Cats dominate hurling All Star selections
October 18, 2008
Three-in-a-row All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champions Kilkenny have dominated this year's All Star selections with nine representatives on the team in all.
The annual team was revealed at last night's 'Player of the Year' presentations in the City West Hotel in Dublin where Kilkenny's Eoin Larkin was named 'Hurler of the Year' and Galway's Joe Canning landed the 'Young Player of the Year' awards.
Larkin and Canning also picked up their first All Star awards along with Tipperary pair Conor O'Mahony and young midfield sensation Shane McGrath, after the Premier County's National League and Munster Championship triumphs.
Incredibly, Henry Shefflin last night collected his eighth All Star award in nine seasons, while team mate Tommy Walsh won his sixth All Star award in-a-row with the Cats, this year being chosen in the right half-back position.
There were four four-time winners across the team, Tipperary's Brendan Cummins and JJ Delaney, Michael Kavanagh, Eddie Brennan all of Kilkenny. Cats captain James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick landed his third award in-a-row at centre-field alongside Shane McGrath.
Out from Kilkenny and Tipperary, there are only three other counties represented on the team, with Cork, Waterford and Galway all having one player each in the forward line.
2008 All Star Hurling team:
1 Brendan Cummins (Tipperary) 4th award (2000, 2001, 2003)
2 Michael Kavanagh (Kilkenny) 4th award (2002,2003, 2007)
3 Noel Hickey (Kilkenny) 3rd award (2000, 2003)
4 Jackie Tyrrell (Kilkenny) 2nd award (2007)
5 Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny) 6th award (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
6 Conor O'Mahony (Tipperary) 1st award
7 JJ Delaney (Kilkenny) 4th award (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)
8 James 'Cha' Fitzpatrick (Kilkenny) 3rd award (2006, 2007)
9 Shane McGrath (Tipperary) 1st award
10 Ben O'Connor (Cork) 2nd award (2005)
11 Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny) 8th award (2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007)
12 Eoin Larkin (Kilkenny) 1st award
13 Eddie Brennan (Kilkenny) 4th award (2003, 2006, 2007)
14 Eoin Kelly (Waterford) 2nd award (2002)
15 Joe Canning (Galway) 1st award
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