Daithi Burke was the sole Galway player selected on this year's All Star team, which was dominated by All Ireland champions Limerick.
John Kiely's side took nine places on the final team – a record equalling total - and three more than 2018 when they also won the MacCarthy Cup.
Hoewever, Galway's Daithi Burke now joins a list of Galway greats - Joe Cooney, Pete Finnerty and Joe Canning all have five All Stars - Canning's last one in 2018. Canning missed out on his sixth, while other Galway nominees who missed out were Cathal and Pádraig Mannion, Aidan Harte, Brian Concannon and Conor Whelan.
Daithi Burke has been a powerhouse for Galway since making his championship debut for the senior side in 2014 against Laois, having impressed during the national league campaign. The duel star,who also has four All Ireland club football medals with Corofin, was first awarded a GPA Hurling All Star in 2015.
In this 50th year of the awards scheme, Limerick’s wing forward Gearóid Hegarty has been chosen by his peers as the PwC GAA/GPA Hurler of the Year with the St Patrick’s star claiming his first award. Raheny’s midfielder Brian Fenton is PwC GAA/GPA Footballer of the year, having previously won the top prize in 2018. Eoin Cody from Ballyhale Shamrocks is the PwC GAA/GPA Young Hurler of the Year, while Mayo's Oisín Mullin is the PwC GAA/GPA Young Footballer of the Year.
The team in full is (previous awards in brackets ):1. Nicky Quaid (Limerick );2. Seán Finn (Limerick ) (2018, 2019 ); 3. Dan Morrissey (Limerick ) (2018 ); 4. Daithí Burke (Galway ) (2015, 16, 17, 18 ); 5. Diarmaid Byrnes (Limerick ); 6. Tadhg de Búrca (Waterford ) (2015 ); 7. Kyle Hayes (Limerick ); 8. Jamie Barron (Waterford ) (2016, 17 ); 9. Tony Kelly (Clare ) (2013 ); 10. Gearóid Hegarty (Limerick ); 11. Cian Lynch (Limerick ) (2018 ) 12. Tom Morrissey (Limerick ); 13. Aaron Gillane (Limerick ) (2019 ); 14. TJ Reid (Kilkenny ) (2012, 14, 15, 19 ); 15. Stephen Bennett (Waterford ).
Camogie
Meanwhile Cathal Murray has agreed to stay on as manager of the senior and intermediate camogie teams for another three years. Murray guided Galway to All Ireland success in 2019, but they lost out to Kilkenny in this year's final.
Although Covid has stopped all play, in this challenging times Murray will add stability to the position after success in his last two years.
However, Murray says in this uncertain year, it is a waiting game for the sport to restart possibly with the league in April. Meanwhile players are continuing to complete their own programmes in advance of the sport resuming, while this year's goal is to make a third final in a row.
Brian Griffin is the newly elected chairperson, while several positions were ratified, including Aaron Fox, Carnmore, as the new Galway minor Camogie manager; Kevin Connolly, Eyrecourt, as the Galway U16 manager; and Darragh Connelly, Liam Mellows, as development officer for Galway Camogie.
