Making the case for Seán O'Donoghue as Cork's Hurler of the Munster Championship

Cork emerged on top in Munster for the first time since 2018 after surviving a penalty shootout against Limerick.

With the Rebels out of action until the All-Ireland semi-final on July 5, we pick our top player and best score of the provincial campaign.

Player of the Munster Championship: 

That there isn't an obvious standout performer reflects both the ups and downs of the provincial series and the balance in the Cork squad. 

Brian Hayes picked up the official Man of the Match against Clare, Declan Dalton got the nod against Tipp, RTE opted for Ciarán Joyce in the Waterford win and it was Darragh Fitzgibbon in the Munster final. 

Very few Rebels left Limerick after the group game with their reputations enhanced after that hammering, though Seamus Harnedy was dangerous up front as a second-half sub. 

Seán O'Donoghue also did reasonably well marking David Reidy that afternoon and there's a decent case for the Inniscarra man as the provincial MVP. Now shorn of the captaincy, the powerhouse corner-back has been very focused, kept it simple in possession and been extremely tight defensively.

He's been asked to mark the likes of Jake Morris, Aidan McCarthy, Stephen Bennett and Aaron Gillane and held his own every time.

Using the average of our Echo Player Ratings, not an exact science of course as they're produced on the day before we rewatch the games, the top performers were: 

Sean O'Donoghue (7.4 avg);

Seamus Harnedy (7.4);

Declan Dalton (7.33); 

Ger Millerick (7.33);

Darragh Fitzgibbon (7.2); 

Patrick Horgan (7.2);

Pa Collins (7.2);

Eoin Downey (7.2);

Mark Coleman (7);

Brian Hayes (7);

Diarmuid Healy (7);

Damien Cahalane (7);

Cormac O'Brien (7).

Now, Millerick, Healy and Cahalane only started one game each, Cormac O'Brien was in the first 15 twice and Dalton the same, but he came off injured after just seven minutes in Limerick. That obviously has an impact on the average with a smaller sample size.

Our pick: Seán O’Donoghue.

Standout Score: 

One of the best points Cork got across the last nine weeks was in Cusack Park in the opener, when Darragh Fitzgibbon and Shane Barrett combined with Brian Roche linked down the right sideline for a point to put them nine ahead. Clever, unselfish play, at blistering speed, with a sweet Roche finish.

Unfortunately, in the aftermath, Barrett picked up a red card, so we'll have to rule our original choice out. 

Conor Lehane's first score in extra time of the Munster final was also exhilarating, a trademark flick and then a dummy before splitting the posts into the wind. 

Declan Dalton's goal into the Blackrock End against Tipp was powerful, as was Patrick Horgan's rocket from a clever Brian Hayes flick at the same end against Waterford.

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The most outrageous effort though was from Alan Connolly out wide in the first half of the draw with Clare. He swept up a breaking ball from Tim O'Mahony, spun towards the sideline and landed a ridiculous over-the-shoulder point from 45 metres.

Our pick: Alan Connolly point v Clare.