Hurling All Star hurling nominations: Kilkenny have received 12 nominations for this year's Vodaphone hurling All Stars but DJ Carey isn't among them. This means he will have to wait before breaking the record awards total of nine, which he jointly holds with former Kerry footballer Pat Spillane.
Neither the All-Ireland champions' leading of the nominations nor their captain's omission are greatly surprising. Kilkenny have had a remarkable year even by the county's high standards, winning the league and championship double - as well as the senior/minor/under-21 treble. Having retained the All-Ireland, the county was expected to get a substantial share of the nominations.
Carey's failure to add to his record hurling tally won't surprise too many, given he had a quiet year and didn't score at all from play in the All-Ireland series: he got three 65s in the semi-final against Tipperary and drew a blank in the final. Even in Leinster he managed only two points from play in the matches against Dublin and Wexford.
He battled hard in the matches and put in great effort, but those qualities - admirable as they are - aren't what won him nine All Stars.
Rookie corner back James Ryall and centrefielder Paddy Mullally are the two other team mates of Carey to miss out on nomination.
All-Ireland finalists Cork are close behind with 10 nominations, including their three successful debutants, Tom Kenny and Ronan Curran in the half-back line and Setanta Ó hAilpín - nominated with his brother Seán in defence - at right corner forward.
The remaining county-by-county breakdown is: Wexford (7), Tipperary (5), Offaly (4), Waterford (2), Dublin (2) and Galway, Clare and Antrim (1 each).
The only surprises in the long list - i.e., potential All Stars who didn't get nominations - are Offaly goalkeeper Brian Mullins and Tipperary defender Eamonn Corcoran.
Mullins finally broke through into the county team after a successful club career with Birr, for whom he won a third All-Ireland medal in March. A succession of fine saves marked a great season for Mullins, but he loses out to Brendan Cummins, Damien Fitzhenry and James McGarry.
Although Kilkenny have pushed hard for McGarry to get an All Star on the basis of his - admittedly impressive - control and handling of the controversial new sliotar, he hasn't the same portfolio of saves as the others and can be accounted the most fortunate of the three to edge out his Offaly counterpart.
In a difficult year for Tipperary, Corcoran was outstanding and going into the All-Ireland semi-final against Kilkenny was still an outside bet for Hurler of the Year. His omission is hard to fathom and he certainly had a better year than nominees such as Diarmuid O'Sullivan or Declan Ruth.
The suggestion that his three-month suspension told against him under the sportsmanship rule would seem to be refuted by the presence of Waterford's John Mullane and Colin Lynch of Clare among those nominated. Mullane served a three-month ban and Lynch was also suspended after striking Cork's Mickey O'Connell in the Munster semi-final.
Eight of last year's hurling team have once again been nominated for awards. The list of 45 nominees for the 15 positions was announced yesterday and the final selection will be known on November 27th. The football nominations will be announced today and the final selection will be announced live on RTÉ at the All Stars banquet at Dublin's City West Hotel on November 28th.
Michael Kavanagh, Peter Barry, Derek Lyng, Henry Shefflin and Martin Comerford were All Stars last year. The other three current All Stars who are nominated again are brothers Paul and Eoin Kelly (Tipperary) and Colin Lynch (Clare).
Full list of nominees
Goalkeepers: Damien Fitzhenry (Wexford) Brendan Cummins (Tipperary)
James McGarry (Kilkenny)
Defenders: Michael Kavanagh (Kilkenny) Noel Hickey (Kilkenny) Sean
Dowling (Kilkenny) Peter Barry (Kilkenny) JJ Delaney (Kilkenny) Wayne
Sherlock (Cork) Diarmuid O'Sullivan (Cork) Tom Kenny (Cork) Ronan
Curran (Cork) Sean Og O'hAilpin (Cork) Darragh Ryan (Wexford) Declan
Ruth (Wexford) Liam Dunne (Wexford) Ollie Canning (Galway) David
Franks (Offaly) Colm Cassidy (Offaly) Ciaran Herron (Antrim) Paul Kelly
(Tipperary)
Midfield: Derek Lyng (Kilkenny) Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny) Colin Lynch
(Clare) John Gardiner (Cork) Benny Dunne (Tipperary) Conal Keaney
(Dublin)
Forwards: John Hoyne (Kilkenny) Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny) Eddie
Brennan (Kilkenny) Martin Comerford (Kilkenny) Niall McCarthy (Cork
Ben O'Connor (Cork) Setanta O'hAilpin (Cork) Joe Deane (Cork) Paul
Codd (Wexford) Larry Murphy (Wexford) Michael Jordan (Wexford)
Rory Hanniffy (Offaly) Brendan Murphy (Offaly) Eoin Kelly (Tipperary)
Conor Gleeson (Tipperary) Paul Flynn (Waterford) John Mullane
(Waterford) Tomas McGrane (Dublin)
