Westmeath hurler Killian Doyle. Photo: John McIlwaine

All Star nomination ‘a great honour’, says Doyle

Killian Doyle has become the first Westmeath hurler in 36 years to be nominated for an All Star award.

The Raharney forward is among the shortlist of 45 nominees for the GAA/GPA PwC All Stars, from which the winning fifteen will be selected and revealed at a gala awards ceremony on October 28.

The last Westmeath hurler to receive an All Star nomination was Ringtown’s David Kilcoyne in 1986; Kilcoyne famously went on to make the final selection and is to date Westmeath’s only hurling All Star.

Doyle, speaking to the Westmeath Examiner, said that a nomination was something he “never expected”.

“I’m delighted to have been nominated; it’s a great honour for my family, my club Raharney, and Westmeath,” he said. “If it encourages a child to go out and pick up a hurl, that’s what matters.”

Doyle played his part as Joe Fortune’s charges annexed the Kehoe Cup and Division 2A of the Allianz NHL earlier this year.

The hurlers had a tough start to the Leinster SHC with some sobering defeats against Kilkenny and Galway, but they went on to hold Wexford in a memorable encounter at TEG Cusack Park. Doyle scored eleven points that day, and the Lake County went on to cement their place in hurling’s top-flight by dealing Laois an 18-point hammering in Portlaoise.

“I suppose the result against Laois after that was our best moment in a way,” he said. “We didn’t think we’d win by as much as we did but we played very well on the day.”

Doyle is concentrating on the big ball game this weekend, lining out for Killucan in a Shay Murtagh Precast SFC quarter-final against Coralstown/Kinnegad, while in hurling, Raharney have a Slevin’s Coaches SHC semi-final against Castletown Geoghegan coming down the tracks.

The former St Joseph’s, Rochfortbridge student is in esteemed company, with the likes of TJ Reid (Kilkenny), Lee Chin (Wexford), Tony Kelly (Clare), Gearóid Hegarty (Limerick) and Noel McGrath (Tipperary) also among the nominated forwards.

Doyle hit 2-92 for Westmeath in 2022, averaging around nine points a game and scoring 1-11 in the NHL 2A final against Down.