Former Tipp hurler selected as Player of the Year after stellar season at intercounty level

Longford hurler Cian Darcy with his parents Ned and Hilda upon arrival at the GAA Champion 15 Awards ceremony Picture: Sam Barnes Sportsfile

placeholder image — Longford hurler Cian Darcy with his parents Ned and Hilda upon arrival at the GAA Champion 15 Awards ceremony Picture: Sam Barnes Sportsfile

Cian Darcy, an All-Ireland underage winner with Tipperary, was also selected on the Lory Meagher Team of the Year

Former Tipperary senior and underage hurler Cian Darcy was honoured as the 2024 Lory Meagher Player of the Year during the GAA Champion 15 Awards ceremony at Croke Park last night.

Sharpshooter Darcy enjoyed a fantastic championship season with his adopted county, Longford, and he was also named at named at left corner forward on the Lory Meagher Team of the Year for 2024.

Kilruane MacDonaghs club man Darcy has family connections with Longford (his mother Hilda Kiernan Darcy is a native of the county) and he threw his lot in with Longford earlier this year, and he proved his worth with some terrific performances that has culminated in him winning this accolade.

Cian is the first Longford hurler since Martin Coyle in 2014 to win the Lory Meagher Player of the Year award.

Cian was accompanied at last night's ceremony in GAA headquarters by his mum Hilda and dad Ned.

Darcy's accuracy helped Longford to the Lory Meagher Cup final where they came up just short against Fermanagh in the decider in Croke Park back in June.

In total, Darcy registered a huge total of 3-67 in his six championship games (including 13 points in the final), averaging over 12 points per game as he finished as the competition's top scorer.

Congratulating Cian on his achievement, Longford GAA Chairperson Albert Cooney said “On behalf of CLG Longfort, I’d like to congratulate Cian Darcy on being named Lory Meagher Player of the Year. “This is a tremendous honour for Cian, his family, his club Kilruane MacDonagh’s, and Longford hurling."

Cian was presented with both his awards by Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Jarlath Burns and he was interviewed live on stage by another proud Kilruane MacDonagh’s clubman Damian Lawlor.

A member of the Tipperary teams who won the Minor and U-21 All-Ireland titles in 2016 and 2018, Cian also won a Tipperary Senior Hurling Championship medal with Kilruane MacDonagh’s in 2022.

Caption: Cian Darcy receives his 2024 Lory Meagher Player of the Year award from Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael Jarlath Burns during the GAA Champion 15 Awards ceremony Picture: Sam Barnes Sportsfile