O'Neill voted Ulster player of the year

Tyrone sharpshooter Stephen O'Neill was voted the Irish News/Ulster Player of the Year at an awards ceremony last night in Armagh.

The gong was a fillip for the free-scoring forward, who has struck 5-45 in this year's championship to date and still has Sunday week's All-Ireland final against champions Kerry to look forward to.

The Clann na nGael clubman has been well used to receiving awards in 2005 - O'Neill, 24, was awarded with a Vodafone Player of the Month award in March and has picked up three Ulster GAA Writers' monthly awards already this year.

O'Neill was also one of five Tyrone players included in the Irish News/Ulster All-Stars team, which was named last night at the ceremony.

Ulster champions Armagh, who were beaten by a single point by Tyrone in their All-Ireland semi-final meeting, boast the biggest county representation with seven players included.

Brian Dooher of Tyrone, in picking up his 2005 Irish News/Ulster All-Star award, joined an exclusive "five-time" All-Star club alongside Anthony Tohill (Derry) and Armagh's Kieran McGeeney.

The Irish News/Ulster All-Star team for 2005: Paul Hearty (Armagh); Ryan McMenamin (Tyrone), Kevin McCloy (Derry), Andy Mallon (Armagh); Aaron Kernan (Armagh), Kieran McGeeney (Armagh), Philip Jordan (Tyrone); Paul McGrane (Armagh), Sean Cavanagh (Tyrone); Brian Dooher (Tyrone), Thomas Freeman (Monaghan), Stephen O’Neill (Tyrone); Steven McDonnell (Armagh), Ronan Clarke (Armagh), Paddy Bradley (Derry).