All-Ireland champions Tipperary claimed seven places on the PwC Hurling All-Stars 2025 team, which includes 10 first time winners, with the All-Ireland finalists taking a combined 11 spots.
Liam Cahill’s side – who went from bottom place in the Munster SHC to All-Ireland champions in the space of 14 months – took just under half of the spots on the team,with captain Ronan Maher and John McGrath the only previous winners.
Munster champions Cork took four places on the team, with Hurler of the Year nominee Brian Hayes named at corner-forward, while Darragh Fitzgibbon claims his third gong at midfield.
Elsewhere, Leinster champions Kilkenny claimed two All-Stars, in the full-back line and the full-forward line, while Dublin and galway are both represented with one apiece.
The All-Stars ceremony will take place on Friday at the RDS in dublin,where the Footballer of the Year and Hurler of the Year/hurling team will be named live on RTÉ one and RTÉ Player.
Goalkeeper
Rhys Shelly (Tipperary)
The 24-year old goalkeeper has yet to begin a championship campaign as Tipperary’s No. 1 but has now picked up his first All-Star.
The Moycarkey-borris player displaced Barry Hogan in goals for the do-or-die clash against Clare in their Round 3 Munster SHC game in Ennis. tipperary proceeded to win every game from then on.
Shelly conceded just six goals in six championship games and he impressed with the range and accuracy of his puckouts.
With the All-Ireland final essentially won, the always vocal Shelly finished the season with a proper flourish, saving a penalty and becoming the first keeper to score from play in a hurling final, landing a monstrous point from 69 metres.
Full-back line
Robert Doyle (Tipperary)
!Robert Doyle of Tipperary lifts the Liam MacCarthy cup
The GAA have more to thank him for than they might like to let on publicly. Doyle’s block on the line from John Donnelly’s last-ditch goal attempt in the All-Ireland semi-final was initially thought to have averted extra-time.
It transpired later that it prevented a one-point Kilkenny victory – and a whole world of controversy.
It’s a testament to the Clonoulty-Rossmore player’s versatility that he operates at corner-forward for his club yet picks up an All-Star at corner-back.
Did several stellar man-marking jobs over the course of the campaign, most notably on Alan Connolly in the All-Ireland final.Was also charged with shackling Dessie Hutchinson, Tony Kelly and Eoin Cody.
Huw lawlor (Kilkenny)
!Huw Lawlor of Kilkenny before the semi-final match
A third All-Star for the O’Loughlin Gaels player who has the misfortune of his career coinciding with a lean period for Kilkenny at All-Ireland level.
Long regar
Cork’s half-back line has evolved from a notorious weakness into a strength as Joyce’s arrival into the set-up.
Midfield
Darragh Fitzgibbon (Cork)
A third All-Star and a second on the trot for Fitzgibbon, who likely would have been a Hurler of the Year nominee prior to the All-Ireland final implosion.
The charleville player is the complete midfielder in many ways,though is more regarded as a free-scoring attacking player than a Will O’Donoghue style workhorse.
Hit 0-04 in the Munster decider and took home the Man of the Match award after Cork dethroned Limerick in memorable fashion last June.
Nailed a ’65 with the last play to ensure the match went to penalties. That he missed one in the shootout wasn’t held against him.
Cathal Mannion (Galway)
The westerners might potentially be stuck in a transitional rut but Mannion’s form has remained peerless thru it all.
He landed 0-10, four from play, on a day when Galway were otherwise insipid in their championship opener away to Kilkenny.
his signature display came in their Round 3 victory at home to Wexford, when he landed a whopping 0-17, six coming from play.
It’s Mannion’s second All-Star, which, oddly, comes a full 10 years after his first one back in 2015.
Half-forward line
Jake Morris (Tipperary)
The Sunday Game panel have already anointed Morris as their player of the year, though it remains to be seen whether he’ll take the gong at the RDS.
A consistent scorer throughout the campaign, Morris hit 0-05 from play in the quarter-final win over Galway, 0-04 from play against Kilkenny. Oddly, the only bum note came in the final when he scored just two points and his radar was slightly askew.
It’s a first All-Star in a season where Morris picked up his second All-Ireland medal, albeit his first as a starting forward.In the between, he was heavily relied upon during Tipp’s lean half-decade. Those dog days may be over now.
Andrew Ormond (Tipperary)
2025 All-Star Hurling Team Nominees: Keoghan, McGrath, and Hayes Highlight contenders
The nominees for the 2025 PwC All-Star Awards have been announced, recognizing the top hurling talent of the season. Several players have emerged as strong contenders,including Kilkenny’s Eoin Keoghan,Tipperary’s John McGrath,and Cork’s brian Hayes. The awards ceremony will be broadcast on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player on Friday,with live coverage also available on the RTÉ News App and rte.ie/sport.
Eoin Keoghan (Kilkenny)
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Eoin Keoghan has earned his first All-Star nomination, continuing a family tradition as the son of Liam Keoghan, who was named at wing-back on the 1997 All-Star team. Keoghan enjoyed a prolific championship, scoring an notable 6-15 from play. He found the net in all five of his Leinster Senior Hurling Championship (SHC) appearances, with a rest given for the match against Wexford. Notably,he scored a combined 4-06 across three games against Galway and Dublin. despite a remarkably consistent scoring record, including 0-06 from play in the semi-final against Tipperary, Kilkenny ultimately suffered defeat in that match.
John McGrath (Tipperary)
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John McGrath is considered a frontrunner for the full-forward position and was a nominee for hurler of the Year. His performance marked a significant return to form after recovering from an Achilles tendon rupture sustained in 2022. McGrath finished the season with seven goals, just one short of Seamus callanan’s record of eight goals from the 2019 season. He scored two goals in the Munster opener against Limerick, another two in the away game against Clare, one in the semi-final against Kilkenny, and a brace in the All-Ireland final against Cork, a performance he described as exceeding Tipperary’s expectations.
Brian Hayes (Cork)
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Brian Hayes, a dual player with St Finbarr’s, is also in contention for an All-Star award. While his chances for Hurler of the Year may have been impacted by the all-Ireland final, where Tipperary strategically deployed an extra defender to limit his influence, his potency was clearly recognized by the opposition. hayes scored five goals throughout the campaign, including two each against Clare and Dublin. He was a key figure in Cork’s Munster final victory over Limerick,tormenting their defense and providing an assist for Patrick Horgan’s equalizing score in the final seconds of normal time.