Richard Bullick
All Ireland champions Kerry predictably led the way with seven recipients but it was also a great night for Armagh at Dublin’s Bonnington Hotel on Saturday as a trio of Orchard heroes picked up the first national All Stars of their respective careers.
Ballyhegan’s Grace Ferguson became the third Armagh woman to be honoured at right corner back, Crossmaglen’s Lauren McConville was handed the left wing back berth and Aoife McCoy got the nod at centre half forward in the ceremonial line-up.
Considering they made their Orchard debuts together more than a decade ago and have been great footballing buddies down through the years, it was special that McConville and McCoy should be unveiled as All Stars within five minutes of each other.
Currently holidaying in the Philippines following the end of her AFLW campaign with Gold Coast Suns, unfortunately McConville wasn’t there on the night to receive her All Star in person which was picked up on her behalf by mum Michelle.
Shortlisted for a fourth consecutive year, McConville’s overdue recognition came as no surprise on the back of her fantastic contribution to a very successful season for Armagh, during which she joined McCoy as a member of the exclusive Orchard centurion club.
Vice-captain McConville won Player of the Match as Armagh defeated Kerry in their first ever National League final and picked up both the LGFA and GPA’s Player of the Month awards for April.
McConville was crowned Ulster Ladies Footballer of the Year along with receiving her fourth provincial All Star award and made the shortlist of three for All Ireland Players Player of the Year along with Kerry’s Kayleigh Cronin and Nicola Ward of Galway.
Ward went home with the top prize as well being one of four All Star recipients from All Ireland runners-up Galway along with left corner back Kate Geraghty, captain Ailbhe Davoren in midfield and left half forward Olivia Divilly.
Full back Cronin, August’s All Ireland final Player of the Match, was joined in Kerry’s magnificent seven by goalkeeper Ciara Butler, right half back Aishling O’Connell, midfielder Anna Galvin and a trio of forwards.
Their All Ireland-winning captain Niamh Carmody, like McConville absent on the night, was selected at right half forward with Danielle O’Leary filling the right corner forward slot and the legendary Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh’s fifth All Star coming in the No 15 jersey.
Between them at full forward was Cork’s Katie Quirke on a night when only the four All Ireland semi-finalists were represented on an All Star team featuring no players from recent All Ireland champions Dublin or Meath.
Armagh had a productive campaign which brought that historic National League title triumph and saw them reclaim the provincial crown from Donegal before bowing out of the All Ireland race with a narrow defeat at the last four stage to eventual winners Kerry.
That successful season was acknowledged with Armagh receiving three All Stars at the banquet for only the second time in their history, with the previous occasion coming in 2006 when the Orchard crew reached their only All Ireland final to date.
One of the recipients on that occasion, Caroline O’Hanlon, was one of a record eight Armagh nominees this season and, a decade on from being crowned All Ireland Player of the Year, she was interviewed as part of TG4’s live show from the red carpet at the start of the night.
Last time Armagh reached the All Ireland semi-finals was the pandemic-delayed campaign of 2020 on the back of which there were no actual All Stars awarded but Clodagh McCambridge, Blaithin and Aimee Mackin made the Team of the Senior Championship.
So in terms of official All Stars, there had just been five female footballers from the Orchard county thus honoured prior to the trio of first-time recipients at the weekend, with O’Hanlon and Aimee Mackin each having three to their name.
McConville emulates Crossmaglen half back Bronagh O’Donnell, the captain of that 2006 All Ireland final team, while Ferguson follows in the footsteps of fellow Armagh women Caoimhe Marley that year and Mairead Tennyson a decade ago by being picked at right corner back.
With All Stars being such a rare occurrence for Armagh players, it wouldn’t have come as much of a shock had McConville been the only Orchard recipient this time, so to end up with three was a pleasant surprise.
Based on the position she plays, Ferguson was the first Armagh recipient on the night with McConville confirmed in the half back line a few minutes later, leaving the announcement of McCoy at centre half forward as an unexpected delight.
The Dromintee dynamo’s wonderful Orchard career undoubtedly deserves an All Star but you suspected Armagh had got their lot for the evening and McCoy might be relying upon the wave of player recognition which would come with an All Ireland win in a future year.
It was a goosebumps moment seeing the 30-year-old being lifted off her feet by her proud dad and another highlight was the interview which Ferguson gave LGFA videographer Jerome Quinn afterwards, visibly bubbling with joy but being generous and humble.
The 40-year-old O’Hanlon, shortlisted for the 12th time, and her Carrickcruppen clubmate, goalkeeper Anna Carr were also at the banquet but half of the eight Orchard nominees didn’t make it to the Bonnington Hotel.
Like McConville, Blaithin Mackin hasn’t arrived home yet after the culmination of an AFLW campaign, in her case with Melbourne Demons, while county captain McCambridge and Cait Towe were resting up ahead of Clann Eireann’s Ulster Club final the next day.
After their victory, Clann Eireann will now face new Senior Player of the Year Ward in their All Ireland semi-final while the Intermediate and Junior Player of the Year awards went to Leitrim captain Michelle Guckian and prolific Fermanagh forward Eimear Smyth respectively.
2024 TG4 ALL STARS: Ciara Butler (Kerry); Grace Ferguson (Armagh), Kayleigh Cronin (Kerry), Kate Geraghty (Galway); Aishling O’Connell (Kerry), Nicola Ward (Galway), Lauren McConville (Armagh); Anna Galvin (Kerry), Ailbhe Davoren (Galway); Niamh Carmody (Kerry), Aoife McCoy (Armagh), Olivia Divilly (Galway); Danielle O’Leary (Kerry), Katie Quirke (Cork), Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh (Kerry).
