Champions Limerick smash all records with 12 players on the All Stars hurling team

ALL-IRELAND champions Limerick have won a record-breaking 12 PwC GAA/GPA Hurling All-Stars.

It's the first time in hurling or football that any county has entered double-digits in any one All-Stars selection since the award commenced in 1971.

Kilkenny (1983, 2000, 2008) and Limerick (2020) both won nine hurling awards previously, while in football Dublin (1977 and 2020) and Kerry (1981) also reached nine.

But Limerick have now broken all previous records after a campaign that saw John Kiely's men retain the Liam MacCarthy Cup for the first time ever.

There are five first-time winners from Limerick - Barry Nash, William O'Donoghue, Darragh O'Donovan, Seamus Flanagan and Peter Casey.

The 12 awards in 2021 moves Limerick onto 76 All-Star awards since the scheme was introduced in 1971. That is spread across 42 players and 18 clubs. Indeed it's 29 awards and 17 players since Limerick's break through year of 2018.

Since 1971, the county-by-county player breakdown is Kilkenny (70), Cork (52), Galway (49), Tipperary (48) and then Limerick on (42), with Clare next on 30.

All-Ireland hurling champions Limerick play Tipperary or Kerry in first game of 2022

All 15 members of Limerick's All-Ireland final day team were nominated for awards - goalkeeper Nickie Quaid, full back Dan Morrissey and corner forward Aaron Gillane the players to miss out and all three were among the nine Limerick winners last year.

Quaid was beaten to the goalkeeping position by Kilkenny's Eoin Murphy.

In defence, Limerick secure five of the six places.

Sean Finn wins his fourth successive award - joining Joe McKenna (6), Pat Hartigan (5) and Gary Kirby (4) as Limerick hurlers to win four or more.

Alongside Finn in the full back line, Barry Nash wins his first All-Star. He joins fellow South Liberties men McKenna, Hartigan and Eamonn Grimes as All-Star winners.

It's a Limerick half back line of Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon and Kyle Hayes.

There is also a Limerick monopoly in midfield with Wiliam O'Donoghue and Darragh O'Donovan both first time recipients. O'Donoghue joins Damien Quigley and Shane Dowling as Na Piarsaigh winners, while O'Donovan joins Richie English as a Doon All-Star winner.

There is another Limerick trio in the half forward line - Gearoid Hegarty, Cian Lynch and Tom Morrissey. The Lynch award is the 20th All-Star won by the Patrickswell club, across nine players. 

In the full forward line, Limerick first time All-Star winners Seamus Flanagan and Peter Casey are joined by Clare's Tony Kelly.

The teams was chosen by a panel of Gaelic Games correspondents from across, print, radio, TV and digital media, chaired by GAA President Larry McCarthy.

In light of the on-going pandemic and its restrictions, a decision was taken not to proceed with the traditional presentation banquet. However, the event will still be showcased live by RTE 1 television in a special programme this Friday at 7pm.

The PwC All-Stars for Football 2021 will be announced live on the night of the awards which also see the naming of the PwC GAA/GPA Players of the Year in hurling and football as well as the Young Players of the Year in both codes.

TEAM: Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny); Seán Finn (Bruff, Limerick), Conor Prunty (Abbeyside, Waterford), Barry Nash (South Liberties, Limerick); Diarmaid Byrnes (Patrickswell, Limerick), Declan Hannon (Adare, Limerick), Kyle Hayes (Kildimo-Pallaskenry, Limerick); William O’Donoghue (Na Piarsaigh, Limerick), Darragh O’Donovan (Doon, Limerick); Gearoid Hegarty (St Patrick’s, Limerick), Cian Lynch (Patrickswell, Limerick), Tom Morrissey (Ahane, Limerick); Tony Kelly (Ballyea, Clare), Seamus Flanagan (Feohanagh-Castlemahon, Limerick), Peter Casey (Na Piarsaigh, Limerick).