Limerick hurler poised to join elite club of sporting legends
.jpeg?trim=38,0,39,0&crop=&width=640&quality=70&enable=upscale)
Gearoid Hegarty was also named the player of the year by the Sunday Game’s panel of experts
GEAROID Hegarty is hot favourite to claim the prestigious Hurler of the Year award.
This is despite the remarkable stat that the big St Patrick’s wing forward didn’t score in either the All-Ireland semi-final or last Sunday’s Liam MacCarthy Cup decider.
‘Hego’ was named RTE’s man of the match against Clare in Croke Park with a sublime aerial display, catching numerous puckouts. He was also named the player of the year by the Sunday Game’s panel of experts.
The six-time All-Ireland winner was influential in ball-winning and setting up scores in the final against Galway as Limerick ran out 11-point winners.
Should he take the gong, it would be a second crown for the St Patrick’s man - he was named Hurler of the Year in 2020. Cian Lynch has won the award twice (2018 and 2021) while Diarmaid Byrnes (2022) and Aaron Gillane (2023) are the other Limerick men to win the award.
Patrickswell man Lynch and Henry Shefflin (2002, 2006 and 2012) and the only players to win the award on more than one occasion.
Odds-makers have very little doubt that Hegarty will get the nod when the announcement is made later in the year.
Byrnes and Nickie Quaid are next on the list of favourites with the likes of All-Ireland final man of the match Cathal O’Neill, Lynch, Kyle Hayes and Will O’Donoghue given outside changes.
It is entirely possible - perhaps even likely - that all three nominees will be from the Treaty County. This was the case twice before, in 2021 Hayes and Sean Finn were runners up while two years later Hayes and Byrnes were nominated.
Should the Kildimo-Pallaskenry get shortlisted he will join a prestigious list of legends of the sport who have been nominated for Hurler of the Year three times - Tommy Walsh, Joe Canning, TJ Reid, Seamus Callanan as well as Shefflin the only players with that particular honour.
The All Star team is also poised to be dominated by Limerick players after this one-sided final.
Galway of course will be expecting three, if not four, spots on the team with perhaps the likes of Cork’s Brian Hayes and Peter Duggan of Clare in line for awards.
Other All-Ireland winning teams from the county have also received numerous All-Stars. In 2018, there were six Treaty players selected.
Limerick received nine All-Stars in 2020, a record-breaking 12 in 2021, seven in both 2022 and 2023.
Last year was the first since 2017 that no Limerick player made the team.
2024 champions Clare had six on the All-Star teams while seven Tipperary players were awarded last year.