*Shane O’Donnell. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill.
SHANE O’Donnell has been named Hurler of the Year and Adam Hogan Young Hurler of the Year with Clare receiving six All Star awards.
O’Donnell, Hogan, David McInerney, David Fitzgerald, Tony Kelly and Mark Rodgers were the Clare recipients at the All Star awards on the 140th anniversary of the founding of the GAA.
Clare’s return of six is the same as the total won in 1997 when current manager Brian Lohan was selected at full-back.
Éire Óg’s Shane O’Donnell following an outstanding championship in the county colours was named Hurler of the Year. The Ennis man made his fifty fifth championship appearance for Clare this year in a memorable season which saw him score 2-13 from play in the championship. He also won an All Star for the third year in a row.
Adam Hogan is the third Feakle hurler to win an All Star award and follows in the footsteps of GAA icons Ger Loughnane (1974 and 1977) and Seamus Durack (1977, 1978 and 1981). He was named Young Hurler of the Year, with fellow East Clare man Mark Rodgers having received the gong last year, meaning it is the first time that for two years in a row Clare is home of the Young Hurler of the Year.
Tony Kelly created history by becoming the first Clare hurler to win five All Star awards and surpasses the previous feats of Brian Lohan and Jamesie O’Connor. The Ballyea man previously claimed accolades in 2013, 2020, 2021 and 2022.
A second All Star award has been won by David McInerney. The Tulla man has collected accolades in Clare’s All-Ireland winning seasons of 2013 and 2024.
Inagh/Kilnamona’s David Fitzgerald picked up his second All Star award. He hit 2-14 in the Munster SHC and was Clare’s star performer in the National Hurling League which saw the county claim their first piece of silverware in a memorable year.
Twelve months on from being named Young Hurler of the Year, Mark Rodgers of Scariff was named as an All Star. He becomes the first person from the East Clare club to win such an accolade.
Hurler of the Year O’Donnell said the eleven year wait for success “makes you very grateful”. He was among the contingent of fourteen Clare hurlers and said it was “fantastic” to be amongst them. “It is a group effort, there is a lot of the management team like Brian Lohan who fostered a real resilient streak in our panel,” he added. Shane said, “If you told me I’d be up collecting this accolade at the end of a year when Clare won the All-Ireland I wouldn’t have believed you”.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Hogan said he fulfilled all his ambitions by getting to win both awards and came following practicing at home every single day while growing up.
Clare manager, Brian Lohan said he was “delighted with how the year has gone, delighted to win, it is very special to do it, great for our bunch and great for the county”.
When questioned on the heartbreak experienced by Clare before winning the All-Ireland for the first time in eleven years, Lohan stated, “We lost five big games, three Munster finals and two All-Ireland semi-finals so you will ask yourself questions whether you are being selfish, are you the right person for the job, are you picking the right team but we had great belief in the guys, they devote their lives to hurling”.
2024 GAA/GPA Hurling All Stars
1: Nickie Quaid (Limerick)
2: Adam Hogan (Clare)
3: Eoin Downey (Cork)
4: Dan Morrissey (Limerick)
5: David McInerney (Clare)
6: Robert Downey (Cork)
7: Kyle Hayes (Limerick)
8: Tony Kelly (Clare)
9: Darragh Fitzgibbon (Cork)
10: David Fitzgerald (Clare)
11: Shane Barrett (Cork)
12: Seamus Harnedy (Cork)
13: Gearoid Hegarty (Limerick)
14: Shane O’Donnell (Clare)
15: Mark Rodgers (Clare)
