The 2017 Galway Senior and Intermediate Club All-Star Hurling Teams were announced on Galway Bay FM on Thursday, 21st December with 11 clubs represented across the two tiers.
Tommy Devane joined John Mulligan on the radio’s ‘Over The Line’ show to announce the winners.
The fifth annual Awards are sponsored by McCarthy’s in Kilbeacanty and the presentations will take place at a function early in the New Year.
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New county champions Liam Mellows are honoured with six players in the senior line-up after winning their first title since 1970. Goalkeeper Kenneth Walsh, whose post-match song went viral, is joined by defenders Sean Morrissey and joint captain David Collins, midfielder Jack Hastings, and forwards Tadhg Haran and Adrian Morrissey.
Morrissey recently collected the Club Team of the Year award at the Galway Bay FM Sports Review of the Year.
Runners-up Gort only have two representatives with Aidan Harte and Aidan Helebert selected while their semi-final victims Craughwell are honoured with four winners – Gerard O’Halloran, Adrian Cullinane, Shane Dolan and Niall Healy.
The other semi-finalists Cappataggle have two players (Declan Cronin and Paul Claffey) while Joe Canning maintains his impressive list of awards by taking the centre forward spot for Portumna.
Nine players are represented for the first time – Walsh, O’Halloran, Morrissey, Cronin, Claffey, Collins, Hastings, Dolan and Morrissey. However, Cronin did win an intermediate award in 2014. Haran (2015) and Helebert (2016) win their second awards.
Helebert is one of two men from the 2016 team with Healy (2015, 2016) picking up his third gong as has clubmate Cullinane (2014, 2015) and Gort’s Harte (2014, 2016). Canning is a now a four-time winner having received awards in 2013, 2014 and 2015.
County champions Ballinderreen have five players on the intermediate list. Colm and Kieran Meehan, and Sean Collins are in defence, Kevin Lane occupies midfield with Roy Lane named at corner forward.
Runners-up Meelick/Eyrecourt also have five named – James Burke, Martin Corcoran, Michael Larkin, James Downey and Niall Lynch.
Semi-Finalists Rahoon/Newcastle and Oranmore/Maree share three gongs between them. Goalkeeper Brian Kelly and defender John Hanbury represent the city side and Niall Burke for Oranmore/Maree at wing forward.
The team is completed by National Young Player of the Year Conor Whelan from Kinvara and corner forward Cillian O’hEochaidh from An Spideal.
Eight players receive their first award – Burke, Kieran Meehan, Collins, Corcoran, Larkin, Downey, Lynch and O’hEochaidh. Kelly (2014), Kevin Lane (2014), Hanbury (2016), Roy Lane (2016) and Burke (2016) are acknowledged for the second time.
There are five winners from the 2016 line-up including Hanbury, Roy Lane and Burke. Whelan (2015, 2016) gets his third consecutive award but is outdone by Ballinderreen’s Colm Meehan (2014, 2015, 2016) who is on the intermediate team for the fourth year-in-a-row.
2017 Senior And Intermediate Hurling Club All Stars Announced https://t.co/CT5J5yRiwz
— Galway Bay FM Sport (@gbfmsports) December 21, 2017
Senior Hurling Team 2017: Kenneth Walsh (Liam Mellows); Gerard O’Halloran (Craughwell), Sean Morrissey (Liam Mellows), Declan Cronin (Cappataggle); Paul Claffey (Cappataggle), David Collins (Liam Mellows), Adrian Cullinane (Craughwell); Aidan Harte (Gort), Jack Hastings (Liam Mellows); Tadhg Haran (Liam Mellows), Joe Canning (Portumna), Aidan Helebert (Gort); Shane Dolan (Craughwell), Niall Healy (Craughwell), Adrian Morrissey (Liam Mellows).
Intermediate Hurling Team 2017: Brian Kelly (Rahoon/Newcastle); James Burke (Meelick/Eyrecourt), Colm Meehan (Ballinderreen), Kieran Meehan (Ballinderreen); John Hanbury (Rahoon/Newcastle), Sean Collins (Ballinderreen), Martin Corcoran (Meelick/Eyrecourt); Michael Larkin (Meelick/Eyrecourt), Kevin Lane (Ballinderreen); Niall Burke (Oranmore/Maree), Conor Whelan (Kinvara), James Downey (Meelick/Eyrecourt); Roy Lane (Ballinderreen), Niall Lynch (Meelick/Eyrecourt), Cillian O’hEochaidh (An Spideal).
