Cork corner-forward Brian Turnbull has been named as the inaugural Electric Ireland Minor Star Hurler of the Year.
Turnbull was part of the Cork side who lost the All-Ireland Final To Galway last month, but he impressed in the 2-17 to 2-15 defeat.
The Douglas star scored 1-7 in that match despite defeat. He also impressed in the semi-finals scoring an impressive 0-13 of Cork's 0-23 against Dublin. He scored a total of 1-51 throughout Cork's Championship campaign.
Since the All-Ireland defeat, Turnbull has suffered injury heartache. In a training session for the Douglas minor footballers he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and will miss most of 2018 with injury.
The inaugural awards which took place in Croke Park emphasise that there is ‘nothing minor about playing Minor’ and so honour the best individual performers from the entire season, also recognising the crucial and admirable part played by the families, clubs and communities of players which allowed them to get to this point in their sporting career.
Brian Turnbull from Cork is the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Hurler of the Year for 2017!! #GAAThisIsMajor pic.twitter.com/dOHti9LXHD
— Electric Ireland (@ElectricIreland) October 7, 2017
A four-man awards selection panel which was unveiled back in March, with legendary former Cork hurler and current Clare hurling selector Dónal Óg Cusack and former Galway hurler and AIB All-Ireland Club hurling championship winning manager Mattie Kenny forming the hurling selection panel.
Speaking after the team was announced, Cusack said that the "awards are a proud day for everyone from the players themselves through to their parents, siblings, county and club team mates and their wider communities. It’s a day of celebration and recognition for all the hard work and dedication put in by the players and their parents and families to get to this point. This is a significant milestone for them all as players and this will no doubt inspire them to go on to greater things within the GAA."
Although Cork's Turnbull was named the Electric Ireland Minor Star Hurler of the Year, it was Galway's players who have the most players in the Team of the Year. The All-Ireland winners had six representatives on the team. Turnbull was one of five Cork players to make the 15.
Electric Ireland GAA Minor Star Hurling Team of the Year
1. Darach Fahy (Galway, Ardrahan)
2. Caimin Killeen (Galway, Loughrea)
3. Sean O’Leary Hayes (Cork, Midleton)
4. Darren Morrissey (Galway, Sarsfields)
5. Aidan McCarthy (Clare, Inagh-Kilnamona)
6. James Keating (Cork, Kildorrery)
7. Lee Gannon (Dublin, Whitehall Colmcilles)
8. Daire Connery (Cork, Na Piarsaigh)
9. Conor Fahey (Galway, Padraig Pearses)
10. Brian Roche (Cork, Bride Rovers)
11. Sean Currie (Dublin, Na Fianna)
12. Adrian Mullen (Kilkenny, Ballyhale Shamrocks)
13. Sean Bleahane (Galway, Ahascragh-Fohenagh)
14. Jack Canning (Galway, Portumna)
15. Brian Turnbull (Cork, Douglas)
