Tipperary's McCarthy named Intermediate Lady Footballer of the Year

DUBLIN’S Noelle Healy was named as the 2017 TG4 senior Players’ Player of the Year at the annual All-Stars banquet on Saturday night. 

 

The St Brigid’s player, who also collected a third All-Star award, crowned a stellar season by capturing the coveted individual honour at the Citywest Hotel. 

 

Healy, 26, also won All-Star awards in 2014 and 2016, and she becomes the first Dublin player to win the senior Players’ Player of the Year award.

 

Healy was player of the match in September’s TG4 All-Ireland senior final victory over Mayo, in front of a record 46,286 attendance at Croke Park.

 

The TG4 intermediate Players’ Player of the Year award went to Tipperary’s Aisling McCarthy, who was player of the match in the Premier County’s TG4 All-Ireland intermediate final victory over Tyrone.

 

And while Derry may have lost the TG4 All-Ireland junior final replay to Fermanagh, Emma Doherty was voted by her peers as the TG4 junior Players’ Player of the Year.

 

Meanwhile, the Ladies Gaelic Football Association has announced that Bangkok in Thailand is the destination for the 2018 TG4 All-Star tour.

 

The touring party will depart on March 13 and arrive home on March 21, with an exhibition match pencilled in for St Patrick’s Day, March 17.

 

This will be the eighth All-Star tour for the Ladies Gaelic Football Association, with players who won All-Star awards in 2016 and 2017 set to join the travelling group. Further details relating to the tour will be announced in due course.

 

Meanwhile, All Ireland senior champions Dublin lead the way with six representatives on the 2017 TG4 Ladies Football All-Star team.

 

It was a night of history at the Citywest Hotel when Mayo’s Cora Staunton collected a record-equalling 11^th award, to draw level with Kerry’s Mary Jo Curran at the top of the roll of honour.

 

Dublin’s haul of six awards matches their previous best on an All-Star team – which was achieved in 2010 when they also won the TG4 All-Ireland senior crown.

 

Captain Sinéad Aherne received a sixth award – making her the most decorated Dublin All-Star recipient in history.

 

Aherne is joined on the TG4 All-Star team by Dublin team-mates Ciara Trant, Rachel Ruddy, Leah Caffrey, Nicole Owens and Noelle Healy.

 

Aherne, Caffrey and Healy are the only survivors from the 2016 selection, as 2017 All-Ireland senior runners-up Mayo received three awards at the gala banquet.  

 

Staunton, who will captain Carnacon in the All-Ireland senior club final against Mourneabbey on Sunday week, December 3, picked up her second award in three seasons.

 

She’s joined on the All-Star team by Mayo team-mates Sarah Tierney and Aileen Gilroy, who are first-time recipients.

 

In total, nine players were honoured on the selection for the first time, with two awards each for Donegal and Kerry, and one apiece for Armagh and Cork.

 

The Hegartys from Moville in Donegal, Ciara and Niamh, are the first set of sisters to be named together on an All-Star team since the Courtneys, Sharon and Cora, in 2013.

 

2017 TG4 Ladies Football All-Star team:

 

1.    Ciara Trant (Dublin) – 1^st award

2.    Emma Spillane (Cork) – 1^st award

3.    Sarah Tierney (Mayo) – 1^st award

4.    Rachel Ruddy (Dublin) – 2^nd award

5.    Caroline Kelly (Kerry) – 1^st award

6.    Ciara Hegarty (Donegal) – 1^st award

7.    Leah Caffrey (Dublin) – 2^nd award

8.    Lorraine Scanlon (Kerry) – 1^st award

9.    Aileen Gilroy (Mayo) – 1^st award

10. Aimee Mackin (Armagh) – 2^nd award

11. Niamh Hegarty (Donegal) – 1^st award

12. Nicole Owens (Dublin) – 1^st award

13. Sinéad Aherne (Dublin) – 6^th award

14. Cora Staunton (Mayo) – 11^th award

15. Noelle Healy (Dublin) – 3^rd award

 

County by county breakdown:

 

6 Dublin, 3 Mayo, 2 Kerry, 2 Donegal, 1 Armagh, 1 Cork.