ALL-IRELAND HURLING kingpins Limerick lead the way in the nominations for the 2017 Bord Gáis Energy U21 team and player of the year awards.
The Limerick quartet of Kyle Hayes, Aaron Gillane, Peter Casey and Sean Finn are all nominated for the leading player honour along with Kilkenny defender Conor Delaney.
The full county breakdown on the 45-player shortlist is as follows:
- 13 Limerick
- 7 Kilkenny and Galway
- 6 Waterford
- 4 Cork
- 3 Westmeath
- 2 Wexford and Derry
- 1 Tipperary
Seven players from the 2016 team of the year are in the running to be recognised again – Waterford players Conor Gleeson, Darragh Lyons, Shane Bennett and Patrick Curran, Galway’s Dan Nevin, Limerick’s Ronan Lynch and Westmeath’s Niall Mitchell.
The U21 team will be announced on Monday 2 October on Newstalk’s Off The Ball Facebook page with the judging panel consisting of Ger Cunningham, Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, Joe Canning and Ken McGrath.
Here’s the full list of nominations:
Full Shortlist for Bord Gáis Energy Team of the Year
Goalkeepers: Eoghan Mc Namara (Limerick), Darren Brennan (Kilkenny), Sean Maher (Westmeath).
Right corner-back: Sean O’Donoghue (Cork), Sean Finn (Limerick), Declan Cronin (Galway).
Full-back: Darragh Fanning (Limerick), Conor Delaney (Kilkenny), Conor Prunty (Waterford).
Left corner-back: Dan Joy (Limerick), Sean Loftus (Galway), Darragh Lyons (Waterford).
Right half-back: Darren Browne (Cork), Jack Grealish (Galway), Ronan Lynch (Limerick).
Centre-back: Conor Gleeson(Waterford), Kyle Hayes (Limerick), Ciaran Steele (Derry).
Left half-back: Jason Cleere (Kilkenny), Thomas Grimes (Limerick), Mark Coleman (Cork).
Midfield: Ger Browne (Tipperary), Colin Ryan (Limerick), Luke Scanlon (Kilkenny), Dan Nevin (Galway), Colm Roche (Waterford), Robbie Hanley (Limerick).
Right half-forward: Brian Concannon (Galway), Aaron Gillane (Limerick), Rory O’Connor (Wexford).
Centre-forward: Declan Dalton (Cork), Killian Doyle (Westmeath), John Donnelly (Kilkenny).
Left half-forward: Ritchie Leahy (Kilkenny), Cian Lynch (Limerick), Niall Mitchell (Westmeath).
Right corner-forward: Billy Ryan (Kilkenny), Patrick Curran (Waterford), Conor Whelan (Galway).
Full-forward: Shane Bennett (Waterford), Peter Casey (Limerick), Cormac O’Doherty (Derry).
Left corner-forward: Thomas Monaghan (Galway), Cathal Dunbar (Wexford), Barry Nash (Limerick).
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