15 for 30 is a weekly GAA series here on Balls.ie where we get the public to vote for different counties' best team of the last 30 years. With the new poll which launched each Monday, we'll also have an accompanying podcast with someone from within the county in question to choose their team and go into their thinking behind the selection.
This week, we are taking on our first hurling county in Waterford, and the voice of Waterford hurling Kieran O'Connor of WLR was good enough to join us to pick his team.
O'Connor is the perfect man to pick the team of the last three decades having first commentated on Waterford teams for WLR in 1992, and had remained a mainstay since.
In 1992, with Waterford in the doldrums of hurling, two underage teams made an impact that lay the groundwork for their ascension to the game's top table. Waterford would win Munster Under 21 and Minor titles that year, making both All-Ireland final, and winning the Under 21 crown after a replay.
Since then, Waterford made a senior breakthrough of sorts in 1998 under Gerald McCarthy with mixture of young and experienced. O'Connor considers the appointment of McCarthy as the key decision in Waterford emerging as one of the top hurling counties in the country.
The true golden era of Waterford was in the 2000s though, and mostly under another Corkman, Justin McCarthy. Four Munster titles in nine years was the ultimate for a county like Waterford, though they sadly fell short of an All-Ireland title.
In more recent times, Derek McGrath's group of exceptional hurlers which made the All-Ireland final in 2017 showed that the class in the county appears permanent now.
Any team selected was always going to fall between these three teams, and Kieran O'Connor had more experience than any in having watched them all to give the most educated of selections.
You can listen and subscribe to the full podcast here, or listen below, and you can vote for your Waterford 15 for 30 below. The winning team will be revealed on Saturday.
You can vote on your team below until Saturday, or email your team to [email protected], or message us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Kieran O'Connor's Waterford 15 for 30:
1. Stephen O'Keeffe
Goalkeeper - 2011 - Present
Honours:
National Hurling League: 2015
All-Star: 2011
2. Eoin Murphy
Cornerback - 2001 - 2011
Honours:
Munster Championship: 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010
National Hurling League: 2007
All-Star: 2006
3. Michael "Brick" Walsh
Full back/Centre back/Midfield/Centre Forward - 2003 - 2019
Honours:
Munster Championship 2004, 2007, 2010
National Hurling League: 2007, 2015
All-Stars: 2007, 2009, 2010, 2017
4. Noel Connors
Cornerback - 2009 - Present
Honours:
Munster Championship: 2010
National Hurling League: 2015
All-Stars: 2010, 2015, 2017
5. Tony Browne
Wingback/Midfield - 1991 - 2014
Honours:
Munster Championship: 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010
National Hurling League: 2007
All-Ireland Under 21 Championship: 1992
Hurler of the Year: 1998
All-Stars: 1998, 2006, 2007
6. Fergal Hartley
Centre back - 1992 - 2006
Honours:
Munster Championship: 2002
All-Ireland Under 21 Championship: 1992
All-Star: 2002
7. Kevin Moran
Wing back/Midfield -2006 - Present
Honours:
Munster Championship: 2007, 2010
National Hurling League: 2007, 2015
All-Star: 2012
8. Austin Gleeson
Midfield/Centre back/Centre forward - 2014 - Present
Honours:
National Hurling League: 2015
All-Ireland Under 21 Championship: 2016
All-Ireland Minor Championship: 2013
Hurler of the Year: 2016
Young Hurler of the Year: 2016
All-Star: 2016
9. Jamie Barron
Midfield - 2013 - Present
Honours:
National Hurling League: 2015
All-Stars: 2016, 2017
10. Dan Shanahan
Wing forward/Full forward - 1995 - 2010
Honours:
Munster Championship: 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010
National Hurling League: 2007
Hurler of the Year: 2007
All-Stars: 2004, 2006, 2007
11. Ken McGrath
Centre forward/Centre back/Midfield - 1996 - 2011
Honours:
Munster Championship: 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010
National Hurling League: 2007
All-Stars: 2002, 2004, 2007
12. Eoin Kelly
Wing forward/Corner forward - 2001 - 2012
Honours:
Munster Championship: 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010
National Hurling League: 2007
All-Stars: 2002, 2008
13. John Mullane
Corner forward - 2001 - 2012
Honours:
Munster Championship: 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010
National Hurling League: 2007
All-Stars: 2003, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
14. Seamus Prendergast
Full forward/ Centre forward - 2000 - 2014
Honours:
Munster Championship: 2002, 2004, 2007, 2010
National Hurling League: 2007
15. Paul Flynn
Corner forward - 1993 - 2008
Honours:
Munster Championship: 2002, 2004, 2007
National Hurling League: 2007
All-Ireland Under 21 Championship: 1992
All-Star: 2004
SEE ALSO: Vote: Your Favourite Gaelic Football All-Ireland Final Goal Of The 2000s
