Ladies' football: TG4 Allstar Awards
EIGHT Ulster players have been included in this year’s TG4 Allstar Awards nominations.
Ulster champions Donegal have three nominations – Geraldine McLaughlin, Treasa Doherty and Niamh Hegarty. Monaghan, beaten Ulster finalists, also have three nominations – Linda Martin, Cathriona McConnell and Cora Courtney, while All-Ireland semi-finalists Armagh see captain Caroline O’Hanlon and teen sensation Aimee Mackin both nominated.
McLaughlin, who was instrumental in helping Donegal to a first ever Ulster Senior Championship title and her club Termon to the All-Ireland Senior Club title at the end of last year, is one of 18 players battling it out for just six places in the forward lines, while her county team-mates Treasa Doherty and Niamh Hegarty have been nominated in defence.
Monaghan goalkeeper Linda Martin, who was named Player of the Tournament at this year’s Interprovincial Championships, which Ulster won, is still seeking her first Allstar award, while Cora Courtney, who has won consecutive Allstars in the past two years, is again named in the forwards alongside her club and county team-mate Cathriona McConnell, who won an award in 2012.
For O’Hanlon, nominated at midfield, this would be a fourth Allstar award if she is successful on the night, while it is a first nomination for 19-year-old Aimee Mackin, who is also named among the forwards.
The Allstar award winners will be announced at a gala ceremony at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin on Saturday, November 14. In total, 45 players are on the shortlist, with All-Ireland Senior champions Cork receiving 11 nominations and beaten finalists Dublin 10. Galway and Kerry both have five each. Waterford are rewarded for their TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship win with three nominations.
Mayo great Cora Staunton is nominated for what would be her 10th Allstar award. Should she receive an award, she will become the joint most successful player, bringing her level with Kerry great Mary Jo Curran. Fiona McHale is also nominated from Mayo, with Áine Tighe of Connacht intermediate champions Leitrim also nominated.
Cork’s Martina O’Brien is nominated for her first Allstar award in the goalkeeping position along with Dublin’s Ciara Trant and Linda Martin of Monaghan. Marie Ambrose is rewarded for a fine debut season with her first nomination, where she is joined by team-mates Vera Foley, Geraldine O’Flynn, Bríd Stack and Deirdre O’Reilly as the Rebellettes defensive award nominees. Briege Corkery and Rena Buckley created history as they claimed an incredible ‘double double’ of All-Ireland wins and both are nominated in the midfield positions, their eighth and fourth respectively.
All-Ireland winning captain Ciara O’Sullivan is joined by her attacking team-mates Annie Walsh and Valerie Mulcahy in the Allstar shortlist. Dublin’s Sinéad Goldrick could claim her fourth Allstar in-a-row, with team captain Lyndsey Davey and Noelle Healy hoping to make it back-to-back wins. Sinéad Finnegan, Sorcha Furlong, Muireann Ní Scanaill and Niamh McEvoy all receive their first nominations for an award.
2015 ALLSTAR NOMINATIONS
Goalkeepers: Martina O’Brien (Cork), Ciara Trant (Dublin), Linda Martin (Monaghan); Defenders: Marie Ambrose (Cork), Vera Foley (Cork), Geraldine O’Flynn (Cork), Bríd Stack (Cork), Deirdre O’Reilly (Cork), Treasa Doherty (Donegal), Ciara Hegarty (Donegal), Olwen Carey (Dublin), Sinéad Goldrick (Dublin), Sinéad Finnegan (Dublin), Sorcha Furlong (Dublin), Muireann Ní Scanaill (Dublin), Sinéad Burke (Galway), Áine Seoighe (Galway), Aislinn Desmond (Kerry), Caroline Kelly (Kerry), Cáit Lynch (Kerry), Linda Wall (Waterford); Midfielders: Caroline O’Hanlon (Armagh), Rena Buckley (Cork), Briege Corkery (Cork), Geraldine Conneally (Galway), Bernie Breen (Kerry), Fiona McHale (Mayo); Forwards: Aimee Mackin (Armagh), Valerie Mulcahy (Cork), Ciara O’Sullivan (Cork), Annie Walsh (Cork), Geraldine McLaughlin (Donegal), Lyndsey Davey (Dublin), Noelle Healy (Dublin), Niamh McEvoy (Dublin), Carla Rowe (Dublin), Tracey Leonard (Galway), Patricia Gleeson (Galway), Louise Ní Muircheartaigh (Kerry), Áine Tighe (Leitrim), Cora Staunton (Mayo), Cora Courtney (Monaghan), Caitriona McConnell (Monaghan), Maria Delahunty (Waterford), Aileen Wall (Waterford).
