This was so tough to whittle down, and that’s why some great men miss out.
Club hurling 15 since 2000
1 Brian Mullins (Birr)
Safe as a house between the sticks for Birr’s two in a row All-Ireland club triumphs in the early 2000s.
2 Ollie Canning (Portumna, Galway)
The perfect corner back. Fast, sticky and cute. Canning began his Portumna career in 1992 and he was still donning the blue and yellow in 2018.
Kept the best club forwards in his pocket Won six Galway championships and four club All-Irelands in the meantime.
3 Joe Errity (Birr, Offaly)
The rock at the edge of the Birr square for their three All-Ireland winning years. Just about shades Eugene McEntee of Portumna for this spot.
4 Jackie Tyrrell (James Stephens, Kilkenny)
Played a pivotal role in the Village’s 2004/2005 Tommy Moore triumph. Helped them win a Kilkenny club in 2011 too.
5 Sean Moran (Cuala, Dublin)
The rock in the Cuala half back line of that great Cuala team over the last few years. Unbeatable in the air and sharp on the deck.
6 Michael Fennelly (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny)
Made his debut for the Shamrcoks 15 years ago and he’s still going strong at 33. In those 15 years, the powerhouse has packed in six counties, four Leinsters and three All-Irelands.
7 Brian Whelahan (Birr, Offaly)
Arguably the greatest club hurler ever.
8 James Cha Fitzpatrick (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny)
The perfect club midfielder. Read the game like he was five seconds ahead of everybody else and he played his passes like he had five seconds to pick them.
James Cha had it.
9 Andrew Smith (Portumna)
Under-rated and unheralded, but the feisty Smith was the bottomless engine that never failed Portumna. Played a key role in each of their four All-Ireland wins and that’s why he shades Johnny Pilkington of Birr – who has won two All-Irelands with Birr since 2000.
David Burke of St Thomas’ is desperately unlucky to miss out here.
10 Henry Shefflin (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny)
The king.
Next.
11 TJ Reid (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny)
TJ did it for Ballyhale when they won All-Irelands in 2010 and 2015 and he’s still doing it for them now. Ballyhale are back, and TJ is establishing himself as one of the greatest club hurlers ever.
12 Ben O’Connor (Newtownshandrum, Cork)
Along with his brother Jerry, carried that Newtownshandrum team to All-Ireland glory on St Patrick’s day in 2004. A tremendous club hurler.
13 Damien Hayes (Portumna, Galway)
Scored 2-11 from play in five All-Ireland club hurling finals.
Con O’Callaghan is unlucky to miss out here. So too is Shane Dowling. But Hayes did it for ten straight years for Portumna.
14 Joe Canning (Portumna, Galway)
Was man-of-the-match in Portumna’s first All-Ireland club against Newtownshandrum on Paddy’s Day in 2006 when he was only a teenager. Gave a masterclass against Birr in 2008, hitting 0-10.
Hit De La Salle for 0-9 the following year and was magnificent in defeat again in 2010, when he scored 0-12, including 0-5 from play against Ballyhale Shamrocks, as Portumna were denied the three-in-a-row.
Was still at it in 2014, scoring 0-10 against Carlow’s Mount Leinster Rangers in Portumna’s last All-Ireland club win.
15 Liam Watson (Loughgiel Shamrocks)
Dragging Loughgiel Shamrocks to the All-Ireland club title in 2012 is one of the greatest individual club hurling achievements to date. Watson scored 3-7 against Coolderry in that year’s final.
But don’t mistake them for a flash in the pan, Loughgiel won four Ulsters in a row and Watson’s memorable 21 in the rain Vs Galway’s St Thomas’ in 2013 was another iconic moment.
Note* Eugene Cloonan of Athenry misses out due to the fact that two of his All-Ireland wins came in the ’96 and ’99 seasons, before the turn of the millenium.
