[4] Since the 1960s there had been a tradition of annually selecting the best player in each position, in football and hurling, to create a special team of the year.
The move announced by Christy Cooney saw the achievements of players recognised jointly for the first time in October 2011.
The composition of the All Star teams are decided on the basis of a shortlist compiled by a selection committee of sports journalists from the national media, while the overall winners are chosen by inter-county players themselves.
The award is regarded by players as the highest accolade available to them, due to it being picked by their peers.
[7] For a complete listing of all winners see the following articles: Twenty three sets of brothers have won All Star Awards in hurling.
These players are: Tommy Walsh of Kilkenny won nine consecutive hurling All Star Awards in a record five different positions.
Henry Shefflin of Kilkenny holds the record for most All Star Awards in the one position with seven at centre-forward.