Limerick hurling defensive duo on short-list for PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year

THERE are two Limerick players among the three nominees for the 2022 PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year.

Treaty defenders Diarmaid Byrnes and Barry Nash are joined on the short-list by Kilkenny’s TJ Reid.

The Hurler of the Year accolade will be voted on exclusively by the inter-county players themselves via the GPA.

The PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year will be announced at a black-tie PwC All-Stars banquet in Dublin’s Convention Centre on Friday, October 28. 

Byrnes and Nash are bidding to be the fourth Limerick win in the Hurler of the Year across the last five years - Cian Lynch (2018 and ‘21) and Gearoid Hegarty (2020).

Indeed the duo could become the first defender to win the award since Kilkenny’s Tommy Walsh in 2009.

Limerick dominate PwC All-Stars hurling nominations with 12 players on short-list

Both Byrnes and Nash are also among the 12 Limerick nominations for PwC All-Stars.

Wing back Byrnes is seeking a third successive All-Star, while corner back Nash won his first last year.

Byrnes will be bidding to return the Hurler of the Year award to the Patrickswell club, who boasted Cian Lynch as the 2018 and 2021 winner. The towering wing back scored 0-36 (six from play) across Limerick’s seven game run to the Liam MacCarthy Cup title win.

Nash will be looking to return the national individual honour to South Liberties, who had Eamonn Grimes as the 1973 Texaco Hurler of the Year - one of the precursors to the PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year.

Fellow nominee TJ Reid was the 2015 PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year and was also on the short-list in 2014 and ‘19. Indeed Reid in 2015 was the last Kilkenny player to win the award.

Current holder Eoin Cody is again short-listed for the Young Hurler of the Year award, and is named along his Kilkenny team-mate Mikey Butler and Cork’s Ciarán Joyce.