Following Friday’s release of the football PwC All-Star nominations, the 45-strong shortlist for this year’s hurling nominations has been announced.
On home soil, Kilkenny have been handed five nominations in Conor Delaney, Conor Browne, Padraig Walsh, TJ Reid and John Donnelly. It’s All-Ireland champions Limerick, as expected, who leads the list this year with 14 of the 45 nominations.
The Treaty County’s entire defensive unit of goalkeeper Nickie Quaid and Seán Finn, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash, Diarmuid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, and Kyle Hayes anchors the representation.
There are eight counties represented in all, with Munster and All-Ireland finalists Waterford strongly featured with 10 players shortlisted.
Beaten Leinster-finalists Galway have seven hurlers named with five from Kilkenny, and two each from Cork and Tipperary.
The free-scoring Tony Kelly is nominated in midfield and one of four Clare hurlers selected, while there’s a notable inclusion for Dublin forward Donal Burke in recognition of his prolific finishing in the Championship.
The nominations were chosen by a panel of Gaelic Games correspondents from across, print, radio, TV and digital media, chaired by Uachtarán CLG John Horan.
Hurlers of the Year
Also confirmed today are the names that make up the shortlist for the PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year Awards.
Limerick’s towering wing forward, Gearóid Hegarty (Naomh Padraig) is named alongside Clare powerhouse Tony Kelly (Ballyea) and Waterford dynamo Stephen Bennett (Ballysaggart) for the PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year Award – which will be chosen by their inter-county playing colleagues.
The PwC GAA/GPA Young Hurler of the Year Award will be voted on between Kilkenny’s Eoin Cody (Ballyhale Shamrocks), Waterford’s Iarlaith Daly (Lismore) and Tipperary’s Jake Morris (Nenagh Éire Óg).
Additional Awards
It has also been confirmed that there will be two additional hurling selections – a team of the year for the players in the Joe McDonagh Cup, as well as a Champion 15 that is comprised of star players from across the Christy Ring, Nickey Rackard and Lory Meagher Cups.
Details of these teams will be announced next month with the overall presentation of awards expected late February.
PwC All-Stars Hurling nominations 2020
Goalkeepers
Stephen O’Keeffe (Waterford), Nickie Quaid (Limerick), Eibhear Quilligan (Clare)
Defenders
Seán Finn, Dan Morrissey, Barry Nash, Diarmuid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes (all Limerick)
Conor Prunty, Shane McNulty, Calum Lyons, Tadhg De Burcá (all Waterford)
Daithí Burke, Aidan Harte, Pádraic Mannion (all Galway)
Conor Delaney, Padraig Walsh (Kilkenny)
Rory Hayes (Clare), Mark Coleman (Cork), Ronan Maher (Tipperary)
Midfielders
Will O’Donoghue (Limerick), Cian Lynch (Limerick), Jamie Barron (Waterford), Tony Kelly (Clare), Michael Breen (Tipperary), Conor Browne (Kilkenny).
Forwards
Gearóid Hegarty, Tom Morrissey, Aaron Gillane, Seamus Flanagan, Graeme Mulcahy (all Limerick)
Stephen Bennett, Dessie Hutchinson, Austin Gleeson, Jack Fagan (all Waterford)
Brian Concannon, Joe Canning, Conor Whelan, Cathal Mannion (all Galway)
TJ Reid, John Donnelly (Kilkenny)
Donal Burke (Dublin), Cathal Malone (Clare), Shane Kingston (Cork)
PwC GAA/GPA Young Hurler of the Year nominees
Jake Morris (Tipperary), Eoin Cody (Kilkenny), Iarlaith Daly (Waterford)
PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year nominees
Gearóid Hegarty (Limerick), Tony Kelly (Clare), Stephen Bennett (Waterford)
