THE Hurler of the Year will be announced on the night of the Gaelic Life All-Stars on March 10 at the Hillgrove Hotel.

One of the most prestigious awards at our annual ceremony, last year’s winner was Brendan Rogers of Sleacht Néill, a hugely talented player for both club and county who excelled in the Emmet’s run to Ulster Championship glory.

In the years preceding, the award went to Cushendall star Neil McManus (2018), Sleacht Néill’s Chrissy McKaigue (2016), while another Sleacht Néill player, Gerald Bradley, was named Hurler of the Year in 2017 and 2019, a brilliant achievement.

The Gaelic Life panel will handpick a winner who has shone exceptionally bright for his club in the last season, especially in the bearpit that is the Ulster Club Championship.

A hurler who has led from the front on the biggest stage, who displays exceptional talent, basically someone who has the midas touch, these are the things that we will consider when picking a winner.

To give you a hint, the winner will be picked from our hurling team of the year, which was announced in recent weeks.

Five players from Ulster Senior Champions Dunloy made the grade – their talented goalkeeper Ryan Elliott, defenders Phelim Duffin and Kevin Molloy and inside forwards Keelan Molloy and Conal Cunning, who is also nominated for our Dual Player of the Year award. Any of the aforementioned five would be worthy recipients after a season that brought them within touching distance of All-Ireland glory.

Intermediate Champions Liatroim Fontenoys are also represented on the panel between Ruairi McCrickard and Pearse Óg McCrickard.

Junior champions Setanta have two players on the ’15’, namely Tipperary native Davin Flynn, a brilliant forward player and their captain Mark Callaghan.

Rounding of our team of the year are Sleacht Neill’s Paul McNeill, Middletown’s Tiarnan Nevin and Dean Gaffney, Portaferry’s Conor O’Prey and Shane O’Neill’s Darren Hamill.