All-Ireland champions Tipperary have captured 13 nominations for the PwC All-Stars for 2025, and the Premier County also dominate the short lists for Hurler and Young Hurler of the Year, though captain Ronan Maher is surprisingly not in the running for the biggest prize.
The Hurler of the Year will be chosen by the playing fraternity and will be be one of this year’s outstanding sharp shooters: Tipp’s John McGrath (7-16 from play) and Jake Morris (0-24), and Cork’s Brian Hayes (5-09).
Maher was man of the match after the Premier County’s dominant final win over their neighbours in July and is among the All-Star nominees, as is Cork’s Patrick Horgan, who announced his retirement from inter-county hurling on Monday.
The Under 22 starlets for Young Hurler of the Year will also be voted on by players, between Adam English of Limerick and Tipperary duo Darragh McCarthy and Robert Doyle.
A meeting of GAA correspondents from across print, TV, radio and digital media, and chaired by GAA president Jarlath Burns, adjudicated yesterday on the elite list of 45 nominees, which is split across three goalkeepers, 18 defenders, six midfielders and 18 forwards.
The full breakdown of nominations is: Tipperary 13, Cork 11, Limerick seven, Kilkenny six, Dublin four, Waterford two and one each for Galway and Wexford.
Burns said: “Congratulations to the 45 players who have been shortlisted. To be included on this list after a pulsating season of hurling is a significant achievement, and due recognition for your efforts.
The PwC All-Stars will be presented at a gala black-tie event at Dublin’s RDS on Friday 7 November, which will be shown live on RTÉ. The nominees for the PwC All-Stars for football will be announced tomorrow morning.
PwC All-Stars Hurling 2025 Nominations
GOALKEEPERS
1 Rhys Shelly (Tipperary) (pictured)
2 Patrick Collins (Cork)
3 Nickie Quaid (Limerick)
DEFENDERS
1 Eoghan Connolly (Tipperary)
2 Ronan Maher (Tipperary)
3 Robert Doyle (Tipperary)
4 Michael Breen (Tipperary)
5 Bryan O’Mara (Tipperary)
6 Craig Morgan (Tipperary)
7 Seán O’Donoghue (Cork)
8 Niall O’Leary (Cork) (pictured)
9 Mark Coleman (Cork)
10 Ciaran Joyce (Cork)
11 Michael Casey (Limerick)
12 Kyle Hayes (Limerick)
13 Dan Morrissey (Limerick)
14 Michael Carey (Kilkenny)
15 Huw Lawlor (Kilkenny)
16 Conor Burke (Dublin)
17 John Bellew (Dublin)
18 Mark Fitzgerald (Waterford)
MIDFIELD
1 Darragh Fitzgibbon (Cork) (pictured)
2 Tim O’Mahony (Cork)
3 Cian Kenny (Kilkenny)
4 Adam English (Limerick)
5 Willie Connors (Tipperary)
6 Cathal Mannion (Galway)
FORWARDS
1 Jake Morris (Tipperary)
2 Andrew Ormond (Tipperary)
3 Darragh McCarthy (Tipperary)
4 Jason Forde (Tipperary)
5 John McGrath (Tipperary)
6 Shane Barrett (Cork)
7 Alan Connolly (Cork)
8 Brian Hayes (Cork)
9 Patrick Horgan (Cork) (above)
10 Aaron Gillane (Limerick)
11 Cian Lynch (Limerick)
12 Cian O’Sullivan (Dublin)
13 Seán Currie (Dublin)
14 Billy Ryan (Kilkenny)
15 Martin Keoghan (Kilkenny)
16 TJ Reid (Kilkenny)
17 Lee Chin (Wexford)
18 Stephen Bennett (Waterford)
YOUNG HURLER OF THE YEAR
Adam English (Limerick) (pictured)
Darragh McCarthy (Tipperary)
Robert Doyle (Tipperary)
HURLER OF THE YEAR
John McGrath (Tipperary)
Jake Morris (Tipperary)
Brian Hayes (Cork)
