Stephen Cluxton becomes oldest winner of All-Star as Dubs claim five awards

The Cliffords leapfrog the Brogan brothers Alan and Bernard as the most honoured sibling duo.

Fri, 17 Nov, 2023 - 20:43

John Fogarty

Just one of All-Ireland champions Dublin’s five PwC football All-Stars comes in the forward line as Stephen Cluxton this evening became the oldest winner of an award at the age of 42, 21 years after winning his first.

Eclipsing Noel Skehan who won the last of his seven hurling awards at the age of 39, goalkeeper Cluxton claimed his seventh All-Star at the gala in Dublin’s RDS having only returned to county colours last March following a two-season hiatus.

Dublin’s total of five, one better than runners-up Kerry and Ulster champions Derry, is the lowest representation for All-Ireland winners since The Kingdom won the Sam Maguire Cup in 2014.

It also marks their smallest cohort across the nine All-Ireland successes going back to 2011. In each of those other eight seasons, they won at least six All-Stars. In 1983, their All-Ireland triumph was also marked by five selections.

With just first-timer Colm Basquel chosen in attack, their presence there is the poorest for All-Ireland winners since Cork failed to earn any accolade in the forwards in 2010.

Cluxton and Basquel are joined by Cluxton’s fellow veteran Michael Fitzsimons, captain James McCarthy and footballer of the year nominee Brian Fenton. Brian Howard and Paul Mannion were unfortunate to miss out.

On the back of strong displays from the All-Ireland quarter-final onwards, 34-year-old Fitzsimons claims his fourth award and his first in three seasons. While McCarthy played most of his football in midfield this year, he is justifiably included in the defence to claim his fifth All-Star.

Shortlisted as footballer of the year for the fourth time in his career, it was no surprise Fenton was chosen, while Basquel was a deserving inclusion as the top scorer from play in the championship.

Seán O’Shea of Kerry. Pic: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

David Clifford is selected for the third season in a row for what is his fifth All-Star in total, while his brother Paudie Clifford also makes it a hat-trick of acknowledgements having won his first in 2021.

Between them, they now have eight All-Stars, which sees them leapfrog the Brogan brothers Alan and Bernard as the most honoured sibling duo. The three Spillanes won a combined 13 (Pat nine, Tom three, Mick one) and the Ó Sés amassed 12 (Tomás five, Darragh four, Marc three).

Seán O’Shea joins the Cliffords in the forwards as he like Paudie picks up his third in total and second in succession. After missing out because of Shane Walsh’s performance in last year’s All-Ireland final, Tom O’Sullivan also claims his third All-Star. Kerry’s haul of four is the same as 2019 when they too lost to Dublin in the All-Ireland final.

With five awards at the age of just 24, David Clifford is now level with John Egan, John O’Keeffe and Páidí Ó Sé, one shy of Jack O’Shea and Ger Power and two short of Mikey Sheehy who is the third most decorated Kerry All-Star behind Pat Spillane with nine and Colm Cooper who has been an All-Star eight times.

On a special occasion for Derry, they doubled their 2022 total with four first-time victors – Conor McCluskey, Gareth McKinless, footballer of the year nominee Brendan Rogers and Shane McGuigan. It is their highest collection since their 1994 All-Ireland success when they earned seven.

Conor McCarthy is Monaghan’s first winner since a trio of their players were honoured in 2018, while Enda Smith bridges a 22-year gap to Roscommon’s previous All-Star, Francie Grehan in 2001.

In total, there are seven first-time winners, four less than last year. Of last year’s team, only Kerry’s attacking triumvirate feature again.

Others who were close to being selected were Galway’s Seán Kelly and Monaghan winger Karl O’Connell.

2023 PwC Football All-Stars

1. Stephen Cluxton (Dublin) 7th award (previously 2002, ’06, ’07, ’11, ’13, ’19).

2. Conor McCluskey (Derry) 1st award.

3. Michael Fitzsimons (Dublin) 4th award (‘17, ’19, ’20).

4. Tom O’Sullivan (Kerry) 3rd award (‘19, ’21).

5. James McCarthy (Dublin) 5th award (2014, ‘17, ‘18, ’20).

6. Gareth McKinless (Derry) 1st award.

7. Conor McCarthy (Monaghan) 1st award.

8. Brian Fenton (Dublin) 6th award (2015, ’16, ’18, ’19, ’20).

9. Brendan Rogers (Derry) 1st award.