Limerick’s Cian Lynch and Tyrone’s Kieran McGeary take Player of the Year titles

Cian Lynch joins the distinguished ranks of those honoured by more than one Hurler of the Year award after it was announced at Friday night's PwC All Stars ceremony that Lynch had been elected for a second time, three years after his first in 2018.

Previous multi-award winners are Henry Shefflin (2002, 2006 and 2012), Brian Corcoran (1992 and 1999) and Brian Whelahan (1994 and 1998).

It is doubtful though if any previous winner dominated a season as completely as the Limerick centre forward. After the All-Ireland final rout of Cork, The Irish Times hurling analyst Nicky English had this to say.

“He’s only 25 but he has three All-Ireland medals and is on course to become one of the greatest hurlers ever seen, fulfilling the immense promise he’s shown all the way up through his Fitzgibbon Cup days with Mary I.

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“Yesterday he was conducting the orchestra, running the show. When they have been under real pressure this year and particularly in the first half of the Munster final against Tipperary, when the ship was in danger of running aground, he was the one who kept it off the rocks. Hurler of the Year – without a shadow of a doubt.”

So it proved.

His football counterpart is Kieran McGeary, the versatile Tyrone middle-third player, who epitomised the fluency of the new All-Ireland champions’ style of play.

Man-of-the-match in three of the county’s contests in a little heralded march to a fourth All-Ireland in the first year of Feargal Logan’s and Brian Dooher’s management, McGeary gave a keynote display in the All-Ireland semi-final defeat of Kerry.

Tirelessly working up and down the flanks as a link man and auxiliary attacker, he was still getting in telling tackles late in extra-time. He was named Footballer of the Month for August and was a favourite for the annual award once Mayo were defeated in the final.

The young players of the year threw up an unusual combination in that both were retaining their award from last year: 21-year old Oisín Mullin of Mayo and Kilmaine won an All Star in his rookie season last year and whereas he battled injury this summer – to the point that his absence from the team that beat Dublin in the All-Ireland semi-final was initially taken as dooming Mayo’s chances – but had enjoyed an exceptional Connacht championship.

The year ended with his loss to the county becoming long-term with news that he had signed for AFL club Geelong in Melbourne.

Eoin Cody’s selection in hurling makes it the third year running that Ballyhale Shamrocks have taken the young hurler accolade. He continued to be a major threat in the Leinster champions’ full-forward line and although there was no club championship this year because of Covid restrictions, his club is currently in pursuit of a third successive All-Ireland title.