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26th Sep 2019

Noel McGrath overlooked for hurler of the year as 2019 All-Star nominations announced

Conan Doherty

Noel McGrath probably won’t care too much that he wasn’t nominated for hurler of the year but the world feels a little imbalanced today because of it.

Tipp’s killers, as Derek McGrath would call them, are deadly because of the shooting range Noel McGrath picks them up and drops them off at every couple of minutes.

It’s like he’s running a non-profit taxi service for the good of the county, servicing others but doing it with all the elegance and class of an old-fashioned butler at a royal dinner party.

Noel McGrath delivers the goods and Tipperary thrives because of it.

In 2019, he was joyous, he was wondrous and he was ruthless.

He produced moments of magic, he taught young hurlers everywhere a lesson in taken the right option or finding the secret option and he grafted the fields of Ireland from Spring through to August.

And he’s part of a family that would make you proud to be associated with the game in any way.

“They’re all nice, real, real genuine down to earth people” – McGrath clan doing it for Tipp

Noel McGrath was, of course, nominated for an All-Star but he was overlooked when it came down to picking hurler of the year.

Whilst it would’ve been a tough choice for players to separate any of the best hurlers in 2019, McGrath can feel hard-done-by, especially considering it was him who was tipped to potentially beat Callanan to the post.

But, as it was, there are three names put forward who all have covered themselves and their counties in glory.

Player Of the Year Nominees

  1. Patrick Horgan (Cork)
  2. TJ Reid (Kilkenny)
  3. Séamus Callanan (Tipperary)

Young Player of the Year Nominees

  1. Adrian Mullen (Kilkenny)
  2. Kyle Hayes (Limerick)
  3. Rory O’Connor (Wexford)

All-Stars

In the bigger picture, 11 Tipperary players were nominated for hurling All-Stars whilst 8 Kilkenny players represent the beaten finalists.

Laois were the story of the summer and Enda Rowland and Jack Kelly got their just rewards for a nomination.

Goalkeepers

  1. Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny)
  2. Enda Rowland (Laois)
  3. Brian Hogan (Tipperary)

Defenders

  1. Chris Crummey (Dublin)
  2. Eoghan O’Donnell (Dublin)
  3. Paddy Deegan (Kilkenny)
  4. Pádraig Walsh (Kilkenny)
  5. Huw Lawlor (Kilkenny)
  6. Conor Fogarty (Kilkenny)
  7. Jack Kelly (Laois)
  8. Seán Finn (Limerick)
  9. Mike Casey (Limerick)
  10. Richie English (Limerick)
  11. Pádraic Maher (Tipperary)
  12. Ronan Maher (Tipperary)
  13. Cathal Barrett (Tipperary)
  14. Brendan Maher (Tipperary)
  15. Barry Heffernan (Tipperary)
  16. Matthew O’Hanlon (Wexford)
  17. Paudie Foley (Wexford)
  18. Liam Ryan (Wexford)

Midfielders

  1. Cathal Mannion (Galway)
  2. Cian Lynch (Limerick)
  3. William O’Donoghue (Limerick)
  4. Noel McGrath (Tipperary)
  5. Diarmuid O’Keeffe (Wexford)
  6. Kevin Foley (Wexford)

Forwards

  1. Alan Cadogan (Cork)
  2. Patrick Horgan (Cork)
  3. Conor Whelan (Galway)
  4. TJ Reid (Kilkenny)
  5. Adrian Mullen (Kilkenny)
  6. John Donnelly (Kilkenny)
  7. Colin Fennelly (Kilkenny)
  8. Kyle Hayes (Limerick)
  9. Peter Casey (Limerick)
  10. Aaron Gillane (Limerick)
  11. Graeme Mulcahy (Limerick)
  12. John O’Dwyer (Tipperary)
  13. Jason Forde (Tipperary)
  14. Séamus Callanan (Tipperary)
  15. John McGrath (Tipperary)
  16. Rory O’Connor (Wexford)
  17. Lee Chin (Wexford)
  18. Conor McDonald (Wexford)

 

The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10

Topics:

Hurling