Seven Limerick hurling All-Stars as Diarmaid Byrnes voted 2022 Hurler of the Year

LIMERICK picked up seven positions on the 2022 PwC All-Stars hurling team revealed this Friday evening.

John Kiely's All-Ireland SHC winners had 12 players on the short-list of 45 and with seven selected on the final team, which was announced live on RTE2 television from a black-tie banquet in Dublin’s Convention Centre.

Champions Limerick have seven winners in the PwC GAA-GPA All-Star hurling team. There are four players from beaten finalists Kilkenny, three for Clare and one from Galway to complete the team.

The Limerick seven are Nickie Quaid, Barry Nash, Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Gearoid Hegarty, Kyle Hayes and Aaron Gillane - all previous winners.

All seven of the Limerick players named pick up their second or third individual awards to illustrate their influence in recent seasons.

Also revealed during Friday evening’s live TV show was the 2022 PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year with Limerick defender Diarmaid Byrnes honoured ahead of Barry Nash and TJ Reid.

Byrnes is the fourth Limerick Hurler of the Year across the last five years - Cian Lynch (2018 and ‘21) and Gearoid Hegarty (2020).

Byrnes returns the Hurler of the Year award to the Patrickswell club, who boasted Cian Lynch as the 2018 and 2021 winner.

The Limerick wing back is the first defender to win the award since Kilkenny’s Tommy Walsh in 2009.

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

Goalkeeper Nickie Quaid won his second All-Star award in three years. This season was a fifth nomination for the Effin star.

In the full back line, Barry Nash also picked his second award - making is successive honours for the South Liberties man

Half back line colleagues Diarmaid Byrnes and Declan Hannon were both honoured for the third time.

It's a third successive award for the Patrickswell star, while Liam MacCarthy Cup winning captain Hannon receives his third award from a total of six nominations.

In attack Kyle Hayes and Gearoid Hegarty were recognised in the half forward line. It's a third award for both the Kildimo-Pallaskenry and St Patricks GAA club stars.

In the full forward line Patrickswell's Aaron Gillane also picked up a third award.

PwC All-Stars Hurling 2022

1. Nickie Quaid (Effin, Limerick) (Previous winner in 2020)

2. Mikey Butler (O’Loughlin Gaels, Kilkenny)

3. Huw Lawlor (O’Loughlin Gaels, Kilkenny)

4. Barry Nash (South Liberties, Limerick) (Previous winner 2020, 2021)

5. Diarmaid Byrnes (Patrickswell, Limerick) (Previous winner 2020, 2021)

6. Declan Hannon (Adare, Limerick) (Previous winner 2018, 2021)

7. Pádraic Mannion (Ahascragh-Fohenagh, Galway) (Previous winner 2017, 2018)

8. David Fitzgerald (Inagh-Kilnamona, Clare)

9. Adrian Mullen (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny)

10. Gearóid Hegarty (St. Patrick’s, Limerick) (Previous winner 2020, 2021)

11. Kyle Hayes (Kildimo-Pallaskenry, Limerick) (Previous winner 2020, 2021)

12. Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg, Clare)

13. Aaron Gillane (Patrickswell, Limerick) (Previous winner 2019, 2020)

14. TJ Reid (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny) (Previous winner 2012, 2014, 2015, 2019, 2020)

15. Tony Kelly (Ballyea, Clare) (Previous winner 2013, 2020, 2021)