The best hurlers from the 2019 Ring, Rackard and Meagher Cups have been announced in the Champions 15 team.
The 15 hurlers will be honoured at a banquet in Dublin alongside the All-Star hurlers and footballers.
The selection features seven players from the Ring Cup, five who contested the Rackard Cup and three Meager Cup competitors.
Ring Cup winners Meath and Rackard Cup Champions Sligo lead the way claiming three places each on the team.
Keith Keoghan, Seán Geraghty, and Jack Regan are the Royal representatives. The successful Sligo trio are James Weir, Keith Raymond and Gerard O’Kelly Lynch.
Down’s run to the Ring Cup final is rewarded with places for Daithí Sands and Caolan Taggart while Meagher Cup winners Leitrim are honoured with places for Enda Moreton and James Glancy.
The remaining spots go to Armagh, Tyrone, Derry, Wicklow, and Lancashire.
Awards
The Player of the Year Winners were also confirmed.
#GAA news: Ring, Rackard, and Meagher Champion 15 announced, while @CLGLaois Paddy Purcell wins Joe McDonagh Cup Hurler of the Year!
— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 1, 2019
Paddy Purcell of Laois (McDonagh Cup), Meath’s Jack Regan (Ring Cup), Keith Raymond of Sligo (Rackard Cup) and Lancashire’s Ronan Crowley (Meagher Cup) are all singled out for personal accolades on the back of excellent campaigns.
GAA President John Horan praised all of those who have been honoured.
He said: “Tonight’s event is the big awards night in the GAA’s inter-county calendar and I laud the contribution of all of the players who competed in our championships this year, but especially those who set the standard and who will be honoured this evening.
“The players on the Champions 15 shortlist led the way and the respective roles they played in their counties’ campaigns is one of the stand-out features about the tiered approach we have to our hurling competitions.
“Well done to them all and best of luck in your future pursuit of silverware.”
GPA CEO Paul Flynn added: “On behalf of the GPA, I would like to sincerely congratulate all of this year's Champion 15 award winners.
"It is a huge honour for any player to receive an individual award for their outstanding contributions on the field of play. Through the development of a new selection process this year, to be nominated by your fellow players makes it extra special.
“The performances of each individual are a culmination of the enormous hard work and dedication of these players’ clubs, coaches and inter-county teammates over the course of the year.
"The Christy Ring, Nickey Rackard and Lory Meagher competitions continue to provide some fantastic contests and we look forward to watching these players develop on the field of play in 2020.”
Hurlers from the McDonagh Cup were considered alongside players from the GAA All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships with two of them making the list of All-Stars nominations proper.
However, neither of the Laois players from the All-Star list was in the Champions 15 team.
Champion 15 Team 2019
1: Simon Doherty (Armagh) – Nickey Rackard Cup
2: Caolan Taggart (Down) – Christy Ring Cup
3: Keith Keoghan (Meath) – Christy Ring Cup
4: Enda Moreton (Leitrim) – Lory Meagher Cup
5: James Weir (Sligo) – Nickey Rackard Cup
6: James Glancy (Leitrim) – Lory Meagher Cup
7: John Henderson (Wicklow) – Christy Ring Cup
8: Keith Raymond (Sligo) – Nickey Rackard Cup
9: Sean Geraghty (Meath) – Christy Ring Cup
10: Jack Regan (Meath) – Christy Ring Cup
11: Gerard O’Kelly Lynch (Sligo) – Nickey Rackard Cup
12: Damian Casey (Tyrone) – Nickey Rackard Cup
13: Dáithi Sands (Down) – Christy Ring Cup
14: Ronan Crowley (Lancashire) – Lory Meagher Cup
15: Sé McGuigan (Derry) – Christy Ring Cup
Player of the Year
Joe McDonagh Cup - Paddy Purcell - Laois
Christy Ring Cup - Jack Regan - Meath
Nickey Rackard Cup - Keith Raymond - Sligo
Lory Meagher Cup - Ronan Crowley - Lancashire
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