GAA GPA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year. Equivalent awards exist for Ladies football[1], Rounders and Camogie[2].
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[edit] History and procedure
Since the 1960s there had been a tradition of annually selecting the best player in each position, in football and hurling, to create a special team of the year. Between 1963 and 1967 these players received what was known as the Cú Chulainn award. In 1971 these awards were formalised into the annual All-Star Awards.
The All-Stars team comprises the best player in each position, regardless of club or county affiliation. The composition of the All Star teams are decided by a small panel of sports journalists from the national media. The awards are presented at a gala banquet in November following the end of the championship season. Both men's teams are honoured with a special holiday where they play an exhibition game. Since 1971 over 1,000 players have been honoured with All-Stars Awards. Damien MartinKieran Mullins of Offaly was the first ever recipient of the award, while in 2004 Paul Galvin of Kerry became the 1,000th winner of the award. Carlow is the only county in Ireland not to receive an award in either sport.
In 2011 it was announced that the GAA All Stars Awards and the GPA Awards would merge under the sponsorship of car manufacturer Opel. The move announced by Christy Cooney in September 2011 will see the achievements of players recognised jointly for the very first time.[3][4]
[edit] Unique Achievement
Tommy Walsh Kilkenny has won nine Hurling All Star Awards in five different positions; a record unlikely to be equalled or surpassed. i.e. at left corner back (1), at right half back (5), at left half back (1), at midfield (1) and at left half forward (1).
[edit] Winners
[edit] Most Recent Winners
[edit] Men's Gaelic Football
See here
[edit] Hurling
See here
[edit] Past winners
For a complete listing of all winners see the following articles
- GAA All-Time All-Star Award (Football)
- GAA All-Time All-Star Award (Hurling)
- All Stars Footballer of the Year
- All Stars Hurler of the Year
- GAA All Stars Awards winners (football)
- GAA All Stars Awards winners (hurling)
- Ladies' football All Stars Past Winners
- Camogie All Stars Past Winners
- Rounders All Stars Awards
[edit] Records
[edit] Brothers
Sixteen sets of brothers have won All Star Awards in hurling. They are:
- Colm, Conal and Cormac Bonnar of Tipperary.
- Tom and Jim Cashman of Cork.
- Andy and Martin Comerford of Kilkenny.
- John and Joe Connolly of Galway.
- Jimmy and Joe Cooney of Galway.
- Ollie and Joe Canning of Galway.
- Johnny, Billy and Joe Dooley of Offaly.
- Colm and Tony Doran of Wexford.
- Liam and Ger Fennelly of Kilkenny.
- Pat, Ger and John Henderson of Kilkenny.
- Eoin and Paul Kelly of Tipperary.
- Brian and Frank Lohan of Clare.
- Willie and Eddie O'Connor of Kilkenny.
- Seán Óg and Setanta Ó hAilpín of Cork.
- Aidan and Bobby Ryan of Tipperary.
- Martin and John Quigley of Wexford.
One set of twins have won All Star Awards in hurling:
- Jerry and Ben O'Connor of Cork.
Ten sets of brothers have won All Star Awards in Gaelic football. They are:
- Matt and Richie Connor of Offaly.
- Tomás and Liam Connor of Offaly.
- Dermot and Paul Earley of Roscommon.
- Seán and Brendan Lowry of Offaly.
- James and Martin McHugh of Donegal.
- Anthony and John McGurk of Derry.
- Tom, Mick and Pat Spillane of Kerry.
- Tomás, Darragh and Marc O Se of Kerry.
- Kenneth and Conor Mortimer of Mayo.
- Alan and Bernard Brogan Jnr of Dublin
One set of brothers has won All Star Awards in Hurling and Football (ironically with two different counties)
- Declan Carr won his hurling award while playing with Tipperary and Tommy Carr won his football award while playing with Dublin.
[edit] Father and Son
Seven father and son pairings have won All Star Awards. Six of these were in football:
- Pat Reynolds and Paddy Reynolds of Meath.
- Dermot Earley and Dermot Earley, Jnr of Roscommon and Kildare.
- Liam O'Neill and Kevin O'Neill of Mayo and Galway.
- Frank McGuigan and Brian McGuigan of Tyrone.
- Bernard Brogan Sr and Alan Brogan & Bernard Brogan Jr of Dublin.
- Tim Kennelly and Tadhg Kennelly of Kerry.
There are two hurling father and son pairings:
- Fan Larkin and Philly Larkin of Kilkenny.
- Richie Power Sr and Richie Power Jr of Kilkenny.
[edit] Dual All Stars
One player, Ray Cummins of Cork, holds the unique record of winning a hurling and a football All Star in the same year (1971).
Three other players share the distinction of winning All Star awards in both hurling and football, but they did not win the accolades in the same year. These players are:
- Jimmy Barry-Murphy of Cork
- Brian Murphy of Cork
- Liam Currams of Offaly
Due to the pressures of the modern games it is unlikely that these players' feats will ever be repeated.
[edit] Top Winners
People who have received five or more awards since their introduction in 1971.
- 10 Awards - Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny) in hurling
- 9 awards - Pat Spillane of Kerry in football, D.J. Carey of (Kilkenny) in hurling, Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny) in hurling.
- 7 awards - Mikey Sheehy (Kerry) in football, Noel Skehan (Kilkenny) in hurling, Colm Cooper (Kerry) in football
- 6 awards - Peter Canavan (Tyrone), Jack O'Shea (Kerry) , Ger Power,(Kerry), Joe McKenna (Limerick), Nicky English, (Tipperary) , Eoin Kelly (Tipperary) in hurling
- 5 awards - John Egan (Kerry), John O'Keeffe (Kerry), Páidí Ó Sé (Kerry), John O'Leary (Dublin), all in football, Pat Hartigan (Limerick), Joe Hennessy (Kilkenny), Tony O'Sullivan (Cork) Joe Cooney (Galway), J.J. Delaney (Kilkenny), Eddie Keher (Kilkenny) all in hurling
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- http://www.gaa.ie/page/football_all_stars.html
- http://www.gaa.ie/page/hurling_all_stars.html
- http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/footballallstars.html
- http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/hurlingallstars.html
- http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/sport/2007/1018/1192565696175.html
- http://www.tribune.ie/2007/10/21/105907.html
[edit] References
- ^ Ladies' All Stars 2007
- ^ Camogie All-Stars 2007
- ^ "All Star and GPA awards merger announced". RTE Sport. 7 September 2011. http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/championship/2011/0907/gaa_gpa.html. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
- ^ "Award schemes to be merged". Belfast Telegraph. 7 September 2011. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/award-schemes-to-be-merged-16046432.html. Retrieved 7 September 2011.
