2022 Antrim GAA hurling All Star nominations confirmed

Fresh from winning a four successive Antrim Senior Hurling title on Sunday, county champions Dunloy have picked up 10 nominations for the forthcoming Antrim GAA All Stars.

The Cuchullain’s claimed a six-point victory over North Antrim rivals Cushendall in Sunday’s decider at Corrigan Park with the beaten finalists landing nine nominations.

Several players will be bidding for a second successive award following on from last year’s inaugural Antrim All Star presentation.

Read more: 2022 Antrim GAA football All Stars nominations revealed

Ryan Elliott, Paul Shiels, Keelan Molloy and Conal ‘Coby’ Cunning were all honoured last year and are shortlisted again this time around along with their Dunloy comrades Phelim Duffin, Oran Quinn, Aaron Crawford, Kevin Molloy, Eamon Smyth and Nigel Elliott.

Last year, Scott Walsh was Cushendall’s sole representative on the All Star team and he goes for a second award this year, but the Ruairi Óg’s are sure to have a few more players on the final team.

Walsh’s defensive colleagues Paddy and Martin Burke and Eoghan Campbell are shortlisted along with midfielders Alex Delargy and Ryan McCambridge and attackers Sean McAfee, Aidan McNaughton and Neil McManus.

Four other Senior clubs have received nominations, namely Loughgiel (six), Rossa (two), Ballycastle (two) and St John’s (one).

Intermediate champions Clooney Gaels and beaten finalists Cushendun have picked up four nominations each while Junior winners Glenarm have five with Rasharkin’s Conor McKeever completing the 45-man shortlist.

The 2022 Antrim All Star awards will be held in The Devenish on Saturday, November 5 when the football and hurling awards will be handed out. (Kevin Herron)

The nominations were drawn up by a panel including Brendan Crossan (The Irish News), David Mohan (Belfast Media Group), Paddy Tierney (Belfast Live) and John ‘Curly’ McIlwaine and Brendan McTaggart (Saffron Gael).

The nominations for the Player of the Year and the Young Player of the Year awards in both hurling and football will be confirmed ahead of the awards which will take place at The Devenish Complex, Belfast on Saturday, November 5 and will be hosted by the BBC’s Mark Sidebottom.

Antrim Hurling All Stars 2022 nominees:

1. Ryan Elliott (Dunloy), Chrissy O’Connell (Loughgiel), Gareth McGhee (Cushendun)
2. Tiernan Coyle (Loughgiel), Phelim Duffin (Dunloy), Donal O’Hara (Cushendun)
3. Paddy Burke (Cushendall), Chris McGuinness (Rossa), Diarmuid Graham (Clooney Gaels)
4. Oran Quinn (Dunloy), Martin Burke (Cushendall), Bernard Graham (Clooney Gaels)
5. Scott Walsh (Cushendall), Barry Hamill (Glenarm), Aaron Crawford (Dunloy)
6. Kevin Molloy (Dunloy), Eoghan Campbell (Cushendall), Declan McCloskey (Loughgiel)
7. Eamon Smyth (Dunloy), James Magee (Clooney Gaels), Peter McCallin (St John’s)
8. Paul Shiels (Dunloy), Alex Delargy (Cushendall), Daniel McCloskey (Loughgiel)
9. Ryan McCambridge (Cushendall), James McNaughton (Loughgiel), Daniel Black (Glenarm)
10. Aodhan O’Brien (Rossa), Eddie McCloskey (Loughgiel), Conleith McNeill (Cushendun)
11. Sean McAfee (Cushendall), Conor Boyd (Ballycastle), Darren Hamill (Glenarm)
12. Ruairi Galbraith (St John's), Dylan McLaughlin (Glenarm), Nigel Elliott (Dunloy)
13. Niall McGarel (Glenarm), Keelan Molloy (Dunloy), David Kilgore (Cushendun)
14. Neil McManus (Cushendall), Conal Cunning (Dunloy), Conor McKeever (Rasharkin)
15. Aidan McNaughton (Cushendall), Tiernan Smyth (Ballycastle), James O’Connell (Clooney Gaels)

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