They may have re-entered through the "back door", but Offaly's status as All-Ireland champions is reflected in 13 players from the county receiving hurling nominations in the 1998 Eircell GAA All Stars awards.

Perhaps more surprisingly, Kilkenny, the Leinster champions and defeated All-Ireland finalists, manage only five nominations, a number which puts them behind Waterford, who have 10, and Clare, who have eight.

This year's nominations are also notable for the absence of two players who have dominated the awards this decade: Kilkenny's DJ Carey, who won six awards in seven years, and Clare's Brian Lohan, who completed a hat-trick of awards in the full-back position last year.

Indeed, only four of this year's nominees won All Stars 12 months ago: Sean McMahon (Clare), Willie O'Connor (Kilkenny), Tomas Dunne (Tipperary) and Jamesie O'Connor (Clare). And it is a reflection of Galway's disappointing year that no one from that county, nor any other in Connacht, has managed to figure in the 45 nominations, while two Ulster players - Derry's Oliver Collins and Antrim's Gregory O'Kane - feature in the list.

Still, it is a measure of the All-Ireland championship, and the weight it carries in determining potential award winners, that Offaly dominate the nominations. Gary Hanniffy and Billy Dooley, in fact, are the only Offaly players who started the final against Kilkenny not to be nominated. Brian Whelahan, the GAA Writers' Player of the Year, who started the All-Ireland final in defence but was switched into the forwards, is, significantly, nominated as a forward. An indication of the impact made by Offaly's defence in the campaign is shown by the presence of five defenders in the list (the exception being Brian Whelahan). Brian's brother, Simon, is nominated in defence, while the Dooley brothers, Johnny and Joe, are among the nominees in attack.

Waterford's re-emergence as a force has been rewarded with 10 nominations, even though they lost in the National League final - to Cork, who have just three nominees - and also lost the Munster final to Clare and the All-Ireland semi-final to Kilkenny. All of which is likely to raise one or two eyebrows around Kilkenny, at least. In fact, Waterford have twice as many nominees as their ultimate championship conquerors.

Waterford have four players among the nominees in the forwards - Paul Flynn, Anthony Kirwan, Ken McGrath and Dan Shanahan - which is in sharp contrast to Kilkenny's sole representative in that sector, Charlie Carter.

The nominations would indicate that Offaly, Waterford and Clare will fight it out for the bulk of the awards. Between them, they have 31 of the 45 nominations. That trend is set from the very first position, the goalkeeper's, where the three outstanding stoppers - David Fitzgerald, Stephen Byrne (who has already won the GAA Writers' Young Hurler of the Year) and Brendan Landers - are in contention.

The most surprising omission from the list of defenders is that of Clare's Brian Lohan, although his brother, Frank, and team-mates Anthony Daly, Brian Quinn and McMahon have been nominated. Brian has been the All Stars fullback for the past three years, but that particular position is a bit top-heavy on this occasion with Pat O'Neill (Kilkenny), Kevin Kinahan (Offaly) and Sean Cullinane (Waterford) all vying for the sport.

National League winners Cork have two representatives - Brian Corcoran and Sean Og O hAilpin - in the defence and just one, Joe Deane, in attack. Tipperary's disappointing year is reflected in just one nomination, Tomas Dunne's at midfield, where it would seem Waterford's Tony Browne is an all but automatic choice, leaving Dunne, Johnny Dooley, Johnny Pilkington, Philip Larkin and Ollie Baker to fight it out.

The answers will be delivered at the dinner in the Burlington Hotel on December 4th, when the hurling team will be announced live on Network 2.