GAA: Kilkenny's ongoing domination of hurling is reflected in this year's Vodafone All Stars team. The county's eight awards cap the second year in succession in which they recorded the league and championship double.

In second place on the 2003 roll of honour are All-Ireland finalists Cork who picked up four places on the team.

The remaining places go to Tipperary's Brendan Cummins, Galway's Ollie Canning and John Mullane of Waterford.

It had been suggested that Canning's lack of championship matches, with only two outings, might militate against him but he had been such an outstanding performer at left corner back all season that no one could doubt his status as the best of the year.

There are no real surprises in a selection that had been widely anticipated in the past few weeks but one or two talking points emerge.

Cummins comes in for his third award after a season of heroics in the Tipperary goal. This wasn't too surprising given his most credible rival for the position, Brian Mullins of Offaly, didn't even get a nomination.

There has been agitation in Kilkenny that James McGarry had yet to receive an All Star and the fact that his wait goes on won't go down well. But outside of his county there won't be too much surprise.

McGarry's colleague Tommy Walsh picks up his first All Star after a fine debut season. The only unusual aspect of his selection is that it comes at centrefield where Walsh didn't play in the championship. But even this deployment was on the cards from the moment it was announced he had received a nomination in the position.

Walsh lined out in the middle during the successful National League campaign and in the absence of strong competition for the second centrefield spot - his colleague Derek Lyng was a certainty - he rounds off a memorable rookie year which saw him score four points from play in the All-Ireland final where he started on the wing, his regular championship position, although in the longer term he is regarded as a potentially great defender.

The six forward positions had also been generally anticipated. Kilkenny's Eddie Brennan goes to the wing in a reshuffle to accommodate the presence of two full forwards, his colleague Martin Comerford, whose goal was the decisive score of the All-Ireland, and Cork's Joe Deane.

Brennan was a possible Hurler of the Year going into the final but a disappointing afternoon there has virtually ruled that out. His previous form was however sufficiently impressive to guarantee the All Star.

Last year's Hurler of the Year, Henry Shefflin, didn't quite hit the same heights this time around but his contributions to the team were still vital and his selection wasn't in doubt. He is named at centre forward although he played most of the semi-final and final on the wing.

Mullane's selection for the first time prompts the observation that the sportsmanship rule has become redundant. The Waterford player served a three-month suspension earlier in the year after a serious incident in a club match. This in past years would have ruled him out of contention.

It's a moot point whether sportsmanship should have a role in determining All Stars and, if not, the provision should be dropped.

On the playing front there is no arguing with Mullane's selection. A hat-trick of goals in the Munster final kept Waterford in touch with Cork and a fine performance against Wexford in the All-Ireland qualifier was ultimately inhibited by an eye injury.

Seven of the selection are winning their first All Stars: from Cork the Ó hAilpín brothers, Seán and Setanta, and Ronan Curran, Kilkenny's JJ Delaney, Walsh and Brennan plus Mullane from Waterford.

There are four of last year's All Stars who hold their place - all from the champions: Michael Kavanagh, Lyng, Shefflin and Comerford.

This year's haul brings Kilkenny's historical haul to 139 over the 40 years in which the scheme, in its various guises, has been in operation.

A mark of the county's consistency is that in only five years has a player from Kilkenny not featured on an All Star team: 1977, '81, '88, '89 and '96.

Cork's four awards are split between two debutantes, Curran and Setanta Ó hAilpín, and two experienced campaigners who made their championship debut in the same match seven years ago - the hammering by Limerick at Páirc Uí Chaoimh - Seán Ó hAilpín and Joe Deane.

The Ó hAilpíns are both getting their first All Stars despite the disparity in experience.

It has been Seán's best year since coming back from a car crash two years ago while his brother has been a sensation in his first senior year and is expected to crown the achievement by being named as the Young Hurler of the Year when the players' votes are counted tomorrow.

By co-incidence JJ Delaney, with whom Setanta Ó hAilpín won a Fitzgibbon medal in Waterford IT this year, is a frontrunner for the Hurler of the Year accolade having already won the GPA version of the title earlier in the month.

The All Stars will be presented with their awards at a banquet in the Citywest hotel tomorrow night when the football All Stars will also be revealed together with the choices for Player and Young Player of the Year in both football and hurling.