Kilkenny's hurling dominance continued off the pitch this afternoon with the news that the Cats have six players on the All-Stars team for 2009. Tipperary, who failed to stop them claiming their fourth Liam McCarthy Cup in a row, have four players selected.
Most notable among the Kilkenny names are those of centre forward Henry Shefflin and half-back Tommy Walsh. The former has joined former great DJ Carey and Kerryman Pat Spillane on a shortlist of three to be selected nine times.
Shefflin is the only player to be nominated for eight consecutive years, but Walsh has been selected for the seventh year in a row, having made the side for the first time in 2003.
Five counties in total are represented with a Dubliner Alan McCrabbe achieving his county’s first award since Brian McMahon in 1990. He is selected in midfield with another first-timer, Michael Rice of Kilkenny.
Waterford’s John Mullane receives his second award but his first at corner forward after an appearance at right-half forward in 2003. Deise team-mate Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh also gets his second call-up, this time at centre back, having been named in midfield in 2007.
Galway’s Canning brothers, Ollie and Joe, earn their fourth and second awards respectively, at full back and full forward.
“This has been an extremely memorable year for hurling, not least thanks to the fact that we had arguably one of the greatest All Ireland hurling finals on record, which is very much reflected by the complement of 10 players in total coming from the finalists Kilkenny and Tipperary,” said GAA president Christy Cooney today.
“The All Stars brings the curtain, as it were, down on the 2009 inter-county season and we will get to honour our selected hurlers in person tomorrow night at the All Stars banquet when we will also unveil the 2009 GAA Football All Stars live.”
The GAA Hurling All Stars 2009.
1. PJ Ryan (Kilkenny) - 1st award
2. Ollie Canning (Galway) - 4th award (‘01, ‘03, ’05)
3. Padraig Maher (Tipperary) - 1st award
4. Jackie Tyrrell (Kilkenny) - 3rd award (07, ’08)
5. Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny) – 7th award in a row (‘03, ‘04, ‘05, ‘06, ‘07, ’08)
6. Michael ‘Brick’ Walsh (Waterford) - 2nd award (’07)
7. Conor O’Mahony (Tipperary) - 2nd award (’08)
8. Michael Rice (Kilkenny) - 1st award
9. Alan McCrabbe (Dublin) - 1st award
10. Lar Corbett (Tipperary) - 1st award
11. Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny) - 9th award (‘00, ‘02, ‘03, ‘04, ‘05, ‘06, ’07, ’08)
12. Eoin Larkin (Kilkenny) - 2nd award (’08)
13. Noel McGrath (Tipperary) - 1st award
14. Joe Canning (Galway) - 2nd award (’08)
15. John Mullane (Waterford) - 2nd award (’03)