The 2016 LGFA All Star nominees have been released this morning. There are eight Dublin players nominated for an award. All Ireland Senior champions Cork lead the way with eleven nominations, beaten All Ireland semi-finalists Mayo and Monaghan each have four nominations, as do quarter finalists Donegal.
Intermediate All Ireland champions Kildare have secured three nominations, with runners up Clare securing two, while other Intermediate Counties to secure nominations are Sligo and Tipperary with one apiece.
Quarter finalists Cavan, Kerry and Westmeath have one nomination each.
Dublin defender, Sinead Goldrick will be looking to secure her fifth award in a row which would be an astonishing achievement for the Foxrock Cabinteely star.
Sinead Aherne is another player looking to win her a fifth award having been honoured in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014.
Lyndsey Davey is a three time award winner and will hope to secure a fourth award to add to the ones in 2005, 2014 and 2015.
Previous winners Sinead Finnegan (2015), Noelle Healy (2014) and Carla Rowe (2015) will all be hoping to add a second award this year.
Olwen Carey and Leah Caffrey will be looking to win their first All Star awards this year, both have been nominated previously by the association.
As per usual with the LGFA All Star Awards, the selection committee have thrown up some strange nominations and even more baffling exclusions.
How Waterford who were defeated by Kerry in the championship qualifiers have secured four nominations, three more than their conquers and three more than Westmeath who also went further in the championship than them is strange.
Dublin goalkeeper Ciara Trant one of the best keepers in the country and one of the top performers this season was overlooked by the selection committee. Dublin goalkeepers must be wondering what more they can do to be considered for a nomination not alone win one.
For the third year in a row not one Dublin midfielder has made the shortlist of nominees. How a team who has reached the last three All Ireland finals hasn’t had at least one midfielder nominated for an All Star award in that time beggars belief.
Lauren Magee has been outstanding throughout the 2016 season in the Dublin engine room, considering she is only out of minor and this was her rookie season only adds to amplify how good she was this season.
Her performance alone in the All Ireland Final against two of the most experienced and decorated midfielders to ever play the game was outstanding and was just in keeping with Lauren’s performances all season, no disrespect to some of the other nominees but Magee was more deserving of a nomination.
The awards ceremony will take place in the City West Hotel on Saturday November the 12th.
The full list of nominations is as follows:
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 Archibold (Westmeath)
Nominations per County:
Cork:
Martina O’Brien, Marie Ambrose, Vera Foley, Roisin Phelan, Deirdre O’Reilly, Brid Stack, Rena Buckley, Briege Corkery, Orla Finn, Ciara O’Sullivan, Annie Walsh (11)
Dublin:
Leah Caffrey, Olwen Carey, Sinead Finnegan, Sinead Goldrick, Sinead Aherne, Lyndsey Davey, Noelle Healy, Carla Rowe (8)
Donegal:
Deirdre Foley, Ciara Hegarty, Niamh Hegarty, Yvonne McMonagle (4)
Mayo:
Sarah Tierney, Fiona McHale, Niamh Kelly, Cora Staunton (4)
Monaghan:
Aoife McAnespie, Grainne McNally, Sharon Courtney, Ciara McAnespie (4)
Waterford:
Linda Wall, Mairead Wall, Maria Delahunty, Aileen Wall (4)
Kildare:
Mary Hulgraine, Aisling Holton, Roisin Byrne (3)
Clare:
Laurie Ryan, Louise Henchy (2)
Cavan:
Aisling Doonan (1)
Kerry:
Sarah Houlihan (1)
Westmeath:
Leona Archibold (1)
Sligo:
Noelle Gormley (1)
Tipperary:
Jennifer Grant (1)
