Three nominated for All-star awards
Despite dipping well below the phenomenally high standards set in the previous two years Meath Ladies were rewarded with three All-star nominees for the 2023 awards.
Duleek-Bellewstown's remarkably consistent goalkeeper Monica McGuirk, who missed out on the save of the season award to Dublin's Abby Shiels, is nominated again, as if Summerhill's outstanding full-back Mary Kate Lynch and the ever consistent and hugely influential Emma Duggan.
All-Ireland SFC finalists Dublin and Kerry dominate the list of nominations with 25 nominations between them.
Despite losing out in the showpiece decider to Dublin, Kerry lead the way with 13 nominations, with the All-Ireland winners receiving 12, while the long list of 45 nominees includes nine players from the 2022 All-star team.
Dublin captured a sixth 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 NFL Div 1 title before advancing to a second successive All-Ireland senior final.
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 All-Ireland 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.
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 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 All-star team.
Mayo’s five nominees are defensive quartet Danielle Caldwell (a 2022 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.
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 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 All-star team, along with two midfielders from the six nominated.
The 2023 All-star team will be announced at a gala banquet at The Bonnington Dublin Hotel on Saturday 18th November.
The 2023 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.