Jackies claim five All Stars

Cork’s TG4 All Ireland Championship winners dominated the 2016 TG4 All Star team with six All Star awards. Dublin claimed five awards of their own with Monaghan claiming a pair of All Stars and Kildare and Mayo receiving one place each.

Briege Corkery joined Cora Staunton and Mary Jo Curran as the most decorated player of all time with 10 All Star awards. Corkery was joined on the 2016 team by Cork team mates; Marie Ambrose, Bríd Stack, Leah Caffrey, Deirdre O’Reilly, Ciara O’Sullivan and Orla Finn. Bríd Stack rounded off a great night for Cork when the 11 time TG4 All Ireland winner and 7 time All Star was also named as the Senior Player’s Player of the Year.

Dublin claimed 5 TG4 All Star awards as Sinead Goldrick earned her 5^th All Star award in a row with Leah Caffrey earning her 1^st. Dublin captain, Noelle Healy, earned her second All Star at right half forward as did Carla Rowe at left half forward. Dublin’s ace forward, Sinead Aherne earned her 5^th TG4 All Star Award at full forward after a series of brilliant performances for the Leinster Champions.

Monaghan duo, Ciara McAnespie and Gráinne McNally both earned their third TG4 All Star awards after performing brilliantly for Monaghan as they reclaimed the Ulster title this year. Carnacon’s midfield dynamo, Fiona McHale was selected as Mayo’s All Star winner with Kildare’s brilliant netminder, Mary Hulgraine, adding her first All Star award to add to the Player of the Match award she won with Kildare in their TG4 Intermediate All Ireland Final triumph.

Longford had a year to remember as they claimed the TG4 Junior All Ireland title and there was further good news as their captain, Mairéad Reynolds was selected as the Junior Player’s Player of the Year. Aisling Holton was the inspirational captain for Kildare as they edged out Clare to win the TG4 Intermediate All Ireland Final and the Ballyna midfielder, who has been one of the best players in her grade for several years, was selected as the Intermediate Player’s Player of the Year.

The 36^th TG4 All Star team was announced at a gala celebration at the Citywest Hotel on Saturday night when former Tipperary player and current chairperson, Biddy Ryan was inducted into the Ladies Gaelic Football Hall of Fame. Former TG4 Ceannasaí Pól Ó Gallchóir was the guest of honour on the night following his retirement from his position within TG4. Pól has been synonymous with Ladies Gaelic Football since he established TG4’s sponsorship of the Ladies Gaelic Football championship in 2001 allowing the first TG4 All Star banquet to take place in its current form in 2003.

Amy O’Connor from Knockmore in Mayo also received her Connacht Young Player of the Year award as did Ulster’s Young Player of the Year Dearbhla Coleman from Clann Éireann in Armagh, Fiadhna Tangney from Beaufort in Kerry was named as the Munster Young Player of the Year and Caoimhe O’Connor from Clontarf in Dublin was selected as the Leinster Young Player of the Year.

2016 TG4 All Star Team

1. Mary Hulgraine (Kildare) 1^st All Star
2. Marie Ambrose (Cork) 2^nd All Star (2015,2016)
3. Bríd Stack (Cork) 7^th All Star (2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014)
4. Leah Caffrey (Dublin) 1^st All Star
5. Sinéad Goldrick (Dublin) 5^th All Star (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
6. Deirdre O’Reilly (Cork) 5^th All Star (2005, 2007, 2011, 2013, 2016)
7. Gráinne McNally (Monaghan) 3^rd All Star (2011, 2013, 2016)
8. Fiona McHale (Mayo) 1^st All Star
9. Briege Corkery (Cork) 10^th All Star (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016)
10. Noelle Healy (Dublin) 2^nd All Star (2014, 2016)
11. Ciara O’Sullivan (Cork) 3^rd All Star (2012, 2014, 2016)
12. Carla Rowe (Dublin) 2^nd All Star (2015, 2016)
13. Ciara McAnespie (Monaghan) 3^rd All Star (2009, 2011, 2016)
14. Sinéad Aherne (Dublin) 5^th All Star (2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016)
15. Orla Finn (Cork) 1^st All Star

2016 Senior Player’s Player of the Year: Bríd Stack (Cork)

Previous Winners: Juliet Murphy (2011), Geraldine O’Flynn (2013), Caroline O’Hanlon (2014), Briege Corkery (2012 & 2015)

2016 Intermediate Player’s Player of the Year: Aisling Holton (Kildare)

Previous Winners: Áine Tighe (2011), Caroline O’Hanlon (2012), Gráinne Smith (2013), Caroline Little (2014), Aileen Wall (2015)

2016 Junior Player’s Player of the Year: Mairead Reynolds (Longford)

Previous Winner: Lucy Mulhall (2011), Claire Timoney (2012), Mairead Daly (2013), Mary Rose Kelly (Wexford), Kate Flood (2015)

2016 Hall of Fame: Biddy Ryan (Tipperary)

2016 Connacht Young Player of the Year Amy O’Connor (Mayo)

2016 Ulster Young Player of the Year Dearbhla Coleman (Armagh)

2016 Munster Young Player of the Year: Fiadhna Tangney (Kerry)

2016 TG4 All Star Nominees: Caoimhe O’Connor (Dublin)