Sport

Irish News Ulster GAA All-Stars: O'Neill lands Men's Football Player of the Year Award

Armagh's Rian O'Neill receives his Men's Football Player of the Year award from Kieran Donaghy                 Picture: Hugh Russell
Armagh's Rian O'Neill receives his Men's Football Player of the Year award from Kieran Donaghy Picture: Hugh Russell Armagh's Rian O'Neill receives his Men's Football Player of the Year award from Kieran Donaghy Picture: Hugh Russell

Irish News Ulster GAA All-Stars Men’s Football Player of the Year

IRISH News readers voted Armagh’s Rian O’Neill as their Men’s Football Player and he was presented with the award at a glittering ceremony in the Ulster Hall last Friday night. 

An attacking colossus all year for his Armagh, O’Neill lit up Croke Park with some memorable scores and devastating forward play. 

In a breakthrough year for him personally and his county, he was at the centre of some their most memorable moments, from their explosive National League win over Dublin under the Croke Park lights to their epic All-Ireland quarter-final clash with Galway. 

After an exceptional year, and with the promise of more to come, this Crossmaglen man represents a bright future for the Orchard county.

O’Neill also followed in the footsteps of his uncle Oisin McConville in winning an Irish News Allstar, the All-Ireland winning forward having scooped awards in 1999 and 2022.

He received his award on stage from current Armagh coach and four-time All-Ireland winner with Kerry, Kieran Donaghy. The man from Tralee had, earlier in the evening, been asked to compare O’Neill game-levelling free and his fellow Kerryman Seanie O’Shea’s late strike against Dublin.

When O’Neill was asked about the free by Paddy Kielty, he gave the simple answer that: “If I missed it, we were gone.”

The former Dundrum and Down minor footballer mused that the ball was still rising as it sailed over bar at the Canal End of Croke Park and perhaps O’Neill could have still made the kick if he was 10 metres further back. The Armagh man wasn’t convinced.

O’Neill came out on top of the readers’ vote, fending off competition from Derry stars Brendan Rogers and Chrissy McKaigue, who also picked up All Stars along with seven of their Oak Leaf team-mates after their Ulster championship win.

After accepting the award, O’Neill was asked what his highlight of the night was and said: “Just being here and being able to share these things with your team-mates. Being recognised among some the best players in Ulster and without my team-mates throughout the year, I wouldn’t be here, so thanks to them and the manager as well.”#

Reflecting on the year with Armagh, in which they only missed out on a place in the All-Ireland semi-finals after penalty shootout defeat to Galway after memorable Championship wins over Tyrone and Donegal, and looking ahead to 2023 O’Neill said: “We want to push on and bring Armagh to new levels next year and bring my own game to new levels and hopefully this can be a stepping stone towards that.”