NOEL SKEHAN (Kilkenny)
He spent several years as No 2 to Ollie Walsh but when his chance finally came he was more than ready to step in. He became arguably the greatest ’keeper of all time, underlined by an All-Star haul which yielded seven awards between 1972 and 1983.
The secret of his success? "I trained harder every year. Not by slogging around fields, but on squash courts, handball alleys and anywhere else I thought would make me sharp."
2. Brendan Cummins (Tipperary) 3. Ger Cunningham (Cork) 4. Davy Fitzgerald (Clare) 5. Damien Fitzhenry (Wexford)
RIGHT-FULL BACK
‘FAN’ LARKIN (Kilkenny)
Perseverance paid off. An All-Ireland winner in 1963, he was off the scene for a few years later in the decade before returning for what turned out to be a great run. All-Ireland titles rolled in and so too did All-Star awards – four between 1973 and 1978. Small in stature, his innate hurling instinct empowered him to deal with much taller opponents. He even had a spell at full-back.