DONEGAL’S Geraldine McLaughlin finally got her elusive TG4 Ladies' Football All Star awarded when she was named at corner forward on the team of the year at Saturday night’s gala banquet in Dublin.
McLaughlin, who is one the most prolific scorers in the country, had missed out on five previous occasions and was overcome with emotion when her name was called for the last remaining place on the team.
It’s an award the Termon player thoroughly deserved and indeed should have been bestowed upon her long before now and indeed could have had multiple All Stars to her name and it’s one she will certainly treasure.
“We had Evelyn and Nicole nominated and didn’t get it and I was the last one up and when it finally it came to me and I wasn’t expecting it and my name was called out and it was just wow,” said McLaughlin.
“This means a lot to all of us. We said it didn’t matter who got one as long as one of us did. My finance has put up with a lot throughout the years and my family, my sister was nominated and you’d swear when won it, she won it too. It meant a lot to absolutely all of us.”
McLaughlin was among the nominees along with her sister Nicole, team-mate Evelyn McGinley, Armagh duo Lauren McConville and Aimee Mackin, and was the only Ulster recipient on a night when the new All-Ireland senior champions Meath dominated.
They finished with eight representatives on the 2021 All Star team. Seven of those were first-time winners - Emma Troy, Mary Kate Lynch, Aoibhín Cleary, Máire O’Shaughnessy, Niamh O’Sullivan, Vikki Wall and Emma Duggan - while goalkeeper Monica McGuirk collected her second accolade.
Dublin, All-Ireland runners-up, went home with three - with Leah Caffrey claiming her third, while Orlagh Nolan and Hannah Tyrell were first-time winners. Cork duo Erika O’Shea and Hannah Looney, along with McLaughlin, are other first-time All Star winners, while Mayo forward Rachel Kearns earns her second award, following her previous win in 2019.
Meath’s Vikki Wall was named as the 2021 TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year with Westmeath’s Sarah Dillon getting the intermediate honour and Carlow’s Clíodhna Ní Shé picking up Junior award.
2021 TG4 Ladies Football All Star team: Monica McGuirk (Meath); Emma Troy (Meath), Mary Kate Lynch (Meath), Leah Caffrey (Dublin); Erika O’Shea (Cork), Aoibhín Cleary (Meath), Orlagh Nolan (Dublin); Hannah Looney (Cork), Máire O’Shaughnessy (Meath); Hannah Tyrrell (Dublin), Rachel Kearns (Mayo), Niamh O’Sullivan (Meath); Vikki Wall (Meath), Emma Duggan (Meath), Geraldine McLaughlin (Donegal)
