*Tony Kelly. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
TONY KELLY, SHANE O’DONNELL AND DAVID FITZGERALD have been named as All Stars for 2022.
A fourth All Star accolade has been secured by Tony Kelly on a week where he also won his fourth Clare SHC medal with Ballyea. The St Flannan’s teacher now joins his current county manager, Brian Lohan and staff colleague Jamesie O’Connor who also have four All Stars to their name, the most won by any Clare hurler to date.
David Fitzgerald becomes the first hurler from Inagh/Kilnamona to win a coveted All Star and it follows his best campaign at senior level in the saffron and blue. 2022 was the first time he received an All Star nominee.
Shane O’Donnell a member of the senior panel since 2013, the year in which he scored an unforgettable 3-03 in the All-Ireland final replay earns his first All Star.
Kelly was named in the full-forward line, O’Donnell in the half forward line and Fitzgerald at midfield on the team which was once again dominated by Limerick.
Other Clare hurlers to get nominated but who did not make the final fifteen include, Shane O’Donnell (Éire Óg), Paul Flanagan (Ballyea), Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe), David McInerney (Tulla), John Conlon (Clonlara) and Ryan Taylor (Clooney/Quin).
Limerick lead the way with seven of the team followed by Kilkenny’s four, the three Clare representatives and one from Galway.
Diarmaid Byrnes was named as Hurler of the Year, David Clifford collected the Footballer of the Year while the Young Hurler of the Year gong went to Kilkenny corner back Mikey Butler, the football equivalent went to Galway’s Jack Glynn.
1: Nickie Quaid (Limerick)
2: Mikey Butler (Kilkenny)
3: Huw Lawlor (Kilkenny)
4: Barry Nash (Limerick)
5: Diarmaid Byrnes (Limerick)
6: Declan Hannon (Limerick)
7: Padraic Mannion (Galway)
8: David Fitzgerald (Clare)
9: Adrian Mullen (Kilkenny)
10: Gearoid Hegarty (Limerick)
11: Kyle Hayes (Limerick)
12: Shane O’Donnell (Clare)
13: Aaron Gillane (Limerick)
14: TJ Reid (Kilkenny)
15: Tony Kelly (Clare)
