All-Ireland champions Tipperary came out top of the list in Friday night’s GAA-GPA All Star hurling awards, sponsored by Opel, with seven awards at a ceremony in Dublin’s Convention Centre.
Defeated finalists Kilkenny were next with four but neither of the player of the year awards went to the All-Ireland champions.
It was a big night for Waterford’s Austin Gleeson, who rounded off a memorable year in which he won an All-Ireland under-21 medal with his first All Star and both Hurler and Young Hurler of the Year awards – a feat accomplished only once previously, by Clare’s Tony Kelly in 2013.
He beat off competition from Tipperary’s Pádraic Maher and Séamus Callanan, who has now been nominated for the past three years without winning the prize.
A similar fate befell the Dublin pair of Brian Fenton, who had been favourite for the accolade, and Ciarán Kilkenny, who lost out to Mayo’s Lee Keegan as Footballer of the Year.
One of the most consistently rated players in the game – this year is his fourth All Star – Keegan had an eventful All-Ireland final replay, scoring an excellent goal from wing back but getting black-carded early in the second half.
His team-mate Diarmuid O’Connor retained the Young Footballer of the Year accolade, which had previously also been won twice by his older brother Cillian. Like his hurling equivalent O’Connor was prominent in his county’s All-Ireland under-21 success.
The All Star teams are chosen by a panel of journalists whereas the individual awards are voted on by inter-county players under the supervision of the Gaelic Players Association.
It’s by no means unprecedented for the Footballer and Hurler of the Year awards to go to a player who wasn’t on the side that won the All-Ireland but this is the first time that it has happened in both codes in the same year.
The hurling All Stars, announced live on RTE television, featured nine new award winners – a big total but still short of the 2013 record of 12 newcomers. All-Ireland and Munster champions – the first time that double has been achieved in 11 years – Tipperary received seven, the same as their predecessors Kilkenny and included were four first-time winners.
Corner back Cathal Barrett, a former Young Hurler of the Year, was honoured for a consistent year, as was full back James Barry. In front of him, Ronan Maher’s excellence at centre back also earned him a nomination as YHOTY. In attack John McGrath, brother of team-mate and previous All Star winner, Noel, scored three goals in the Munster final and a goal in both the All-Ireland semi-final against Galway and the final against Kilkenny.
The champions’ balance of three places on the team is made up of HOTY nominees Pádraic Maher, who at wing back delivered the most consistent season of his career, and Séamus Callanan, whose 0-13 in the All-Ireland final included an astonishing nine points from play, winning their fourth and third All Stars respectively. Tipp’s representation is competed by Patrick Maher winning his second All Star.
The representation of Kilkenny, champions of the previous two years, features three new winners: goalkeeper Eoin Murphy, whose terrific stretch and fetch in the dying seconds of the All-Ireland semi-final replay against Waterford prevented Pauric Mahony sending the match to extra time, wing forward Walter Walsh whose goal tied up the original match and Pádraig whose points from wing back were vital in winning the epic second match in Thurles.
Also honoured, for the fourth time, was 2014 POTY Richie Hogan, who returned from injury with a bang in the second half of the Leinster final against Galway, scoring five points from play in the process.
Galway retained two of last year’s All Stars with the Burkes, Daithi and David, selected at corner back and centrefield respectively after especially notable performances in the narrow All-Ireland semi-final defeat by Tipperary.
Waterford complete the team with two new winners, HOTY Gleeson, who gave a variety of bravura performances between the half backs and attack, and Jamie Barron whose electric running from centrefield was a constant dynamic in the team’s season.
Hurling All Stars
[New award winners marked with asterisk]
1. Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny - 1st) *
2. Cathal Barrett (Tipperary - 1st) *
3. James Barry (Tipperary - 1st) *
4. Daithi Burke (Galway - 2nd)
5. Pádraig Walsh (Kilkenny - 1st) *
6. Ronan Maher (Tipperary - 1st) *
7. Pádraic Maher (Tipperary - 4th)
8. Jamie Barron (Waterford - 1st) *
9. David Burke (Galway - 3rd)
10. Walter Walsh (Kilkenny - 1st) *
11. Austin Gleeson (Waterford - 1st) *
12. Patrick Maher (Tipperary - 2nd)
13. Richie Hogan (Kilkenny - 4th)
14. Séamus Callanan (Tipperary - 3rd)
15. John McGrath (Tipperary - 1st)
Football All Stars
1. David Clarke (Mayo) *
2. Brendan Harrison (Mayo) *
3. Jonny Coper (Dublin) *
4. Philip McMahon (Dublin) 2nd award
5. Lee Keegan (Mayo) 4th award
6. Colm Boyle (Mayo) 3rd award
7. Ryan McHugh (Donegal) *
8. Bryan Fenton (Dublin) 2nd award
9. Matthew Donnelly (Tyrone) 2nd award
10. Peter Harte (Tyrone) *
11. Diarmuid Connolly (Dublin) 2nd award
12. Ciarán Kilkenny (Dublin) 2nd award
13. Dean Rock (Dublin) *
14. Michael Quinlivan (Tipperary) *
15. Paul Geaney (Kerry) *
FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR: Lee Keegan (Mayo)
YOUNG FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR: Diarmuid O'Connor (Mayo)
HURLER OF THE YEAR: Austin Gleeson (Waterford)
YOUNG HURLER OF THE YEAR: Austin Gleeson (Waterford)
