Pick Galway hurling’s top All-Stars of last 50 years

SINCE John Connolly won Galway’s first hurling All-Star in the inaugural year of the awards in 1971, the Tribesmen have collected another 94 gongs. Now, the Connacht & City Tribunes are inviting readers to pick their Greatest Galway Hurling All-Star XV – to determine who were the best of the best in this era.

With the Tribune kicking off this initiative last week with camogie – and there is another week to go for readers to select Galway’s Greatest All-Star XV in that code – it is now the turn of the hurlers, of which this county has produced many greats.

No more so than Pete Finnerty, Joe Cooney and Joe Canning, all of whom have won five All-Stars. Galway have also four players who won four awards, namely Iggy Clarke, Ollie Canning, Daithí Burke and 2017 All-Ireland winning captain David Burke. Of those six players, however, only Finnerty has won all of his All-Stars in the same position, right half-back. A remarkable feat.

As you may have observed, we have also included the two Galway hurlers – namely Jimmy Duggan (1965) and Mattie Fox (1966) – feted in the Cú Chulainn Awards, the precursor to the All-Stars, which ran from 1963 to 1967. This was a notable achievement given Galway hurling was at a low ebb in this period.

When you have completed your team (only completed teams will be accepted), please email your selection to stephen.glennon@ctribune.ie by 1pm on Thursday, April 30. One entry per email address only.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.

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