THE stage is set for a fantastic 2016 Ladies’ Football Allstar Awards night tonight in Dublin’s Citywest Hotel, with nine players flying the flag for Ulster.
They are among 45 who have been nominated for their exploits with their counties this year and with just 15 awards up for grabs, competition is fierce.
Ulster champions Monaghan have four nominations – twins Ciara and Aoife McAnespie, Sharon Courtney and Grainne McNally.
Donegal see their star forward Yvonne McMonagle, who was the inter-provincial championship Player of the Tournament for champions Ulster earlier in the year, nominated along with Niamh Hegarty, Ciara Hegarty and Deirdre Foley and so too is Cavan’s Aisling Doonan.
All-Ireland champions Cork have 11 nominees, while beaten finalists Dublin have eight.
Mayo’s Cora Staunton could earn her 11th Allstar award and she is joined by three of her Mayo colleagues while Waterford also have four nominees. Westmeath and Kerry have one nominee each.
There are also seven players from intermediate championship level on the nominations list – three from champions Kildare, with Clare, Sligo and Tipperary also getting one nomination each.
The Players’ Player of the Year award is also up for grabs and there is particular interest in the junior award with two Antrim players – Mairead Cooper and Claire Timoney – among the three nominees.
Timoney could win her second TG4 Junior Player’s Player of the Year after being selected with her Antrim team-mate.
Longford, who defeated Antrim in the junior final back in September, sees their captain Mairéad Reynolds also nominated.
Cork’s Briege Corkery could be set to win her third senior Player’s Player of the Year award and her second in a row as she is nominated along with fellow 11-time All-Ireland winner, Bríd Stack. Dublin’s Sinead Aherne is the third nominee for the honour.
Kildare goalkeeper, Mary Hulgraine, has been nominated for the TG4 Intermediate Player’s Player of the Year award and she is joined by her team-mate and Lilywhites captain Aisling Holton and Clare full-forward Niamh O’Dea.
And Ulster Young Player of the Year, Armagh’s Dearbhla Coleman, who hails from Clann Eireann, will receive her award.
ALLSTAR NOMINEES
GOALKEEPERS Martina O’Brien (Cork), Mary Hulgraine (Kildare), Noelle Gormley (Sligo)
DEFENDERS Laurie Ryan (Clare), Marie Ambrose (Cork), Vera Foley (Cork), Róisín Phelan (Cork), Deirdre O’Reilly (Cork), Bríd Stack (Cork), Leah Caffrey (Dublin), Olwen Carey (Dublin), Sinead Finnegan (Dublin), Sinead Goldrick (Dublin), Deirdre Foley (Donegal), Ciara Hegarty (Donegal), Sarah Tierney (Mayo), Aoife McAnespie (Monaghan), Gráinne McNally (Monaghan), Jennifer Grant (Tipperary), Linda Wall (Waterford), Mairead Wall (Waterford)
MIDFIELDERS Rena Buckley (Cork), Briege Corkery (Cork), Louise Henchy (Clare), Aisling Holton (Kildare), Fiona McHale (Mayo), Sharon Courtney (Monaghan)
FORWARDS Aisling Doonan (Cavan), Orla Finn (Cork), Ciara O’Sullivan (Cork), Annie Walsh (Cork), Sinead Aherne (Dublin), Lyndsey Davey (Dublin), Noelle Healy (Dublin), Carla Rowe (Dublin), Niamh Hegarty (Donegal), Sarah Houlihan (Kerry), Róisín Byrne (Kildare), Niamh Kelly (Mayo), Cora Staunton (Mayo), Yvonne McMonagle (Donegal), Ciara McAnespie (Monaghan), Maria Delahunty (Waterford), Aileen Wall (Waterford), Leona Archibald (Westmeath)
