ALL-IRELAND KINGPINS Ballygunner and Kilcoo dominate the team selections in this year’s AIB GAA Club Players’ Awards.

The Waterford and Down champions both celebrated dramatic victories in Croke Park in February, crowned winners for the first time thanks to late goals in their deciders.

Their feats have been recognised in an awards scheme that covers performances in the provincial and national club championships for the 2021-22 season. Both Ballygunner and Kilcoo have seven players recognised on the respective football and hurling teams, while Dessie Hutchinson and Eugene Branagan were the player of the year winners.

The rest of the hurling team features five players from Kilkenny’s Ballyhale Shamrocks, two from Derry’s Slaughtneil and one from the St Thomas club of Galway. The football team includes four players from Dublin’s Kilmacud Crokes, while Cork’s St Finbarr’s and Roscommon’s Padraig Pearses have two players apiece.

The team was selected by a panel of national GAA correspondents across print, broadcast and digital media.

Conor Laverty, Mickey Moran and Aidan Branagan after the club football final.

Philip Mahony and Barry Coughlan after the club hurling final. Ryan Byrne / INPHO Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO

AIB GAA Club Players’ Awards

Player of the Year

• Hurling – Dessie Hutchinson (Ballygunner)
• Football – Eugene Branagan (Kilcoo)

Hurling team

• 1. Stephen O’Keeffe (Ballygunner) – Previous winner in 2019

• 2. Ian Kenny (Ballygunner) - Previous winner in 2019
• 3. Joey Holden (Ballyhale Shamrocks) - Previous winner in 2019 & 2020
• 4. Fintan Burke (St Thomas) – Previous winner in 2019

• 5. Philip Mahony (Ballygunner) - Previous winner in 2018 & 2019
• 6. Richie Reid (Ballyhale Shamrocks)
• 7. Darragh Corcoran (Ballyhale Shamrocks)

• 8. Paddy Leavey (Ballygunner)
• 9. Cormac O’Doherty (Slaughtneil)

• 10. Mikey Mahony (Ballygunner)
• 11. TJ Reid (Ballyhale Shamrocks) - Previous winner in 2019 & 2020
• 12. Billy O’Keeffe (Ballygunner)

• 13. Dessie Hutchinson (Ballygunner) – Previous winner in 2020
• 14. Brendan Rodgers (Slaughtneil) - Previous winner in 2018 & 2020
• 15. Eoin Cody (Ballyhale Shamrocks) – Previous winner in 2019

Football team

• 1. Niall Kane (Kilcoo)

• 2. Sam Ryan (St Finbarr’s)
• 3. Ryan McAvoy (Kilcoo)
• 4. Dan O’Brien (Kilmacud Crokes)

• 5. Micheal Rooney (Kilcoo)
• 6. Rory O’Carroll (Kilmacud Crokes)
• 7. Daryl Branagan (Kilcoo) – Previous winner in 2020

• 8. Craig Dias (Kilmacud Crokes)
• 9. Niall Daly (Padraig Pearses)

• 10. Ceilum Doherty (Kilcoo)
• 11. Jerome Johnston (Kilcoo)
• 12. Eugene Branagan (Kilcoo)

• 13. Dara Mullin (Kilmacud Crokes)
• 14. Stephen Sherlock (St Finbarr’s)
• 15. Paul Carey (Padraig Pearses)

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