Limerick's Byrnes and Hegarty up for POTY award

Limerick All-Ireland winners Diarmaid Byrnes and Gearoid Hegarty will go up against Cork forward Brian Hayes for this year's Hurler of the Year at the GAA's All-Star awards on 30 October.

Byrnes and Hegarty are former winners of the individual prize, having been chosen as top player in 2022 and 2020 respectively.

All-Ireland champions Limerick lead the way with 13 nominations for All-Star awards, the Treaty men having collected the Munster and National League crowns in 2026, in addition to the Liam MacCarthy Cup.

In total, eight counties are represented in the nominations, with beaten All-Ireland finalists Galway having 11 names on the list.

Cork have seven representatives, followed by three for semi-finalists Clare, while Dublin and Offaly, who both reached the quarter-finals, have three and two nominations respectively.

Waterford (two) and Kilkenny (one) complete the list.

Galway players Jason Rabbitte and Cillian Trayers, plus Cork's William Buckley, have been nominated for the Young Hurler of the Year award.

Goalkeepers: Billy Nolan (Waterford), Nickie Quaid (Limerick), Eibhear Quilligan (Clare)

Defenders: Sean Finn (Limerick), William O'Donoghue (Limerick), Barry Nash (Limerick), Diarmaid Byrnes (Limerick), Kyle Hayes (Limerick), Darren Morrissey (Galway), Padraic Mannion (Galway), Daithi Burke (Galway), Cillian Trayers (Galway), Ronan Glennon (Galway), Sean O'Donoghue (Cork), Niall O'Leary (Cork), Mark Coleman (Cork), Rob Downey (Cork), Niall O'Farrell (Clare), Diarmuid Ryan (Clare), Ben Conneely (Offaly), Paddy Smyth (Dublin)

Midfielders: Cian Lynch (Limerick), Adam English (Limerick), Cathal Mannion (Galway), Tony Kelly (Clare), Brian Hayes (Dublin), Cian Kenny (Kilkenny)

Forwards: Cathal O'Neill (Limerick), Aidan O'Connor (Limerick), Peter Casey (Limerick), Gearoid Hegarty (Limerick), Shane O'Brien (Limerick), Jason Rabbitte (Galway), Tom Monaghan (Galway), Darragh Neary (Galway), Conor Whelan (Galway), Aaron Niland (Galway), Shane Barrett (Cork), William Buckley (Cork), Brian Hayes (Cork), Peter Duggan (Clare), Sean Rynne (Clare), Donal Burke (Dublin), Eoghan Cahill (Offaly), Stephen Bennett (Waterford)

Hurler of the Year Nominees: Diarmaid Byrnes (Limerick), Brian Hayes (Cork), Gearoid Hegarty (Limerick)

Young Hurler of the Year Nominees: William Buckley (Cork), Jason Rabbitte (Galway), Cillian Trayers (Galway).