Six Galway players have been nominated for this year’s PWC GAA/GPA hurling All-Stars, taking place on Friday, 17th November.
Gort’s Jack Grealish and Turloughmore’s Daithi Burke are among the defenders; while the forwards include Ahascragh/Fohenagh’s Cathal Mannion, Kinvara’s Conor Whelan, Killimordaly’s Brian Concannon and Clarinbridge’s Evan Niland.
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The magnificent four-in-a-row All-Ireland senior hurling champions from Limerick are again the dominant force in the list of names that make up this year’s PwC Hurling All-Star nominations.
The benchmark standard since their breakthrough victory in 2018, and subsequent ownership of top slot since 2020, the Treaty County have claimed 14 of the 45 nominations spots on offer.
On top of that, the vote for this year’s PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year award will be an all-Limerick affair with Kyle Hayes, Aaron Gillane and Diarmaid Byrnes short-listed in a vote that will be conducted from among their playing colleagues. Inside forward Gillane was at times unmarkable during the summer. Hayes brought his athleticism and versatility to bear on tight games and Diarmaid Byrnes became the all-time highest scoring defender in Championship history with another prolific season.
The PwC GAA/GPA Young Hurler of the Year Award will be voted on by the players also, with Banner duo Adam Hogan and Mark Rodgers nominated after their stellar campaigns and joined by Cork lynchpin Ciaran Joyce.
The 45 nominations feature a county-by-county breakdown of Limerick 14, Clare 9, Kilkenny 8, Galway 6, Cork 4, Tipperary 3 and one representative from Dublin, sharpshooter Dónal Burke.
Limerick’s tally is up on the 12 names they had nominated last year and reflects the manner in which they have tightened their grip on the Liam MacCarthy Cup after also contributing to an epic Munster championship campaign. It is also the first time since 2021 that they have made up all three short-listed for the hurler of the year prize.
Uachtarán CLG Larry McCarthy said: “Congratulations to all our players who have been nominated for a PwC Hurling All-Star Award. Hurling’s exceptional standards were well maintained during a memorable 2023 season, and this magnificent collection of players were central to those standards and the excitement they provided. The awards pay tribute to the best of a fantastic cohort of players who we are fortunate to have playing our games. A special word of recognition for Kyle, Aaron and Diarmaid and to Adam, Mark and Ciarán for being shortlisted for overall awards – a fantastic additional honour for you and your families and clubs. Our thanks to PwC for their continuing support of this iconic scheme.”
Tom Parsons, CEO of the GPA added: “The PwC All-Stars are the pinnacle of individual achievement within our games and each and every one of these 45 nominees deserve enormous credit for their performances throughout 2023. I want to wholeheartedly congratulate all of the nominees announced today. Can I also extend a special word of congratulations to our three PwC Player of the Year nominations. Kyle Hayes, Aaron Gillane and Diarmaid Byrnes gave a series of memorable performances that lit up the hurling season. And in the Young Player category, Ciaran Joyce, Mark Rodgers and Adam Hogan set an example in terms of how players young in years can have a massive impact on their teams.”
Enda McDonagh, Managing Partner, PwC, said: “On behalf of everyone at PwC, huge congratulations to the 45 hurlers announced as PwC All-Star nominees and also to Kyle, Aaron and Diarmaid, shortlisted in the PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year category, and Adam, Mark and Ciaran, for their PwC GAA/GPA Young Hurler of the Year nominations. You each made outstanding contributions to team performances throughout the championship, inspiring future generations of hurling stars. To be nominated is a deserving recognition of your talent and commitment. At PwC we are proud to celebrate high performance both on and off the field.”
First held in 1971, the PwC All-Stars represents the highest individual accolade in Gaelic Games. The nominations and the final 15 teams are chosen by a panel of Gaelic Games Correspondents from across, print, radio, tv and digital media, in a meeting chaired by Uachtarán CLG. The list of 45 nominations for the PwC Football All-Stars will be announced tomorrow morning. The PwC All-Star teams will be presented with their awards at a gala black-tie event which will be staged in Dublin’s RDS and shown live on RTÉ tv on Friday, November 17.
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PwC Hurling All-Star Nominations
Goalkeepers (3)
Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny)
Nickie Quaid (Limerick)
Eibhear Quilligan (Clare)
Defenders (18)
Barry Nash (Limerick)
Mike Casey (Limerick)
Dan Morrissey (Limerick)
Kyle Hayes (Limerick)
Diarmaid Byrnes (Limerick)
Mikey Butler (Kilkenny)
Huw Lawlor (Kilkenny)
Paddy Deegan (Kilkenny)
David Blanchfield (Kilkenny)
John Conlon (Clare)
Adam Hogan (Clare)
Diarmuid Ryan (Clare)
David McInerney (Clare)
Ciarán Joyce (Cork)
Damien Cahalane (Cork)
Jack Grealish (Galway)
Daithí Burke (Galway)
Ronan Maher (Tipperary)
Midfielders (6)
Darragh O’Donovan (Limerick)
Will O’Donoghue (Limerick)
Noel McGrath (Tipperary)
Darragh Fitzgibbon (Cork)
David Fitzgerald (Clare)
Adrian Mullen (Kilkenny)
Forwards (18)
Cian Lynch (Limerick)
Peter Casey (Limerick)
Tom Morrissey (Limerick)
Aaron Gillane (Limerick)
Seamus Flanagan (Limerick)
David Reidy (Limerick)
Cathal Mannion (Galway)
Conor Whelan (Galway)
Brian Concannon (Galway)
Evan Niland (Galway)
Tony Kelly (Clare)
Shane O’Donnell (Clare)
Mark Rodgers (Clare)
TJ Reid (Kilkenny)
Eoin Cody (Kilkenny)
Jake Morris (Tipperary)
Dónal Burke (Dublin)
Patrick Horgan (Cork)
PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year Nominees
Kyle Hayes, Aaron Gillane, Diarmaid Byrnes (all Limerick)
PwC GAA/GPA Young Hurler of the Year Nominees
Adam Hogan (Clare), Mark Rodgers (Clare), Ciaran Joyce (Cork)
