Six members of the All-Ireland winning Kilkenny hurling team have been named today as Vodafone GAA All Stars for 2007. The All Stars, chosen by the country’s leading GAA journalists, were announced by the President of the GAA Nickey Brennan following the selection meeting at Dublin’s Westbury Hotel.

The awards will be presented on Friday night at the gala All Stars banquet in the City West Hotel during which the Vodafone GAA Football All Stars of 2007 will be announced during the hour long live broadcast of the event on RTE One at the earlier time of 7.00pm. The programme will also be carried around the world on RTE.ie.

The Footballer and Hurler of the Year will also be announced on Friday night as well as the winners of the Young Footballer and Young Hurler of the Year awards.

Seven players receive All Stars for the first time and four counties are represented in the list of fifteen players.

Henry Shefflin’s pursuit of the record number of All Star awards continues. He becomes the first player in the history of the scheme to be selected on six consecutive occasions. This is his seventh award and he is now just two short of the record jointly held by his former teammate DJ Carey and Kerry football legend Pat Spillane.

Shefflin’s Kilkenny teammate Tommy Walsh has been selected for the fifth consecutive year. He has won awards at midfield, corner back, half forward, left half back and now at right half back.

Ken McGrath wins his third award in another different position of centre half back having been chosen at left half forward in 2002 and midfield in 2004.

The seven first time winners are Brian Murray (Limerick), Declan Fanning (Tipperary), Jackie Tyrrell (Kilkenny), Michael Walsh (Waterford), Ollie Moran (Limerick), Stephen Molumphy (Waterford) and Andrew O’Shaughnessy (Limerick)

The county breakdown reads: Kilkenny (6), Waterford (5), Limerick (3), Tipperary (1).

The Vodafone GAA Hurling All Stars for 2007 are:

Goalkeeper: Brian Murray (Limerick) 1st award

Right Full Back: Michael Kavanagh (Kilkenny) 3rd (2002, 2003)

Full Back: Declan Fanning (Tipperary) 1st

Left Full Back: Jackie Tyrrell (Kilkenny) 1st

Right Half Back: Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny) 5th (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006)

Centre Half Back: Ken McGrath (Waterford) 3rd (2002, 2004)

Left Half Back: Tony Browne (Waterford) 3rd (1998, 2006)

Midfield: Michael Walsh (Waterford) 1st
James Fitzpatrick (Kilkenny) 2nd (2006)

Right Half Forward: Dan Shanahan (Waterford) 3rd (2004, 2006)

Centre Half Forward: Ollie Moran (Limerick) 1st

Left Half Forward: Stephen Molumphy (Waterford) 1st

Right Full Forward: Andrew O’Shaughnessy (Limerick) 1st

Full Forward: Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny) 7th (2000, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06)

Left Full Forward: Eddie Brennan 3rd (2003, 2006)