Galway lead the way in camogie All-Star nominations with Cork forward unlucky to miss out

All-Ireland Champions Galway lead the way on this year’s Camogie Association All-Stars shortlist, with 12 Tribeswomen nominated.

Runners-up Cork are next best with 10 nominations, while players from six counties in total, across each of the four provinces, are in with a chance of winning one of the top awards in the game. Players from Kilkenny, Tipperary, Waterford and Down complete the 36-player shortlist.

The champions, Galway are represented through Sarah Healy (Goalkeeper), Shauna Healy, Sarah Dervan, Dervla Higgins (Full-Back Line), Caitriona Cormican, Siobhan Gardiner, Emma Helebert (Half-Back Line), Niamh Kilkenny (Midfield), Aoife Donohue (Half-Forward Line), Siobhán McGrath, Orlaith McGrath and Ailish O’Reilly (Full-Forward Line). Just three of their All-Ireland final starters miss out, with Carrie Dolan, Sarah Spellman and Catherine Finnerty unlucky not to make the cut.

Beaten finalists Cork have ten of their team up for awards starting with Amy Lee (Goalkeeper), Libby Coppinger (Full-Back Line), Laura Hayes, Laura Treacy, Saoirse McCarthy (Half-Back Line), Hannah Looney, Ashling Thompson (Midfield), all the way up to Chloe Sigerson (Half-Forward Line), Katrina Mackey and Amy O’Connor (Full-Forward Line). From a Cork perspective, Orla Cronin finds herself unlucky not to be included. The Enniskeane club-woman was involved in an appeal-controversy leading up to the All-Ireland final but that aside, there is no denying that with her skill and speed, she was one of the most impressive forwards in the country this year.

Semi-Finalists Kilkenny receive seven nominations for Aoife Norris (Goalkeeper), Davina Tobin, Collette Dormer (Full-Back Line), Meighan Farrell (Midfield), Denise Gaule, Katie Nolan and Mary O’Connell (Half-Forward Line), while their semi-final counterparts Tipperary receive five nominations for Mary Ryan (Full-Back Line), Ereena Fryday (Midfield), Róisín Howard, Orla O’Dwyer (Half-Forward Line) and Cáit Devane (Full-Forward Line).

Waterford’s Shona Curran (Midfield) and Down’s Niamh Mallon (Full-Forward Line) complete the 36-player shortlist.

The recipient of the 2021 Camogie Association Manager of the Year is Galway manager Cathal Murray, who guided his team to the All-Ireland summit in September.

The 2021 Camogie Association All- Stars team will be announced at a gala banquet at the Osprey Hotel in Naas, Co. Kildare on Friday November 26^th subject to government guidelines, where the 2021 All-Stars team and Players’ Player of the Year Awards will also be announced. Nominees for the Camogie Association/GPA Senior, Intermediate and Junior Players' Player of the Year Awards will be announced on Wednesday 27^th October.

The Nominees for the 2021 All-Stars Awards are:

Goalkeepers:

Sarah Healy (Galway), Amy Lee (Cork), Aoife Norris (Kilkenny)

Full-Back Line:

Shauna Healy (Galway), Davina Tobin (Kilkenny), Dervla Higgins (Galway), Colette Dormer (Kilkenny), Sarah Dervan (Galway), Libby Coppinger (Cork), Mary Ryan (Tipperary)

Half-Back Line:

Meighan Farrell (Kilkenny), Laura Hayes (Cork), Caitriona Cormican (Galway), Siobhan Gardiner (Galway), Laura Treacy (Cork), Emma Helebert (Galway), Saoirse McCarthy (Cork)

Midfield:

Niamh Kilkenny (Galway), Hannah Looney (Cork), Ashling Thompson (Cork), Ereena Fryday (Tipperary), Shona Curran (Waterford)

Half-Forward Line:

Aoife Donohue (Galway), Denise Gaule (Kilkenny), Chloe Sigerson (Cork), Orla O' Dwyer (Tipperary) Katie Nolan (Kilkenny), Mary O' Connell (Kilkenny), Róisín Howard (Tipperary)

Full-Forward Line:

Siobhán McGrath (Galway), Ailish O' Reilly (Galway), Katrina Mackey (Cork), Niamh Mallon (Down), Orlaith McGrath (Galway), Cáit Devane (Tipperary), Amy O' Connor (Cork)