GAA and GPA awards schemes to merge

The GAA and GPA have today announced that their respective annual player awards schemes are set to merge.

The scheme will be known as the GAA GPA All Star awards, and will be sponsored by car manufacturer Opel, who previously sponsored the GPA Awards scheme.

It brings an end to the GPA's standalone awards which stretched back to 2006, although under the new merger some aspects of the Players awards scheme will remain.

Individual Player of the Year and Player of the Month awards will be selected by the inter-county playing body, while three individual Player of the Year awards from the Christy Ring, Nicky Rackard and Lory Meagher Cups will also form part of the combined scheme, as will the two Young Player of the Year awards.

Meanwhile GAA Journalists will continue to choose the respective All-Star teams of the year, as was the case under the GAA scheme.

One year had remained in Opel's sponsorship of the GPA Awards and this is set to carry over as part of a three-year deal for the new scheme.

The Awards night is set for a new venue also, with a move away from the Citywest Hotel, which traditionally hosted both the GAA All-Star and GPA Awards, to the Convention Centre in the Docklands area of Dublin, on Friday October 21.

GAA President Christy Cooney welcomed the announcement.

"We are delighted to be able to confirm that agreement has been reached with the GPA as part of plans to honour excellence in our games through the highly respected and much valued vehicle that is the All-Stars scheme, a scheme now enhanced through an amalgamation with the GPA’s Player Awards," he said.

"This is a further indication of the ongoing co-operation with our players and I acknowledge the assistance of Dessie Farrell and his team in helping to bring us to this point.

"We look forward to working closely with Opel, who have been great supporters of our players through the GPA for a considerable time, to ensure that the All-Star awards remain amongst the most coveted in Irish sport."

Dessie Farrell, chief executive officer of the GPA added: "The announcement of a joint awards scheme under the sponsorship of Opel was a logical step in the partnership between the GAA and the players’ association and reflects the strengthening relationship between both bodies.

"While it was not feasible to keep two awards schemes in operation it was important for both organisations that the integrity of the respective awards was appreciated under the new arrangement.

"I would like to thank sincerely Uachtarán Chumann Lúthchleas Gael, Criostóir Ó Cuana and Dave Sheeran, MD of Opel Ireland for their support in developing the new joint scheme and we look forward to celebrating the contribution of our hurlers and footballers to the 2011 season at the All-Stars banquet next month.”

Each winner on the All-Stars team will receive a €1,500 cheque, for the use of their image for promotional purposes while the individual Players of the Year will receive a €5,000 cheque each.

Players of the Month will be presented with a cheque of €1,000, with the 2011 Players of the Month awards to be announced retrospectively at a separate event.

This year’s tour, involving the 2010 and 2011 hurling selections, will visit San Francisco in late November.