Ollie Baker is hopeful of being fit in time for the All-Ireland club hurling final on St Patrick's Day. The Clare All Star and Garda College captain, nursing a broken finger which kept him out of the Fitzgibbon Cup at the weekend, was speaking in Dublin last night.

He was attending an AIB reception in honour of the eight players selected as the outstanding performers in their provincial club campaigns - an honour he won for his performances with All-Ireland finalists St Joseph's DooraBarefield in Munster.

"I had an operation last Tuesday and the finger's strapped on a support. The plaster won't come off until the Friday before St Patrick's Day but there's no pin in it and I'm very hopeful."

Baker picked up the injury in the All-Ireland semi-final against Athenry nine days ago. "I knew straight away there was something wrong," he said, "and when I got it X-rayed on the Sunday I could see the break."

St Joseph's progress to the final has proved controversial with much of last week taken up by Athenry's attempts to establish that a disallowed point - the margin by which they lost - had been valid.

Baker said that the controversy had taken from the excitement of winning because people tended to focus more on the controversy than the win. Other winners in hurling yesterday included one of Baker's Athenry opponents Joe Rabbitte and Rod Guiney, whose Rathnure club will play St Joseph's in the final. Martin Coulter senior of Ballygalget won the Ulster award.

Ulster's football winner was Crossmaglen Rangers' Jim McConville, whose younger brother Oisin was similarly honoured two years ago.

Jody Morrissey of Carlow's Eire Og won the Leinster football award after his club's fifth provincial title in seven years. Former Mayo All Star Liam McHale of All-Ireland finalists Ballina won the Connacht award. Declan Browne completed a memorable two days by adding the Munster football award to his Fitzgibbon Cup medal in hurling, won on Sunday with Waterford IT. Browne's Moyle Rovers club were beaten Munster finalists but his displays helped make him Tipperary's first football All Star.

Coaching and games development awards went in hurling to former Antrim captain and manager Dominic McKinley of Loughgiel Shamrocks and to Corofin's Frank Morris in football.