Banner lead the way with 6 of the best
BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
Munster’s perceived domination of all things hurling was rubber-stamped last Friday evening when all fifteen awards went to the province, with new All-Ireland champions Clare leading the way with six players claiming the PwC sponsored accolades at the star-studded ceremony at the RDS in Dublin. Just three counties are represented, with Cork and Limerick joining The Banner. For the first time since the awards began, there were no Leinster participating recipients, and this will re-enforce the belief held by many, that all the chairs at the top table of hurling are Munster ones.
As expected, Shane O’Donnell was crowned Hurler of the Year, following an outstanding season for the Éire Óg Ennis clubman whose contributions helped ensure both Allianz league and Liam MacCarthy titles were won by the Banner County this year. The powerful forward has enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance since he was chosen as a surprise starter in the 2013 All-Ireland final replay against Cork and delivered a POTM performance that included a hat-trick of goals inside the first twenty minutes at Croker as a fresh 19-year-old. In this season’s championship, O’Donnell notched a personal tally of 2-14 as Brian Lohan’s outfit reached the pinnacle and claimed the top honors.
The Banner’s double winning season saw a further five players pick up awards. Another double was secured when Adam Hogan collected the Young Hurler of the Year award, along with his All-Star. The Feakle man was thoroughly impressive in his defensive role, shackling some top forwards, including our own Eoin Cody as he proved to be a real ‘sticky’ marker. It wasn’t just at intercounty level that Hogan thrived, he also added a Fitzgibbon Cup with Mary Immaculate College this year, and recently secured the Clare senior club title as Feakle defeated Sixmilebridge by 7 points.
Tulla’s David McInerney picked up his second All-Star, as did Inagh-Kilnamona’s versatile David Fitzgerald while there was a first award for Scariff clubman Mark Rodgers who notched 1-3 in this year’s final. Meanwhile Tony Kelly became Clare’s most decorated All-Star when we picked up his 5th award. The Ballyea man scored 1-4 in the win over Cork, with his 51st minute goal being a thing of absolute beauty. Of the Clare men that missed out, I would say that Diarmuid Ryan and the evergreen John Conlon, were perhaps a little unlucky.
Beaten finalists Cork secured five awards on the night from their ten nominations. The Downey brothers, Eoin and Robert became the fourth set of siblings from the Rebel County to pick up All-Star awards, following in the footsteps of Ben and Jerry O’Connor, Tom and Jim Cashman, and Seán and Setanta Ó hAilpín. Providing a strong spine in the Cork team, Rob’s switch to the ‘6’ position was crucial in his side’s march to this year’s final. He also managed to showcase his attacking instincts when striking an early goal in the defeat to Clare. Charleville’s towering Darragh Fitzgibbon rightly picked up his second gong, following on from his 2018 award for some cracking displays in the engine room this season. Pat Ryan’s outfit also secured two awards in the forward division, with Blarney’s Shane Barrett and St Ita’s Seamus Harnedy picking up their first and third awards respectively, however there was no room for Pa Horgan, who would have been hoping to collect his fifth individual accolade.
Beaten semi-finalists Limerick, secured four awards, their lowest return in a while in a season that yielded only a 25th Munster title. Nickie Quaid collected his third award, the Effin clubman taking the netminder position ahead of the unlucky Patrick Collins. The Treaty had two defensive lynchpins selected, Ahane’s Dan Morrissey and Kildimo-Pallaskenry’s Kyle Hayes awarded their fourth and fifth All-Stars respectively. As you would expect, there was some commentary around the latter’s suitability for the award given his off-field activity. The final one of John Kiely’s troops selected, was St Patrick’s Gearóid Hegarty, who added a fourth gong to his name.
Kilkenny had four nominees going into last week’s ceremony, Huw Lawlor, David Blanchfield, Cian Kenny and John Donnelly. Having lost out to Clare in both the Allianz League final and All-Ireland semi-final, the current Leinster champions became the first side since Tipp in 2012 to win a provincial title and not collect an All-Star award. Personally, our best chances probably lay with Cian Kenny and John Donnelly.
Both players had their best seasons in the black and amber to date, James Stephens clubman Cian Kenny was one of Derek Lyng’s most consistent performers, operating in midfield, while Thomastown’s John Donnelly brought his tremendous club form into Kilkenny stripes as he tried to ignite the forward unit throughout both league and championship campaigns. In the end, Kenny lost out to Clare’s Tony Kelly while JD was pipped to the half forward line by the Rebel’s Seamus Harnedy.
While the All-Stars are not as important as having a Celtic Cross in your back pocket, the lack of a Noreside representative will hurt, and next season’s panel of Cats will be eager to try and end the Liam MacCarthy drought for the Marble City. The appointment of Thomastown’s championship winning manager Noel Doherty to Derek Lyng’s backroom team should be a boost to the county ahead of another season of great expectations.
