The GAA–GPA All-Star Hurler of the Year is a hurling award presented to the player voted as best in the country by all the players from around Ireland. It began in 1995 and honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence.
Kilkenny players have won the award 10 out of 29 times, ahead of Limerick with five wins and Clare four times.
The award's youngest winner was Tony Kelly, who won at the age of 19 in 2013. Henry Shefflin and Cian Lynch are the only players to have won the award more than once. The oldest winner is also Henry Shefflin, who was 33 when he won in 2012. Limerick are the only county to have had all three nominees come from the one county in a given year (twice).
In 2011 the Gaelic Athletic Association and the Gaelic Players' Association announced that their respective annual player awards schemes were to merge under the sponsorship of Opel. The first merged awards were presented in 2011.
Hurler of the Year Bold denotes a player still active at inter-county level. YearWinnerCountyClubNomineesCountiesClubs1995Brian LohanClareWolfe Tones 1996Martin StoreyWexfordOulart-the Ballagh 1997Jamesie O'ConnorClareSt Joseph's Doora-Barefield 1998Tony BrowneWaterfordMount Sion Seánie McMahon Clare St Joseph's Doora-Barefield Brian Whelahan Offaly Birr1999Brian CorcoranCorkErin's Own D. J. Carey Kilkenny Young Irelands Brian Whelahan Offaly Birr2000D. J. CareyKilkennyYoung Irelands 2001Tommy DunneTipperaryToomevara 2002Henry ShefflinKilkennyBallyhale Sharmocks 2003J. J. DelaneyKilkennyFenians 2004Seán Óg Ó hAilpínCorkNa Piarsaigh 2005Jerry O'ConnorCorkNewtownshandrum John Gardiner Cork Na Piarsaigh 2006Henry ShefflinKilkennyBallyhale Sharmocks Donal Óg Cusack Cork Cloyne 2007Dan ShanahanWaterfordLismore Ken McGrath Waterford Mount Sion Tommy Walsh Kilkenny Tullaroan2008Eoin LarkinKilkennyJames Stephens Eddie Brennan Kilkenny Graigue-Ballycallan Eoin Kelly Waterford Passage2009Tommy WalshKilkennyTullaroan Lar Corbett Tipperary Thurles Sarsfields John Mullane Waterford De La Salle2010Lar CorbettTipperaryThurles Sarsfields Brendan Maher Tipperary Borris-Ileigh Michael Fennelly Kilkenny Ballyhale Sharmocks2011Michael FennellyKilkennyBallyhale Sharmocks Tommy Walsh Kilkenny Tullaroan Pádraic Maher Tipperary Thurles Sarsfields2012Henry ShefflinKilkennyBallyhale Sharmocks Paul Murphy Kilkenny Danesfort Joe Canning Galway Portumna2013Tony KellyClareBallyea Podge Collins Clare Cratloe Anthony Nash Cork Kanturk2014Richie HoganKilkennyDanesfort T. J. Reid Kilkenny Ballyhale Shamrocks Séamus Callanan Tipperary Drom-Inch2015T. J. ReidKilkennyBallyhale Shamrocks Richie Hogan Kilkenny Danesfort Séamus Callanan Tipperary Drom-Inch2016Austin GleesonWaterfordMount Sion Pádraic Maher Tipperary Thurles Sarsfields Séamus Callanan Tipperary Drom-Inch2017Joe CanningGalwayPortumna Kevin Moran Waterford De La Salle Jamie Barron Waterford The Nire-Fourmilewater2018Cian LynchLimerickPatrickswell Pádraic Mannion Galway Ahascragh-Fohenagh Joe Canning Galway Portumna2019Séamus CallananTipperaryDrom-Inch Patrick Horgan Cork Glen Rovers T. J. Reid Kilkenny Ballyhale Shamrocks2020Gearóid HegartyLimerickSt Patricks Tony Kelly Clare Ballyea Stephen Bennett Waterford Ballysagart2021Cian LynchLimerickPatrickswell Kyle Hayes Limerick Kildimo-Pallaskenry Seán Finn Limerick Bruff2022Diarmaid ByrnesLimerickPatrickswell Barry Nash Limerick South Liberties T.J. Reid Kilkenny Ballyhale Shamrocks2023Aaron GillaneLimerickPatrickswell Kyle Hayes Limerick Kildimo-Pallaskenry Diarmaid Byrnes Limerick Patrickswell2024Shane O'DonnellClareÉire Óg, Ennis Darragh Fitzgibbon Cork Charleville Kyle Hayes Limerick Kildimo-Pallaskenry2025John McGrathTipperaryLoughmore–Castleiney Brian Hayes Cork St Finbarr's Jake Morris Tipperary Éire Óg, Nenagh
Breakdown of winners +#PlayerNo. of winsYears wonRunners-upYears runners-up1Henry Shefflin32002,
2006,
20122Cian Lynch22018,
20213Séamus Callanan1201932014,
2015,
2016T. J. Reid1201532014,
2019,
20225Joe Canning1201722012,
2018Tommy Walsh1200922007,
20117D. J. Carey1200011999Lar Corbett1201012009Richie Hogan1201412015Michael Fennelly 1201112010Tony Kelly1201312020Diarmaid Byrnes120221202313John McGrath12025Shane O'Donnell12024Aaron Gillane12023Gearóid Hegarty12020Austin Gleeson12016Eoin Larkin12008Dan Shanahan12007Jerry O'Connor12005Seán Óg Ó hAilpín12004J. J. Delaney12003Tommy Dunne12001Brian Corcoran11999Tony Browne11998Jamesie O'Connor11997Martin Storey11996Brian Lohan11995 29Kyle Hayes032021,
2023,
202430Pádraic Maher022012,
2016Brian Whelehan021998,
199932Darragh Fitzgibbon012024Barry Nash012022Sean Finn012021Stephen Bennett012020Patrick Horgan012019Pádraic Mannion012018Jamie Barron012017Kevin Moran012017Anthony Nash012013Podge Collins012013Paul Murphy012012Brendan Maher012010John Mullane012009Eddie Brennan012008Eoin Kelly012008Ken McGrath012007Dónal Óg Cusack012006John Gardiner012005Seánie McMahon011998
Winners by county CountyNumber of winsWinning years Kilkenny 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 Limerick 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Clare 1995, 1997, 2013, 2024 Tipperary 2001, 2010, 2019, 2025 Cork 1999, 2004, 2005 Waterford 1998, 2007, 2016 Wexford 1996 Galway 2017
References