Battle for Reardens All-Stars more democratic than ever since advent of group stages
Patrick Horgan and Brian Hayes delivering a gift to Brigid May during their visit to the children’s ward at Cork University Hospital, supported by Midwest FOTS and Retail. Both players have been selected on the Reardens All-Star Hurling Team in the past five years. Picture: Chani Anderson
Held as one year bleeds into the next, the Reardens All-Star Awards serve as an ideal opportunity to look back and look ahead.
First run in 2012, the scheme has grown in popularity and stature, serving as a strong annual barometer of the balance of power in the county in a given year. All of those picking up their awards at Sunday night’s gala presentation in Reardens (8pm) are certainly well-deserving of the adulation.
The sense of recognition is all the more applicable in the era since the round-robin format was introduced for the county championships. In the past, the knockout nature meant that the teams going furthest had an acute advantage in terms of representation but now, with each club guaranteed three games, there is a more democratic chance to shine.
That is borne out by the fact that the hurling team in each of the past three seasons has featured players from six different teams.
Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic means that a full analysis of the half-dozen seasons since the change in system is not possible – there were no awards in 2020. We can, however, run the numbers on the five years since then.
A cursory glance through the selections means that the idea of a rigid quota system can certainly be put to bed – some champions have received eight winners and others ‘only’ six, while runners-up have had six in some years and three or two in others.
In terms of aggregates, while Sarsfields have two titles in the period in question, their 14 selections are just edged by Midleton’s 15 – the Magpies won in 2021 and lost the finals of 2023 and 2025, having three players in 2025 compared to six for Sars. St Finbarr’s are next with 12, followed by Blackrock (eight) and Glen Rovers and Imokilly on seven each. Newtownshandrum have had three selections with Kanturk, Erin’s Own and Fr O’Neill’s two each.
We use the word ‘teams’ above rather than ‘clubs’ as Imokilly’s seven in 2024 came from six different clubs in the division: Castlemartyr, Cobh, Dungourney, St Catherine’s, St Ita’s and Watergrasshill. That means that 16 clubs in total have had at least player on an All-Star hurling team.
In total, 65 different players have been honoured, from a total of 75 available slots, with 11 different teams making up those sides. Two of the other ten slots have been filled by Conor Lehane – the Midleton talisman is the only player to have been chosen on three occasions since the beginning of 2021.
Patrick Horgan would surely have three too if 2020 had been included but the Glen Rovers legend, picked in 2021 and 2025, is one of eight on two – the others are John Cashman (Blackrock), St Finbarr’s pair Damien Cahalane and Ben Cunningham, Midleton’s Eoin Moloney, Jamie Coughlan of Newtownshandrum, Jack O’Connor from Sars and Erin’s Own’s Robbie O’Flynn. Cashman and Cahalane have also had brothers appear - Niall and Conor respectively.
A stellar bracket and one that those with one prize will already be looking to break into in 11 months’ time – while many more will be aiming for a first gong.
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