ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS WATERFORD dominate this year’s Bord Gáis U21 Hurling All-Stars with eight representatives on the team.
All-Ireland finalists Galway and Leinster champions Dublin both have two representatives among the 15 while the line-up is completed by one player each from Limerick, Tipperary and Westmeath.
Déise goalkeeper Jordan Hanley has been selected between the posts, with his team-mates Conor Gleeson and Darragh Lyons picked in the two corner-back positions.
Senior star Austin Gleeson has been named at centre half-back alongside right wing-back Micheál Harney.
Waterford’s representatives are completed by the senior trio of right corner-forward Patrick Curran and the Bennett brothers: Shane at right wing-forward and Stephen at full-forward.
The Déise U21s dominated this year as they crushed all rivals before them, winning their four championship games by a combined 73 points.
And that supremacy is not only reflected in their eight All-Star awards but by the fact that all three nominees for the Player of the Year gong come from Waterford — Austin Gleeson, Curran and Stephen Bennett.
The winner of that award, and the winner of Score of the Year, will be announced at Dublin’s Mansion House on Saturday night.
Galway’s Dan Nevin earned a spot in midfield while his team-mate Brian Molloy got the nod at centre-forward. Molloy is the sole survivor from last year’s team, although he was selected at corner-forward on that occasion.
The Dublin senior duo of full-back Eoghan O’Donnell and wing-back Shane Barrett also impressed the judging panel which comprised of Dublin manager and Bord Gáis ambassador Ger Cunningham, Waterford legend Ken McGrath, Galway star Joe Canning and Micheál Ó Domhnaill of TG4.
Limerick senior and Na Piarsaigh star Ronan Lynch completes the midfield pairing after an impressive U21 campaign that came on the back of an All-Ireland club success and a first start for the county’s seniors.
Tipperary’s sole representative is Andrew Coffey at wing-forward while Westmeath, who stunned Eddie Brennan’s Kilkenny side in the Leinster quarter-final, are represented by Niall Mitchell at corner-forward.
Mitchell is the first player from the Lake County to receive an U21 All-Star award since they were introduced in 2013.
U21 Bord Gáis Energy Hurling All-Stars
1. Jordan Henley (Waterford)
2. Conor Gleeson (Waterford)
3. Eoghan O’Donnell (Dublin)
4. Darragh Lyons (Waterford)
5. Micheál Harney (Waterford)
6. Austin Gleeson (Waterford)
7. Shane Barrett (Dublin)
8. Dan Nevin (Galway)
9. Ronan Lynch (Limerick)
10. Shane Bennett (Waterford)
11. Brian Molloy (Galway)
12. Andrew Coffey (Tipperary)
13. Patrick Curran (Waterford)
14. Stephen Bennett (Waterford)
15. Niall Mitchell (Westmeath)
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