Cats top list with 14 of panel named

ALL-IRELAND hurling champions Kilkenny lead the nominees for the 2011 All Stars with 14 of their panel up for individual recognition.

The awards system sees some notable changes, having amalgamated with the Gaelic Players Association awards, while also taking on sponsors Opel.

The All Star teams in football and hurling will be selected by a committee of print and broadcast journalists (not just written media as stated in yesterday’s Irish Times). A selection committee will also draw up the nominations for footballer and hurler of the year as well as the young footballer and hurler of the year. However, it is the players who will vote on these four winners.

The teams will be selected on October 19th, with the awards to be presented the following night at the National Convention Centre.

It will be confirmed next Tuesday if one of the All Star teams will be released in advance of the awards or if both will be named, live on RTÉ, that night.

Tipperary and Dublin both have 10 nominees, Waterford six, Limerick three and two Galway hurlers make up the 45-man list.

The five hurlers of the month are: Dublin’s Conal Keaney (May), Tipperary’s Pádraic Maher (June), Lar Corbett (July), Kilkenny’s Michael Fennelly (August) and Tommy Walsh.

GAA-GPA Hurling All-Star Nominees

Goalkeepers

Gary Maguire Dublin

David Herity Kilkenny

Brendan Cummins Tipperary

Full Backs

Paul Murphy Kilkenny

Niall Corcoran Dublin

Paul Curran Tipperary

Peter Kelly Dublin

Jackie Tyrrell Kilkenny

Michael Cahill Tipperary

Tom Condon Limerick

David Collins Galway

Noel Hickey Kilkenny

Half backs

Tommy Walsh Kilkenny

JJ Delaney Kilkenny

Pádraic Maher Tipperary

Brian Hogan Kilkenny

Joey Boland Dublin

Michael Walsh Waterford

Conor O’Mahony Tipperary

Shane Durkan Dublin

Tony Browne Waterford

Midfielders

Donal O’Grady Limerick

Michael Fennelly Kilkenny

Kevin Moran Waterford

Liam Rushe Dublin

Gearóid Ryan Tipperary

Johnny McCaffrey Dublin

Half Forwards

Henry Shefflin Kilkenny

Richie Power Kilkenny

Patrick Maher Tipperary

Conal Keaney Dublin

Ryan O’Dwyer Dublin

Declan Hannon Limerick

Michael Rice Kilkenny

Noel McGrath Tipperary

Pauric Mahony Waterford

Full forwards

Lar Corbett Tipperary

Richie Hogan Kilkenny

Colin Fennelly Kilkenny

Paul Ryan Dublin

Shane Walsh Waterford

John Mullane Waterford

Eoin Larkin Kilkenny

Eoin Kelly Tipperary

Joe Canning Galway