In total, eight of the 11 Liam MacCarthy Cup counties are represented on the nominations list
Tipperary duo John McGrath and Jake Morris will battle it out with Cork’s Brian Hayes for the PwC Hurler of the Year award. If McGrath lifts the award – voted for by the GPA’s inter-county membership – it would cap a remarkable renaissance year when he won his Tipperary place back and went on to land his third All-Ireland title.
McGrath (31) hit 7-16 from play with his goals absolutely vital in Tipperary’s against the head All-Ireland triumph.
Morris’ star has been on the rise in recent years as he developed into the leader of the Tipperary attack, starting at centre half forward and then moving to the wing, having previously been an inside attacker.
Cork’s Hayes, like McGrath, scored vital goals this year, hitting 5-9 from play, and causing mayhem in opposition defences with his size and ball winning ability giving the Rebels a different dimension in attack.
Hayes’ Cork team mate Patrick Horgan was also nominated for an All Star a matter of hours after he announced his retirement from inter-county hurling.
Meanwhile, the Young Hurler of the Year is between Limerick’s Adam English and Tipperary duo Robert Doyle and Darragh McCarthy.
The Hurler of the Year and Young Hurler of the Year will be unveiled live on RTE from a gala dinner at Dublin’s RDS on Friday November 7 with the All Star team revealed the day before.
All-Ireland champions Tipperary lead the way with 13 PwC All Star Hurling nominations, while last year’s winners – Clare – have no-one shortlisted this year. The Tipp contingent includes all six defenders and five forwards, with the only players who started the All-Ireland Final triumph over Cork to miss out, under-20 Sam O’Farrell and midfielder Conor Stakelum.
Cork, who this year suffered back-to-back All-Ireland Final defeats, have 11 nominees. The only Rebels who started the Tipperary loss not to be nominated are the Downey brothers – full back Eoin who was unfortunate to be sent off in the final on two yellow cards, and skipper Robert – as well as wing forwards Diarmuid Healy and Declan Dalton.
In total, eight of the 11 Liam MacCarthy Cup counties are represented on the nominations list: Tipperary, Cork, Dublin, Kilkenny, Limerick, Galway, Waterford and Wexford.
The only counties without a nomination are Offaly, Antrim and Clare.
Wexford secured one nomination with Lee Chin getting the nod from the selectors. Waterford have two players on the shortlist, Stephen Bennett and Mark Fitzgerald. And while Dublin have four players nominated in John Bellew, Conor Burke, Cian O’Sullivan and Sean Currie, eyebrows will be raised in some quarters at the absence of their defensive rock, Paddy Smyth.
Burke delivered a sensational display in the shock All-Ireland quarter-final victory over Limerick, while Bellew delivered some strong displays in defence.
Currie finished top scorer in the entire championship with 4-68 (80), while O’Sullivan was a constant goal threat.
He was the joint highest scorer from play in the Championship with 4-22 (34) level with Tipperary goal machine John McGrath (7-16), who is also nominated for an All Star and the Player of the Year award.
Only Jake Morris – another Hurler of the Year nominee – scored more points from play in the Championship than O’Sullivan, with 24.
The list is littered with the best goalscorers in the country including Cork’s Brian Hayes, who shot 5–9 from play and Kilkenny’s Martin Keogan, who was good for 6-15.
The man who posted the highest tally in a single Championship game, Galway’s Cathal Mannion – 0-17 against Wexford – also earned a nomination.
Mannion – listed at midfield – was Galway’s sole nominee.
Only five of last year’s All Star team are nominated: Limerick trio Nickie Quaid, Dan Morrissey and Kyle Hayes, as well as Cork duo Darragh Fitzgibbon and Shane Barrett.
It’s a measure of how Tipperary have come from relative obscurity that they didn’t have a single nomination last year and 12 months on they have 13.
The full county by county breakdown is: Tipperary (13), Cork (11), Limerick (7), Kilkenny (6), Dublin (4), Waterford (2), Galway (1), Wexford (1).
Limerick’s seven are Quaid, Morrissey, Hayes, Aaron Gillane, Cian Lynch, Mike Casey and Adam English.
The goalkeeper slot is a battle between Tipperary’s Rhys Shelly, Cork’s Patrick Collins and Quaid, with Shelly’s excellent puck outs at Croke Park likely to have him in pole position.
While the attack and defence are more fluid, midfield is a straight two from six: Willie Connors, Darragh Fitzgibbon, Tim O’Mahony, Cathal Mannion, Cian Kenny and Adam English.
The early money would be on Fitzgibbon with Kenny a likely partner.
Saying that, the selectors do have the power to move players to different areas of the field.
PwC Hurling All Star Nominations 2025
Goalkeepers
Rhys Shelly (Tipperary), Patrick Collins (Cork), Nickie Quaid (Limerick)
Defenders
Tipperary: Eoghan Connolly, Ronan Maher, Robert Doyle, Michael Breen, Bryan O’Meara, Craig Morgan.
Cork: Seán O’Donoghue, Niall O’Leary, Mark Coleman, Ciaran Joyce.
Kilkenny: Michael Carey, Huw Lawlor.
Dublin: Conor Burke, John Bellew
Limerick: Mike Casey, Kyle Hayes, Dan Morrissey
Waterford: Mark Fitzgerald
Midfield
Cork: Darragh Fitzgibbon, Tim O’Mahony
Kilkenny: Cian Kenny
Tipperary: Willie Connors
Galway: Cathal Mannion
Limerick: Adam English
Forwards
Tipperary: Jake Morris, Andrew Ormond, Darragh McCarthy, Jason Forde, John McGrath
Cork: Shane Barrett, Alan Connolly, Brian Hayes, Patrick Horgan
Kilkenny: Billy Ryan, Martin Keoghan, TJ Reid
Limerick: Aaron Gillane, Cian Lynch
Dublin: Cian O’Sullivan, Sean Currie
Wexford: Lee Chin
Waterford: Stephen Bennett
Player Of The Year Nominees:
John McGrath (Tipperary), Jake Morris (Tipperary), Brian Hayes (Cork)
Young Player Of The Year Nominees:
Adam English (Limerick), Darragh McCarthy (Tipperary), Robert Doyle(Tipperary)
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