GAELIC GAMES: All-Ireland champions Cork lead the way in this year's Vodafone All Stars hurling selection with seven awards. There won't be too many eyebrows raised at this year's team, which was announced at a banquet in Dublin's Citywest Hotel last night.

Also announced were the Players of the Year: Seán Ó hAilpín took the hurling award, whereas Tomás Ó Sé won the football. Young Players of the Year were Cork's corner back Brian Murphy in hurling and Fermanagh goalkeeper Niall Tinney in football.

The principle challenge for the selectors was the accommodation of five outstanding half backs into the line-up. This has been achieved by locating Kilkenny's Tommy Walsh at left corner back and Waterford's Ken McGrath at centrefield.

The three players given the half-back positions are Kilkenny's JJ Delaney and the Cork pair Ronan Curran and Seán Ó hAilpín. This is the same line as last year with one positional switch. Delaney and Ó hAilpín swap wings - presumably on the basis that the latter has succeeded the former as Hurler of the Year and has been accorded the honour of wearing his customary number seven jersey, just as Delaney was last year.

Walsh goes to the corner despite a marvellous year at right wing back. He did play at number four in the surging defeat of Galway and gave a phenomenal display, although technically conceding 1-2 (he wasn't to blame when his marker, Damien Hayes, got the goal).

Coincidentally, Walsh was accommodated in last year's team at centrefield despite having played his championship at wing forward.

A similar manoeuvre sees McGrath come into the middle this year although he had a momentous year at centre back. He is partnered by Jerry O'Connor, who caps a memorable year that saw him win All-Ireland club and county medals.

Kilkenny's Derek Lyng can feel unfortunate not to rack up his third successive All Star, but it was obviously felt anomalous that he should gain selection at the expense of McGrath, and whereas he might have got the nod ahead of O'Connor, there isn't a clear-cut grievance.

Waterford duo Dan Shanahan and Paul Flynn receive their first All Stars. Shanahan blazed a goal-scoring trail through the early season with six goals in four matches between the league final and Munster final.

Flynn has been an almost perennial candidate, but this year there was no denying him. After John Mullane's dismissal in the Munster final he stepped up and took the scores that won a famous victory. In the All-Ireland semi-final against Kilkenny, he gave in the first half the display of the season, keeping Waterford in touch although they ultimately lost narrowly.

Brian Corcoran bridges a 12-year gap since his first All Star to win his third and first in attack. He came out of retirement to play at full forward and improved as the season progressed before giving a hugely authoritative display in the All-Ireland final.

Only five of last year's winners survive: Delaney, Curran, Ó hAilpín, Walsh and Kilkenny's Henry Shefflin.

The Players of the Year come as no surprise, although there have been differences of opinion on the football front this year. Tomás Ó Sé was a great presence for both Kerry and his club An Ghaeltacht, with whom he reached the All-Ireland club final last March. Last night he became the third player to pick up a Footballer of the Year award.

Earlier this month the Gaelic Players' Association gave the prize to Mattie Forde of Wexford after a high-scoring season in both league and championship. The Texaco award (selected by sports editors) went to Kerry's Colm Cooper. It's the first time this honour has gone to three different players in the one season.

Seán Ó hAilpín's selection as Hurler of the Year was expected and he has picked up all three of this season's awards.

CUMULATIVE HURLING AWARDS: Kilkenny: 139. Cork: 94. Tipperary: 84. Galway: 67. Clare: 44. Limerick, Offaly: 43. Wexford: 36. Waterford: 19. Antrim: 5. Dublin: 3. Down, Laois, Westmeath: 1.