CLARE’S SHANE O’DONNELL and Galway’s Paul Conroy have claimed the 2024 GAA player of the year awards for their 2024 inter-county displays.

O’Donnell and Conroy were honoured at tonight’s PwC GAA-GPA All-Star awards ceremony at the RDS in Dublin.

Clare defender Adam Hogan and Armagh forward Oisin Conaty were announced as the Young Player of the Year award winners.

O’Donnell who won his third All-Star in succession this year, becomes the first Clare player since Tony Kelly in 2013 to claim this award, joining his manager Brian Lohan (1995) and county colleague Jamesie O’Connor (1997) as the previous Clare winners of this prize.

Cork’s Darragh Fitzgibbon and Limerick’s Kyle Hayes were the other nominees.

Conroy is the first Galway player to be recognised for this individual accolade since Declan Meehan in 2001, while Jarlath Fallon was another Tribesmen winner in 1998.

Armagh’s Barry McCambridge and Galway’s John Maher were the other nominees.

Hogan emulates last year’s victor, Clare team-mate Mark Rodgers, in winning the young hurler award. Conaty is the third Armagh player recognised for the young footballer honour after Aaron Kernan (2005) and Ronan Clarke (2002).

Meanwhile, All-Ireland champions Clare have six players honoured on the 2024 PwC GAA-GPA All-Star hurling team.

Five players from beaten finalists Cork and four from Munster champions Limerick are also recognised, making it an all-Munster selection.

The selection was announced at tonight’s All-Star banquet at the RDS.

There are five first-time winners honoured in defenders Adam Hogan, and the Downey brothers, Eoin and Robert, along with the attacking pair of Shane Barrett, and Mark Rodgers.

On the other side of the honours list, Tony Kelly and Kyle Hayes both pick up their fifth awards, with Kelly now the Clare hurler with the greatest number of All-Stars.

Hayes is selected for the fifth successive year, while Limerick duo Dan Morrissey and Gearoid Hegarty both win their fourth awards respectively.

Morrissey, Hayes, and Shane O’Donnell are the three members of last year’s team honoured on this occasion.

*****

2024 All-Star Hurling Team

(Previous winning years in brackets)

Goalkeeper

Nickie Quaid (Limerick – Effin) – 3rd award (2020, 2022).

Defenders

Adam Hogan (Clare – Feakle) – 1st award.
Eoin Downey (Cork – Glen Rovers) – 1st award.
Dan Morrissey (Limerick – Ahane) – 4th award (2018, 2020, 2023).
David McInerney (Clare – Tulla) – 2nd award (2013).
Robert Downey (Cork – Glen Rovers) – 1st award.
Kyle Hayes (Limerick – Kildimo Pallaskenry) – 5th award (2020-23).

Midfielders

Tony Kelly (Clare – Ballyea) – 5th award (2013, 2020-22).
Darragh Fitzgibbon (Cork – Charleville) – 2nd award (2018).

Forwards

David Fitzgerald (Clare – Inagh Kilnamona) – 2nd award (2022).
Shane Barrett (Cork – Blarney) – 1st award.
Seamus Harnedy (Cork – St Ita’s) – 3rd award (2013, 2018).
Gearoid Hegarty (Limerick – St Patrick’s): 4th award (2020-22).
Shane O’Donnell (Clare – Éire Óg): 3rd award (2022, 2023).
Mark Rodgers (Clare – Scarriff) – 1st award.

*****

Written by Fintan O’Toole and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.