Waterford star desperately unlucky to miss out on All-Star nomination as Kerry and Dublin lead the way

All-Ireland Senior Finalists Dublin and Kerry dominate the list of nominations for 2023 TG4 Ladies Football All Star awards.  

Despite losing out in the showpiece decider to the Sky Blues at Croke Park on August 13, Kerry lead the way with 13 nominations, with Dublin receiving 12, while the long list of 45 nominees includes nine players from the 2022 TG4 All Star team.   Dublin captured a sixth TG4 All-Ireland Senior title this year – and their first since 2020 – with a powerful display in the Final.   It was also another stellar campaign for Kerry, however, as the Kingdom landed the Lidl National League Division 1 title before advancing to a second successive TG4 All-Ireland Senior Final.   Dublin and Kerry claim 25 nominations between them, while Mayo, who lost out to Kerry at the semi-final stage, have five players nominated.   There are three nominations each for Armagh, Cork, Donegal and Meath, the 2021 and 2022 TG4 All-Ireland Senior champions, while Clare, Galway and Kildare have one each.  Dublin’s 12 nominees are goalkeeper Abby Shiels, defenders Niamh Crowley, Leah Caffrey, Martha Byrne and Lauren Magee, midfield pair Jennifer Dunne and Eilish O’Dowd, and forwards Orlagh Nolan, Caoimhe O’Connor, Kate Sullivan, team captain Carla Rowe and Hannah Tyrrell, who was the All-Ireland Senior Final Player of the Match.   Kerry’s 13 nominees are goalkeeper Ciara Butler, defenders Kayleigh Cronin, Eilís Lynch, Emma Costello, Cáit Lynch and Aishling O’Connell, midfielders Louise Galvin and Lorraine Scanlon, and forwards Niamh Carmody, Anna Galvin, Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh, who was top scorer in the 2023 TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship, Danielle O’Leary and captain Síofra O’Shea.   Cronin, Lynch, O’Connell, Carmody and Ní Mhuircheartaigh were all named on the 2022 TG4 All Star team.   Mayo’s five nominees are defensive quartet Danielle Caldwell (a 2022 TG4 All Star), Clodagh McManamon, Ciara Needham and team captain Kathryn Sullivan, and attacker Sinéad Cafferky.   Armagh’s trio of nominees are defenders Clodagh McCambridge and Lauren McConville, and forward Aoife McCoy, while Cork’s nominees are defender Róisín Phelan and attacking sisters Ciara and Doireann O’Sullivan.   Donegal have defender Amy Boyle Carr, 2022 All Star and Senior Players’ Player of the Year, Niamh McLaughlin, who’s listed at midfield, and forward Niamh Hegarty on the list, while Meath are represented by three-time and current All Star goalkeeper, Monica McGuirk, defender Mary Kate Lynch and another current All Star, forward Emma Duggan.   Galway’s Nicola Ward (nominated at midfield), Clare’s Fidelma Marrinan (forward) and Kildare’s Róisín Byrne (forward) make up the 45-strong list.    Marrinan and Byrne are the players from the Intermediate grade who earn All Star nominations.   One player who can count herself unlucky not to receive a nomination is Lauren McGregor, who had a break-out year for Waterford. [caption id="attachment_293020" align="alignnone" width="1000"] 25 June 2023; Lauren McGregor of Waterford in action against Mary Kate Lynch and Olivia Gore of Meath during the TG4 Ladies Football All-Ireland Championship match between Waterford and Meath at Fraher Field in Dungarvan, Waterford. Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile[/caption] The inside forward was on fire for the Déise throughout the year, and also stepped up with 0-4 in their relegation final win over Cavan. https://twitter.com/tomasmcc/status/1704140016870445163 Marrinan claimed the ZuCar Golden Boot award as leading scorer in the 2023 TG4 All-Ireland Championships, while Byrne was Player of the Match for champions Kildare in the Final victory over Clare at Croke Park.   One goalkeeper will be chosen from the shortlist of three, with three players selected from each of the full-back, half-back, half-forward and full-forward lines for inclusion in the TG4 All Star team, along with two midfielders from the six nominated.  The 2023 TG4 All Star team will be announced at a gala banquet at The Bonnington Dublin Hotel on Saturday, November 18.   The 2023 TG4 Junior, Intermediate and Senior Players’ Player of the Year award winners will also be revealed on the night, while the 2023 inductee into the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) Hall of Fame will be acknowledged.  2023 TG4 All Star nominees:  Goalkeepers  Abby Shiels -Dublin Ciara Butler – Kerry Monica McGuirk – Meath   Full Back Line  Clodagh McCambridge – Armagh   Róisín Phelan – Cork   Niamh Crowley – Dublin   Leah Caffrey – Dublin   *Kayleigh Cronin – Kerry   Eilís Lynch – Kerry   *Danielle Caldwell – Mayo   Clodagh McManamon – Mayo   Mary Kate Lynch – Meath   Half Back Line  Lauren McConville – Armagh   Amy Boyle Carr – Donegal   Martha Byrne – Dublin   Lauren Magee – Dublin   Emma Costello – Kerry   *Cáit Lynch – Kerry   *Aishling O’Connell – Kerry   Ciara Needham – Mayo   Kathryn Sullivan – Mayo   Midfield  *Niamh McLaughlin – Donegal   Jennifer Dunne – Dublin   Eilish O’Dowd – Dublin   Louise Galvin – Kerry   Lorraine Scanlon – Kerry   Nicola Ward – Galway   Half Forward Line  Fidelma Marrinan – Clare   Ciara O’Sullivan – Cork   Orlagh Nolan – Dublin   Caoimhe O’Connor – Dublin   Kate Sullivan – Dublin   *Niamh Carmody – Kerry   Anna Galvin – Kerry   Sinéad Cafferky – Mayo   *Emma Duggan – Meath   Full Forward Line  Aoife McCoy – Armagh   Doireann O’Sullivan – Cork   Niamh Hegarty – Donegal   Carla Rowe – Dublin   Hannah Tyrrell – Dublin   [caption id="attachment_291415" align="alignnone" width="1000"] 8 August 2023; In attendance at the 2023 TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football Championship Finals Captains Day are Carla Rowe of Dublin, left, and Síofra O'Shea of Kerry at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile[/caption] *Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh – Kerry   Danielle O’Leary – Kerry  Síofra O’Shea – Kerry   Róisín Byrne – Kildare  *denotes 2022 TG4 All Star  County by county breakdown:  Kerry 13, Dublin 12, Mayo 5, Armagh 3, Cork 3, Donegal 3, Meath 3, Clare 1, Galway 1, Kildare 1.