Tony Kelly has been awarded an All Star for the third time.
For the second season in a row, the Ballyea man was in a rich scoring vein, firing tallies of 1-12 against Waterford, 1-11 against Cork, 1-09 against Tipperary, finishing the year as the second highest scorer in the championship.
Although Brian Lohan’s charges exited in the qualifiers, Kelly made such an impact in the championship that he is named at corner forward on the 2022 All Star team adding to his previous accolades in 2013 and 2020.
His teammate Aidan McCarthy was in the running for Young Hurler of the Year alongside Kilkenny’s Eoin Cody and Shane Barrett of Cork, the accolade was won by Cody for the second year in a row. Wolfe Tones’ Rory Hayes and Cathal Malone were nominated for All Stars while in the football, Clare captain Eoin Cleary was nominated for the first time, becoming the first All Star nominee from St Josephs Miltown.
Kelly is now one of only five Clare hurlers to have three All-Stars, the others are Seamus Durack, Anthony Daly, Davy Fitzgerald and Seanie McMahon.
Limerick claimed a record-breaking 12 All-Stars, bettering previous record of nine set by themselves last year and Kilkenny on three occasions. Cork have become the first runners-up in the 50-year history of awards not to pick up an award. Kelly, Eoin Murphy of Kilkenny and Waterford’s Conor Prunty break up the Limerick dominated selection.
On the football front, Tyrone claimed All-Stars which equalled their previous best record to date from 2005. Beaten finalists Mayo have three representatives on the fifteen as do Munster champions Kerry with Dublin’s Ciaran Kilkenny completing the lineup.
PwC All-Stars Hurling 2021 (Previous winning years in brackets)
1. Eoin Murphy (Glenmore, Kilkenny) (2016, ’18)
2. Seán Finn (Bruff, Limerick) (2018, ’19, ’20)
3. Conor Prunty (Abbeyside-Ballinacourty, Waterford)
4. Barry Nash (South Liberties, Limerick)
5. Diarmaid Byrnes (Patrickswell, Limerick) (2020)
6. Declan Hannon (Adare, Limerick) (2018)
7. Kyle Hayes (Kildimo/Pallaskenry, Limerick) (2020)
8. Will O’Donoghue (Na Piarsaigh, Limerick)
9. Darragh O’Donovan (Doon, Limerick)
10. Gearoid Hegarty (St Patrick’s, Limerick) (2020)
11. Cian Lynch (Patrickswell, Limerick) (2018, 2020)
12. Tom Morrissey (Ahane, Limerick) (2020)
13. Tony Kelly (Ballyea, Clare) (2013, ’20)
14. Seamus Flanagan (Feohanagh-Castlemahon, Limerick)
15. Peter Casey (Na Piarsaigh, Limerick)
PwC All-Stars Football 2021 (Previous winning years in brackets)
1. Niall Morgan (Edendork, Tyrone)
2. Padraig Hampsey (Coalisland, Tyrone ) – (2018)
3. Lee Keegan (Westport, Mayo) – (2012, 2013, 2015 & 2016)
4. Tom O’Sullivan (Dingle, Kerry) – (2019)
5. Conor Meyler (Omagh, Tyrone)
6. Kieran McGeary (Pomeroy, Tyrone)
7. Peter Harte (Errigal Ciarán, Tyrone) – (2016)
8. Brian Kennedy (Derrylaughan, Tyrone)
9. Matthew Ruane (Breaffy, Mayo)
10. Niall Sludden (Dromore, Tyrone)
11. Paudie Clifford (Fossa, Kerry)
12. Ciaran Kilkenny (Castleknock, Dublin) – (2015, 2016, 2018 & 2020)
13. Darren McCurry (Edendork, Tyrone)
14. David Clifford (Fossa, Kerry) – (2018 & 2019)
15. Ryan O’Donoghue (Belmullet. Mayo)
