Kate’s ninth award
Championship top scorer wins All Star
IT PROVED to be another great night at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin for Wexford veteran Kate Kelly on Saturday as the St. Ibar’s/ Shelmalier clubwoman picked up her ninth camogie All Star award at the glitzy end-of-season get-together.
Kelly won her first gong all the way back in 2004, the first of two as a midfielder.
One followed in 2007 as an inside forward before the next five were given for her exploits in the half-forward line. Her 2016 All Star position is full-forward.
Her performances throughout the season, which helped Kelly finish as championship top scorer, also earned her a nomination in the Senior players’ player of the year category, up against Cork midfielder Orla Cotter and eventual winner, Kilkenny sharpshooter Denise Gaule.
There was no luck for Wexford’s other nominees. After an impressive debut season in the purple and gold, Sarah O’Connor (St. Martin’s) earned a surprise nomination in the half-back line, but she was beaten for a gong by Galway’s Rebecca Hennelly and Kilkenny duo Ann Dalton and Meighan Farrell.
Shelley Kehoe (Oulart-The Ballagh) has been a talented performer for several years now, having made a seamless step-up from winning the Intermediate All-Ire- land in 2011 to the Senior team thereafter. She was nominated in midfield but was pipped by Orla Cotter from Cork and Kilkenny’s Miriam Walsh.
Finally, Mags D’Arcy had one of her best seasons protecting the county goal and maybe one of her busiest. The St. Martin’s clubwoman lost out to Emma Kavanagh of Kilkenny, first cousin of Wexford hurler Eanna Martin. Cork’s Aoife Murray was also nominated.
The team in full was: Emma Kavanagh (Kilkenny); Pamela Mackey (Cork), Sarah Dervan (Galway), Collette Dormer (Kilkenny); Rebecca Hennelly (Galway), Ann Dalton (Kilkenny), Meighan Farrell (Kilkenny); Orla Cotter (Cork), Miriam Walsh (Kilkenny); Denise Gaule (Kilkenny), Julie Ann Malone (Kilkenny), Aoife Donohoe (Galway); Michelle Quilty (Kilkenny), Kate Kelly (Wexford), Katrina Mackey (Cork).
In other news, the Under-14 academy will continue this Saturday in Farmleigh. All players who have been attending are asked to check with their clubs and social media to find out the time they are to attend.
Meanwhile, the county Senior and Intermediate management teams are running a two-game trial blitz for all eligible players for the 2017 teams.
Clubs and players should register their interest with the county Secretary by Friday, November 11.
The games will take place on Friday, November 18, and Friday, November 25.