O'Connor brothers break new ground

Hurling All Star awards: Ben and Jerry O'Connor have claimed possibly the last piece of All Star history by being named on the hurling team selection for 2005.reports

The Cork hurlers join the short list of brothers that have so far been honoured in either hurling or football, but also become the first set of twins to gain All Star awards - on the same team or otherwise.

Their inclusion on the 2005 selection was practically automatic given their role in helping Cork claim a second successive All-Ireland hurling title. As always, however, there are some controversial omissions, not least of all Cork goalkeeper Donal Óg Cusack.

Ben O'Connor gets his first award in the right-half forward position where he consistently produced superlative displays for Cork, including a score of 1-7 in the All-Ireland final. Jerry is named at midfield, thus repeating the honour he won for the first time last year.

The O'Connor brothers make up two of Cork's six representatives on the 2005 team, a slightly poorer return than normal for the reigning All-Ireland champions.

Cusack is definitely one of those unlucky to miss out, with the selection committee deciding instead to give the 2005 goalkeeping honour to Clare's Davy Fitzgerald. Clearly that position was one close call. And despite their memorable run to the All-Ireland semi-final, and narrow failure to make the final, Fitzgerald is Clare's sole representative.

Yet the All Stars by their very nature inevitably create such controversy. The 2005 football team will be announced live at tomorrow night's awards banquet in Dublin, and by then the debate surrounding the hurling team will only be getting going.

Beaten All-Ireland finalists Galway are the next best represented with four award winners, three for the first time, with Tipperary and Kilkenny claiming two positions - and Fitzgerald completing the team as Clare's only chosen one. Remarkably, Tipperary's two All Stars also come in a set of brothers, for the second time, with Paul Kelly selected at midfield and younger brother Eoin at full forward.

While selection in most positions was relatively straightforward, the debate this year will probably start with the goalkeeper - although there was no room either for other leading Cork contenders such as forward Brian Corcoran or midfielder Tom Kenny. One likely reason for Cusack's exclusion was the strength of Cork's full back line. While Cusack did little wrong throughout the summer, Cork's full back line was always seen as exceptionally strong, which ultimately took a bit of the pressure off the goalkeeper.

That strength is reflected in the fact that Diarmuid "The Rock" O'Sullivan is named in the full-back position for the fourth time, adding to previous awards won in 1999, 2000 and 2004. Pat Mulcahy is named in the right-full back position, with only Galway's Ollie Canning breaking Cork's dominance in that line by being named at left-full back. It's Canning's third All Star award, and Cork's Brian Murphy was one of the players he managed to beat to secure it.

Cork also dominate the half back line, with John Gardiner claiming his first All Star at centre back, and team captain Seán Óg Ó hAilpín claiming his third award at left-half back. Both selections were entirely expected. Galway's Derek Hardiman is rewarded for his exceptional season with the right-half back position, but again that probably involved some lengthy discussion.

Clare's Seanie McMahon, Limerick's Peter Lawlor and also Galway's David Collins were obvious contenders, with McMahon producing another flawless season at centre back. Gardiner was always going to be facilitated in the half back line, and remains on course for the hurler of the year award, but was accommodated at centre back after producing such an awesome display when moved there from the wing in Cork's epic semi-final win over Clare.

With Jerry O'Connor another certainty at midfield, the only question there was who would partner him. Galway's David Tierney was another leading candidate along with Kenny, but in the end the selectors went with Paul Kelly, who did lead Tipperary's revival on several occasions over the course of their quarter-final run.

Kelly's brother Eoin was also a certainty in the full forward line, and their selection extends the list of winner brothers to 17 (with another six in football). It's also Eoin's fourth award, remarkable for a 23-year-old, but the two other full forwards - Galway's Ger Farragher and Damien Hayes - receive their first award.

While Farragher was always assured of his place, Hayes had to beat off the likes of Séamus Prendergast (Waterford) and Corcoran. There was no room either in the forward line for the likes of Clare's Tony Carmody or Galway's Alan Kerins, both of whom played some of their best hurling when it mattered most.

Kilkenny's recent dominance in All Star hurling continues to be watered down, with forwards Henry Shefflin and Tommy Walsh taking their two awards for 2005. Shefflin didn't have an exceptional season by his own standards, but that's not to say he wasn't exceptional by general standards, and for that he is rewarded with his fifth All Star at centre forward. Walsh was also a model on consistency in Kilkenny's roller-coaster season, and claims his third award at left-half forward.

In total, six of last year's winners are again selected - O'Sullivan, Ó hAilpín, Jerry O'Connor, Shefflin, Walsh and Eoin Kelly. Cork's honours probably aren't over for the year, however, with one of yesterday's winners expected to be named as hurler of year at tomorrow night's banquet.