Brian Hayes heads list of Cork All-Star hurling nominees

Wed, 23 Sep, 2026 - 06:30

Denis Hurley

Hurler of The Year contender Brian Hayes heads a list of six Cork players nominated for the PwC GAA/GPA Hurling All-Star Awards.

For the second year in a row, Hayes has been on the three-man shortlist for the top award, along with Limerick duo Diarmaid Byrnes and Gearóid Hegarty. Last year, Hayes was picked on the All-Star team, having scored 5-8 in Cork’s run to a second successive All-Ireland final; this time around, he landed 5-20 from play across seven championship matches and is the only nailed-on Rebel for the team.

Hayes’s St Finbarr’s clubmate William Buckley has been recognised for a strong debut season at senior level as he is nominated for the Young Hurler of The Year Award – Galway pair Jason Rabbitte and Cillian Trayers are the other two players in the mix for that.

Along with Hayes, Buckley is one of a total of seven Cork nominees. In defence, Niall O’Leary, Seán O’Donoghue, Robert Downey and Mark Coleman have made the cut while Shane Barrett is an attacking candiate.

Cork's Robert Downey challenges Jason Forde of Tipperary during the counties' Munster SHC game in Thurles in April - Downey is nominated for an All-Star, having been chosen on the team in 2024. Picture: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile

Like Hayes, O'Donoghue was on last year's team - Coleman was honoured in 2017 while Downey and Barrett were both on the 2024 selection.

All-Ireland champions Limerick have 13 nominees, runners-up Galway have 11, Clare – who, like Cork, reached the semi-finals – have six, Dublin have three (including their Brian Hayes) and Waterford and Offaly have two each with one for Kilkenny.

PwC GAA/GPA All-Star Hurling nominees – Goalkeepers: Eibhear Quilligan (Clare), Nickie Quaid (Limerick), Billy Nolan (Waterford); Backs: Niall O’Farrell, Diarmuid Ryan (both Clare), Paddy Smyth (Dublin), Mark Coleman, Robert Downey, Seán O’Donoghue, Niall O’Leary (all Cork), Daithí Burke, Ronan Glennon, Pádraic Mannion, Darren Morrissey, Cillian Trayers (all Galway), Diarmaid Byrnes, Kyle Hayes, Barry Nash, William O’Donoghue, Seán Finn (all Limerick); Ben Conneely (Offaly); Midfielders: Tony Kelly (Clare), Brian Hayes (Dublin), Cathal Mannion (Galway), Cian Kenny (Kilkenny), Adam English, Cian Lynch (both Limerick); Forwards: Peter Duggan, Seán Rynne (both Clare), Shane Barrett, William Buckley, Brian Hayes (all Cork), Donal Burke (Dublin), Aaron Niland, Darragh Neary, Tom Monaghan, Jason Rabbitte, Conor Whelan (all Galway), Peter Casey, Gearóid Hegarty, Shane O’Brien, Aidan O’Connor, Cathal O’Neill (all Limerick), Eoghan Cahill (Offaly), Stephen Bennett (Waterford).

Hurler of The Year nominees: Brian Hayes (Cork), Diarmaid Byrnes, Gearóid Hegarty (both Limerick).

Young Hurler of The Year nominees: William Buckley (Cork), Jason Rabbitte, Cillian Trayers (both Galway).