MY HURLING XV OF THE YEAR

1 EOIN MURPHY Kilkenny

On a whole different level to everyone and that performance against Limerick defied belief.

2 SEÁN FINN Limerick

A tenacious cornerback when hunting forwards down but remarkably cool and composed with the ball in hand.

3 DAITHÍ BURKE Galway

He has now surpassed Brian Lohan as the best full-back in the modern game and his presence is something to behold.

4 SEAN O’DONOGHUE Cork

He had a few sticky points during the season, but Cork’s sense of well-being in defence had much to do with the intensity he brought to their team.

5 PÁDRAIC MANNION Galway

May not have been at his absolute best in the final but he was the most consistent defender this season.

6 DECLAN HANNON Limerick

His conversion to centre-back has been an unqualified success and he capped a great season with a thundering performance in the final.

7 DIARMUID BYRNES Limerick

His form in the semifinal was a source of some concern but his quality is such that he could never be kept down for long… and he wasn’t.

8 CIAN LYNCH Limerick

The man who made the champions tick but behind all those silky skills is a truly battlehardened warrior who will not shy away from anything or anyone.

9 DARRAGH FITZGIBBON Cork

He was the driving force all summer for the Munster champions, and the amount of ground he covered was breathtaking.

10 JOE CANNING Galway

I actually think he had a better season this year than last, and once more he reminded us that he is one of the true greats of the game.

11 KYLE HAYES Limerick

The baby-faced assassin showed that he is a man of steel all season, but never more than when he was needed the most.

12 PETER DUGGAN Clare

All year with club and county he excelled and if only for the sheer audacity of that point against Galway, he had to make this team.

13 GRAEME MULCAHY Limerick

Of all the Limerick players, this guy deserved it the most. His knack of coming up with big plays held true to the very end, and he is in the running for hurler of the year.

14 JOHN CONLON Clare

He does not just make the team, he was also my player of the year. An outstanding leader who dragged the rest with him when the team visibly struggled in midsummer.

15 AARON GILLANE Limerick

For a young guy who had just made the step up from the Under-21s, he wore the burden of being scorer-inchief very lightly.