THE question was ‘how many?’ and the answer is 12. All-conquering Limerick yet again left little room for others at hurling’s top table as they monopolised the 2021 Allstar awards.
After a summer in which John Kiely’s men retained both their Munster and All-Ireland senior hurling crowns there was room for just three non-Limerick players – Eoin Murphy, Conor Prunty and Tony Kelly – on the Allstar panel for 2021.
Among the standout performances of Limerick’s Championship campaign was the second-half comeback against Tipperary in the Munster final. The Treaty were 10 points behind at the break that day, but Cian Lynch emerged from the dressing room to bewitch the opposition with perfectly timed passing and brilliant ball winning in a famous comeback. The Patrickswell clubman is rewarded with his third Allstar in the forward line.
In their All-Ireland final demolition of Cork at Croke Park in August, Gearóid Hegarty and Peter Casey were unplayable, Hegarty banging in two goals and Casey notching up 0-5 from play in an astonishing first-half display that ended the game as a contest. Unsurprisingly, the due are also among the Allstar 15, Hegarty collecting his second gong while this is Casey’s maiden award.
Aaron Gillane, who was his reliably ruthless self in the scoring stakes for the All-Ireland champions, may be disappointed he didn’t make it past the long-list, however. The Patrickswell native picked up Allstars in both 2019 and ’20 but couldn’t find a space in this year’s forward line.
Limerick also dominate in both defence and midfield on the panel. Five out of the six Allstar defenders are from the Treaty county, with captain Declan Hannon picking up his second award. The 28-year-old made history in August when he became the first captain since the legendary Christy Ring to lift the Liam MacCarthy Cup three times.
At midfield is the engine room of William O’Donoghue and Darragh O’Donovan which drove Limerick to their third All-Ireland success in the space of four years. O’Donoghue is Kiely’s enforcer on the pitch and although he has three MacCarthy Cups to his name, he is picking up his first Allstar. The unfailingly energetic O’Donovan also collects his maiden award.
If there is a surprise in this year’s selection it is probably that All-Ireland finalists Cork failed to muster a single award. Although the Rebels had nine players among the initial nominees, the likes of defensive stalwart Mark Coleman and Championship top scorer Patrick Horgan failed to make the final cut.
Kilkenny’s much decorated goalkeeper Eoin Murphy is the only man from outside Munster on this year’s Allstar 15 while Waterford captain Conor Prunty takes a place at the back. Tony Kelly, who was in fine form over the course of Clare’s four Championship games, gets his third gong.
To continue the trend, the battle for Player of the Year is an all-Limerick affair, with Cian Lynch the highly fancied favourite. Also in contention are defensive lynchpin Seán Finn, who picks up his fourth Allstar in succession, and Kyle Hayes, who was again scintillating when producing attacks from the back line.
The contest for Young Player of the Year is a Treaty free zone, however, with Kilkenny’s Eoin Cody, Shane Barrett of Cork and Clare’s Aidan McCarthy battling it out for the vote.
The players were supposed to collect their awards at a ceremony in Dublin’s Convention Centre this Friday night but in line with the reintroduction of some Covid-related restrictions that event has been cancelled. The players of the year will now be announced by live broadcast on RTÉ on Friday, starting at 7pm.
