ALL-Ireland Senior champions Meath lead the way with eight representatives on the 2021 TG4 Ladies Football All Star team.
The final 15 was revealed at the TG4 All Star awards banquet, in association with Lidl, at Dublin’s Bonnington Hotel on Saturday evening, November 13.
Seven of the eight Meath players honoured are first-time winners, on the back of an historic season which saw the Royal County win a maiden TG4 All-Ireland Senior title.
Coming 🔜
Highlights from the 2021 @TG4TV All Star banquet, in association with @lidl_ireland 💃🕺 👗
Réaltaí Pheil na mBan 2021 💫
🗓️Sunday November 21
⏰4.45pm
📺@TG4TV #TG4AllStars @SportTG4 pic.twitter.com/0qTIoohydL— Ladies Football (@LadiesFootball) November 15, 2021
Meath lifted the Brendan Martin Cup on September 5, less than nine months after winning the TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate title, while 2021 also saw Eamonn Murray’s team claim the Lidl National League Division 2 crown, and promotion to the top flight for the 2022 season.
Goalkeeper Monica McGuirk wins a second TG4 All Star award, following her previous success in 2019, while team-mates Emma Troy, Mary Kate Lynch, Aoibhín Cleary, Máire O’Shaughnessy, Niamh O’Sullivan, Vikki Wall and Emma Duggan are first-time recipients.
TG4 All-Ireland Senior Final runners-up Dublin have claimed three TG4 All Star awards, with Leah Caffrey claiming her third, while Orlagh Nolan and Hannah Tyrell are first-time winners.
Cork duo Erika O’Shea and Hannah Looney, along with Donegal’s Geraldine McLaughlin, are other first-time All Star winners, while Mayo forward Rachel Kearns earns her second award, following her previous win in 2019.
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An All star ⭐️ welcome home for @CLGAnTearmainn’s @Geraldinemc1 this evening, congratulations, and enjoy the celebrations ⭐️🇶🇦🎉 @DonegalLGFA @LadiesFootball pic.twitter.com/mbeoPQQEbA
— CLG An Tearmainn (@CLGAnTearmainn) November 14, 2021
In total, there are 12 first-time winners on the 2021 TG4 All Star team, with McGuirk and Kearns the only survivors from the 2019 selection.
There are three pairs of clubmates on the 2021 team, with Aoibhín Cleary and Máire O’Shaughnessy from Donaghmore/Ashbourne joined by Vikki Wall and Emma Duggan from Dunboyne, who retained their Meath Senior club title last weekend.
Leah Caffrey and Hannah Tyrrell, meanwhile, are both members of the Na Fianna club in Glasnevin, Dublin.
Hugh congratulations to all the Meath girls who picked up All Star Awards on Saturday night and a huge thanks to the 30 other players who drive them on every night at training . All stars are in the team @meathladiesMLGF pic.twitter.com/QFhiD9UXT3
— Paul Garrigan (@PaulGarrigan1) November 15, 2021
2021 TG4 Ladies Football All-Star team:
- Monica McGuirk (Meath) – 2nd award (previous winner in 2019)
- Emma Troy (Meath) – 1staward
- Mary Kate Lynch (Meath) – 1staward
- Leah Caffrey (Dublin) – 3rdaward (previous winner in 2016 and 2017)
- Erika O’Shea (Cork) – 1staward
- Aoibhín Cleary (Meath) – 1staward
- Orlagh Nolan (Dublin) – 1staward
- Hannah Looney (Cork) – 1staward
- Máire O’Shaughnessy (Meath) – 1staward
- Hannah Tyrrell (Dublin) – 1staward
- Rachel Kearns (Mayo) – 2ndaward (previous winner in 2019)
- Niamh O’Sullivan (Meath) – 1staward
- Vikki Wall (Meath) – 1staward
- Emma Duggan (Meath) – 1staward
- Geraldine McLaughlin (Donegal) – 1staward
County by county breakdown:
8 Meath, 3 Dublin, 2 Cork, 1 Donegal, 1 Mayo.
Players’ Players of the Year
Comhghairdeas le @vikki_wall na Mí 💚💛
The @TG4TV Players’ Player of the Year award winner #TG4AllStars @DunboyneGAA @meathladiesMLGF @LadiesFootball pic.twitter.com/sSDtOfyUd4— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) November 14, 2021
MEATH’S Vikki Wall was named as the 2021 TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year at the annual All Star banquet, in association with Lidl, at Dublin’s Bonnington Hotel on Saturday night.
Wall was superb in an attacking role for Meath during an historic season which saw the Royal County land the TG4 All-Ireland Senior title for the very first time.
The Dunboyne star (23), scored 1-6 for Meath during the Championship, and she produced a Player of the Match performance in the famous Senior Final victory over Dublin at Croke Park on September 5.
Incredibly, Wall was the 2020 TG4 Intermediate Players’ Player of the Year winner and having made the step up to the Senior Championship grade, she was the leading choice of her peers for the individual honour in the elite ranks.
Wall also claimed a first TG4 All Star award on the night, one of eight Meath players named in the final 15.
For the Senior Players’ Player of the Year award, Wall fended off stiff competition from Meath team-mates Emma Troy and Emma Duggan, who’s also a Dunboyne clubmate.
Corner back Troy and ace forward Duggan were also honoured with TG4 All Stars for the very first time.
🤣🤣 “I was fuming to be honest” 😀😀 @DunboyneGAA @meathladiesMLGF @TG4TV @SportTG4 @JeromeQuinn #TG4Allstars pic.twitter.com/ETIASMhBCq
— Ladies Football (@LadiesFootball) November 14, 2021
The 2021 TG4 Intermediate Players’ Player of the Year award went to Westmeath’s Sarah Dillon.
From the Milltown club, Dillon was Player of the Match for Westmeath in the TG4 All-Ireland Final victory over Wexford, and top scorer in the grade with 5-23.
Dillon scored 1-6 against Wexford, as Westmeath claimed a win that will see them return to the Senior grade in 2022.
Dillon earned the award ahead of Westmeath team-mate Lucy McCartan, while Clare’s Niamh O’Dea was also nominated.
And while Carlow lost out after extra-time in their TG4 All-Ireland Junior semi-final against Antrim, star forward Clíodhna Ní Shé was voted by her peers as the TG4 Junior Players’ Player of the Year.
Ní Shé was top scorer in the 2021 TG4 All-Ireland Championships with a remarkable haul of 9-19.
The Bennekenny/Tinryland player was nominated alongside Wicklow’s Marie Kealy and Antrim’s Gráinne McLaughlin.
Vikki Wall of Meath with her TG4 Senior Players Player of the Year and TG4 Allstar awards during the TG4 Ladies Football All Stars Awards banquet, in association with Lidl, at the Bonnington Hotel last night!
📸 @sportsfilebren https://t.co/GTON4IfuXd pic.twitter.com/fc8DR02Unx
— sportsfile (@sportsfile) November 14, 2021