Tyrone claim a record-breaking 15 PwC All-Star football nominations

Altogether, 11 counties are represented including Cork full-back Seán Meehan, who put the brakes on David Clifford in the Munster final

Fri, 08 Oct, 2021 - 06:45

John Fogarty

All-Ireland SFC champions Tyrone have outdone the great six-in-a-row Dublin side and claimed a record-breaking 15 PwC All-Star football nominations.

Not all of the starting team that beat Mayo last month are included - Michael O’Neill has missed out.

However, super substitute Cathal McShane is honoured despite not starting any of the county’s five championship matches.

Despite their six consecutive All-Ireland titles, Dublin never received 15 nominees - in 2017, ‘19 and ‘20 they garnered 13, in ‘18 they had 12 while in 2015 and ’16 their return was 11.

Tyrone’s 15 is also four better than their previous All-Ireland winning total in 2008, five more than ’05 and one ahead of their ’03 collection when they claimed the Sam Maguire Cup for the first time.

Goalkeepers.

Rob Hennelly (Mayo), Rory Beggan (Monaghan), Niall Morgan (Tyrone).

Defenders.

Seán Meehan (Cork); Brian Howard, Mick Fitzsimons (both Dublin); Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Tom O’Sullivan, Gavin White (all Kerry); Stephen Coen, Patrick Durcan, Lee Keegan, Pádraig O’Hora (all Mayo); Ryan McAnespie (Monaghan); Frank Burns, Pádraig Hampsey, Peter Harte, Conor Meyler, Michael McKernan, Ronan McNamee, Kieran McGeary (all Tyrone).

Midfielders.

Oisín O’Neill (Armagh); Brian Fenton (Dublin); David Moran (Kerry); Matthew Ruane (Mayo); Brian Kennedy, Con Kilpatrick (both Tyrone).

Forwards.

Rian O’Neill (Armagh); Eoin Cleary (Clare); Michael Langan (Donegal); Cormac Costello, Ciarán Kilkenny (both Dublin); Shane Walsh (Galway); David Clifford, Paudie Clifford, Seán O’Shea (all Kerry); Daniel Flynn (Kildare); Tommy Conroy, Ryan O’Donoghue (both Mayo); Jack McCarron (Monaghan); Mattie Donnelly, Darren McCurry, Conor McKenna, Cathal McShane, Niall Sludden (all Tyrone).

Footballer of the year nominations.

Lee Keegan (Mayo); Kieran McGeary, Conor Meyler (both Tyrone).

Young footballer of the year (U21) nominations.

Matthew Tierney (Galway), Oisín Mullin (Mayo), Darragh Canavan (Tyrone).

County breakdown: Tyrone 15, Mayo 8, Kerry 7, Dublin 5, Monaghan 3, Armagh 2, Clare 1, Cork 1, Donegal 1, Galway 1, Kildare 1.

Tyrone pair Kieran McGeary and Conor Meyler are shortlisted for footballer of the year along with Mayo’s Lee Keegan who previously won the top individual award in 2016.

Conor Meyler. Picture: INPHO/Tommy Dickson

Darragh Canavan is a young footballer of the year nominee where he is up against last year’s recipient Oisín Mullin and Matthew Tierney of Galway.

Ronan McNamee, Mattie Donnelly and McShane were Tyrone’s last nominees two years ago when McShane claimed an award.

Frank Burns, Darren McCurry, Kieran McGeary, Conor McKenna and the midfield pair of Brian Kennedy and Con Kilpatrick are first-time nominees. Goalkeeper Niall Morgan is shortlisted for the first time since 2017.

No Tyrone players were included in last year’s 45. As All-Ireland runners-up last year, Mayo collected 12 and it is four less this time around.

The repeat nominees are Patrick Durcan, Keegan, Matthew Ruane, Tommy Conroy and Ryan O’Donoghue. Stephen Coen and Pádraig O’Hora are first-time nominations and goalkeeper Rob Hennelly picks up his second having previously been acknowledged in 2013.

As one of Kerry’s seven nominees, David Clifford maintains his record of having been shortlisted in every season since his debut in 2018. His older brother Paudie is rewarded for an excellent league and provincial campaign and in the forward group of 18 they are joined by Seán O’Shea who finished the top championship scorer in 2021.

David Moran is among the top six midfielders while Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Tom O’Sullivan and Gavin White are chosen in defence.

David Moran of Kerry being tackled by Peter Cooke in the Allianz Football League clash with Galway earlier this year. Picture: Domnick Walsh

As All-Ireland finalists two years ago, Kerry accumulated nine and the last time they were knocked out at the semi-final stage in 2017 they had five. None of that quintet are included this time around.

Dublin’s return of five - Michael Fitzsimons, Brian Howard, Brian Fenton, Cormac Costello and Ciarán Kilkenny - is their poorest since 2010 when they had four nominated having lost that year’s All-Ireland semi-final to Cork. Fenton is in contention for a fourth consecutive All-Star, Kilkenny his third in four years and Fitzsimons a third consecutive accolade. Four of last year’s All-Stars team are nominated this time around - Mullin, Fitzsimons, Fenton and Kilkenny.

Ulster runners-up Monaghan have Rory Beggan, Ryan McAnespie and Jack McCarron included while the Crossmaglen brothers Oisín and Rian O’Neill are Armagh’s recipients. Altogether, 11 counties are represented including Cork full-back Seán Meehan, who put the brakes on David Clifford in the Munster final in spite of Kerry’s heavy victory in Killarney.

Clare forward Eoin Cleary who kicked four points against the Kingdom in their Munster quarter-final.

He is the Banner’s first nominee since Jamie Malone in 2019.

Daniel Flynn, who starred for Kildare in the run to a Leinster final and previously was acknowledged in 2018, Donegal’s Michael Langan and Galway captain Shane Walsh are also picked.

Players nominated in one of the three outfield areas can win an award in either of the two other sections — in 2018, Colm Cavanagh was among the six named in midfield but collected a gong in defence given he had been playing as a deep-lying role as a sweeper.

In the 50th year of the All-Stars, the football team, as well as the footballer and young footballer of the year awards, will be announced on the night of the awards ceremony on December 10.