KILKENNY ALL STARS HAVE A LOVE EIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH CROKE PARK

A LITTLE under three months after winning the All-ireland title, Kilkenny returned to Croke Park on Saturday night to collect eight PWC All-stars.

They also picked up the Pwc GPA Senior Player of the Year and Manager of the Year gongs, which went to Miriam Walsh (left) and Brian Dowling.

After her heroics in the semifinal defeat of Galway, Aoife Norris claimed the goalie’s jersey and along with the scorer of the match-turning goal in that game, Laura Murphy, is a first-time recipient. Fellow defenders, Grace

Walsh and Claire Phelan were honoured a third time.

Julianne Malone marked her return from a three-year stay in Australia with her second All-star, in attack, with Denise Gaule earning her sixth, Katie Nolan a second and Miriam Walsh a third.

Cork were rewarded for their titanic efforts in the final with four places in the team via Libby Coppinger, debutant Saoirse Mccarthy, Ashling Thompson and Katrina Mackey.

Waterford’s feat in reaching a semi-final for the first time in 1959 was marked by nods for Beth Carton and Lorraine Bray.

Galway’s Shauna Healy was listed at corner-back for the fourth year in succession.

PWC ALL-STARS: A Norris (Kilkenny), L Coppinger (Cork), G Walsh (Kilkenny), S Healy (Galway), Murphy (Kilkenny), C Phelan

(Kilkenny), S Mccarthy (Cork), A Thompson (Cork), L Bray (Waterford), D Gaule (Kilkenny), B Carton (Waterford), J Malone (Kilkenny), K Nolan (Kilkenny), M Walsh (Kilkenny), K Mackey (Cork)