All Star accolades for Conlon & O’Donnell

*Photograph: Gerard O’Neill

JOHN Conlon and Shane O’Donnell have won their second All Star awards.

Conlon was named at centre back on the PwC hurling All Star team of 2023 with O’Donnell at wing forward.

Both men had fine seasons in saffron and blue with Clonlara’s John capping off the season winning his second ever Clare SHC with his club. He previously won an All Star in 2018. At number six, he was rock solid in the heart of the Banner defence but complimented this with excellent supply of ball into the Clare attack.

Shane O’Donnell. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill

For the second year in a row, Éire Óg’s O’Donnell makes the All Star team. His selfless and industrious display coupled with proving to be a headache for most defences saw him named in the fifteen.

Both Adam Hogan and Mark Rodgers are shortlisted for young hurler of the year with expectations high that the accolade last won by a Clare hurler in 2013 when Tony Kelly got the gong, will be heading to East Clare.

Limerick’s four in a row success sees them dominate the All Stars with seven of the fifteen. Kilkenny have five representatives with the Clare duo and Conor Whelan completing the line up.

Quilty’s Marty Morrissey was one of the PwC Hurling All-Star 2023 selectors alongside Colm Keys (Irish Independent), Seán Moran (Irish Times), John Fogarty (Irish Examiner), Pat Nolan (Irish Mirror), Damian Lawlor (RTÉ), MacDara MacDonncha (TG4), Philip Lannigan (Irish Daily Mail), John Harrington (gaa.ie), Joanne Cantwell (RTÉ), Gráinne McElwaine (GAAGO), Fintan O’Toole (the42.ie).

PwC Hurling All-Stars 2023

(Previous winning years in brackets)

1. Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny) (2016, 2018, 2021)

2. Mikey Butler (Kilkenny) (2022)

3. Huw Lawlor (Kilkenny) (2022)

4. Dan Morrissey (Limerick) (2018, 2020)

5. Diarmaid Byrnes (Limerick) (2020, 2021, 2022)

6. John Conlon (Clare) (2018)

7. Kyle Hayes (Limerick) (2020, 2021, 2022)

8. Darragh O’Donovan (Limerick) (2021)

9. Will O’Donoghue (Limerick) (2021)

10. Shane O’Donnell (Clare) (2022)