De Búrca keeping positive as Fenton and Hegarty are the top dogs

Niall McIntyre

All dressed up with nowhere to go.

Brian Fenton and Gearoid Hegarty are the GAA’s top dogs for 2020 while youngsters Oisin Mullin and Eoin Cody accepted their young player of the year awards from the comfort of their own homes.

Over a blurry zoom link and wearing a set of earphones, the lads were honoured with the game’s top accolades and celebrated, presumably, by heading back into the kitchen for a cup of tea.

The stuff of dreams!

It was the All-Star awards but it wasn’t your usual fare, minus the glitz, glamour and razmataz and with a virtual twist we hope never comes to pass again.

John Kiely spoke for the whole country when he wished for a safe return. John Horan, meanwhile, insisted that the GAA aim to complete a full calendar of fixtures this year despite recent gloom.

Before long, the hurling team of the year and the individual football awards were announced.

Waterford’s Tadhg De Burca gave an impressive interview on the night, when he discussed suffering a second cruciate injury in the last three years.

“It was a particularly bad day doing my cruciate, so I’d have negative thoughts about that day in general. It is heartbreaking and anyone who’s done a cruciate knows that it’s a lot of hard work, nine months of a slog, a lot of ups and downs with it. But sure, what can you do? The surgery went well and I’m meeting all my targets and goals, so everything’s going well and hoping to progress it week by week.”

In these difficult times, De Burca’s positivity is an inspirational thing.

Waterford defender Tadhg de Burca claims his second all-star, being selected at centre-half back on the 2020 team and talks to @rtesport about his recovery pic.twitter.com/XQWAp0rvAq

— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) February 20, 2021

PWC Hurler of the Year

Gearoid Hegarty (Limerick)

PWC Young Hurler of the Year

Eoin Cody (Kilkenny)

PWC Gaelic footballer of the Year

Brian Fenton (Dublin)

The Raheny club man becomes the first man since Trevor Giles to win the Footballer of the Year award twice.

Brian Fenton wins the 2020 PwC Footballer of the Year award – 'It's probably caught me by surprise, looking at the other nominees. I'm incredibly honoured and humbled' – Watch live now on @rteone and @rteplayer pic.twitter.com/Yzedykdjtz

— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) February 20, 2021