Donegal dominate Stars

All-Ireland champions Donegal swept the boards with eight All-Stars, one more than their haul when they previously won the All-Ireland title 20 years ago and two better than their predecessors’ Dublin’s total in 2011.

Jim McGuinness’s side are represented in every line of the team with Karl Lacey, heavily fancied to pick up the footballer of the year award at the GAA-GPA gala ceremony in conjunction with sponsors Opel in Dublin tomorrow night, an All-Star recipient for the fourth time.

Lacey is selected at centre-back while fellow Donegal team-mates and player of the year candidates Frank McGlynn and Colm McFadden are chosen at left-half back and left-full forward respectively.

Along with Mark McHugh and Michael Murphy as well as Mayo’s Keith Higgins and Cork’s Colm O’Neill, they enjoyed the unanimous support of the selection committee.

Only the four All-Ireland semi-finalists, who all won their respective provincial competitions, are represented in the team.

Higgins, who is one of 10 first-time winners, makes up a quarter of Mayo’s contingent in the honoured line-up, equalling their second best ever representation in 1996 and one short of the five achieved in 1989.

He is joined in the full-back line by Ger Cafferkey with Lee Keegan chosen over Anthony Thompson at right-half back, and Alan Dillon named at centre-forward.

Kevin McLoughlin can count himself unlucky to lose out to Paul Flynn, Dublin’s sole presence in the 15, who collects his second successive accolade.

Munster and Division 1 champions Cork are represented by O’Neill and Aidan Walsh at right-full forward and midfield. This is Ballyclough man O’Neill’s first award and is a testament to his impressive recovery from two cruciate injuries. Kanturk club man Walsh was a recipient two years ago when he also picked up the young footballer of the year award.

Combining with his father Martin who won two All-Stars (one of them with his brother James in 1992), Mark McHugh’s selection at left-half forward is the eighth father and son pairing to claim awards. The previous seven are Pat and Paddy Reynolds of Meath, Dermot Earley Snr and Jnr (Roscommon and Kildare), Liam O’Neill of Galway and his son Kevin with Mayo, Tyrone’s Frank and Brian McGuigan, Bernard Brogan Snr with sons Alan and Bernard Jnr and Kerry’s Tim and Tadhg Kennelly.

Pushing out closest rival Mayo’s David Clarke, Paul Durcan is only Donegal’s second ever All-Star goalkeeper after Gary Walsh in 1992.

At midfield, Neil Gallagher’s impressive year was duly noted.

Donegal captain Michael Murphy’s excellent All-Ireland final performance would have been fresh in many selectors’ minds and he was an obvious choice between O’Neill and McFadden in the full-forward line.

This year marks the first time since 2003 that no Kerry player has been selected on an All-Star team, with Colm Cooper being their county’s only nomination. Donal Keogan (Meath), Paddy McBrearty (Donegal) and Cillian O’Connor (Mayo) are in the running for young footballer of the year.

Like the main individual award, the winner is chosen by the inter-county playing body and will be named live on RTÉ tomorrow night (7pm).