. Dragged them over the line with two incredible rescue acts in the group stages against Youghal and Inniscarra, and did what he could in the semi-final defeat to Sars. When they needed something special, Lee produced it. A savage competitor and a natural scorer.
A finisher of the highest order. Alongside O’Brien, he formed one of the deadliest forward duos in the grade. If it sounds a bit comic to call them Batman and Robin, so be it – because that’s exactly how in sync they were for Douglas. Their semi-final against Midleton saw them combine for the entire haul of 5-7.
Josh Brosnan (Glen Rovers) 0-4
Tom O’Flynn (Sarsfields)
Matthew McSweeney (Midleton)
Rian O’Connell (St Colman’s) 0-1 f
Kevin O’Leary (Ballincollig) 0-3 (0-1 f)
Cian Stack (Midleton) 2-12
Finn O’Connor (Sarsfields) 4-7
James O’Sullivan (Inniscarra) 0-23 (0-11 f, 0-1 65)
Jamie Lenane (Youghal) 1-9 (0-1 f, 0-1 65)
Tadhg Murphy (Ballincollig) 0-13 (0-2 f)
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