Players’ Player of Year Gaule caps Kilkenny’s All-Star show
KILKENNY dynamo Denise Gaule was celebrating again at the weekend as she collected the Camogie Association/WGPA Senior Players’ Player of the Year award, to add to her match-winning display in the All-Ireland senior final against Galway.
Gaule (right) and her Kilkenny team-mates dominated the camogie All-Stars team (sponsored by Liberty Insurance), taking six places on this year’s selection announced at a virtual event on Saturday, while the man who guided them to success, Brian Dowling, was named Manager of the Year.
All-Ireland runners-up Galway received two awards, with Tipperary and Cork receiving three awards each and Waterford completing the line-up with one award. Among the winners for the champions were full-back Claire Phelan, left half-back Davina Tobin, midfielder Grace Walsh, left half-forward Gaule, fullforward Miriam Walsh and corner-forward Anne Dalton. Galway are represented with right corner-back Shauna Healy and right cornerforward Orlaith McGrath. Tipp players Áine Slattery (goalkeeper), Mary Ryan (left cornerback) and Karen Kennedy (centre halfback) receive their first All-Stars and are joined on the selection by Cork
trio Hannah Looney (right half-back), Chloe Sigerson (midfield) and Orla Cronin (centre half-forward).
Waterford captain and right halfforward Niamh Rockett completes this year’s winning selection.
Niamh Mallon of Down was the recipient of the Intermediate accolade while Armagh’s Ciara Donnelly was chosen as the Junior Players’ Player of the Year. All three were selected after voting by inter-county players through the WGPA with the awards sponsored by Liberty Insurance.
All-Ireland Intermediate champions Down lead the 2020 Soaring Stars Awards, represented by six players; defenders Dearbhla Magee and Fionnuala Carr, midfielder Paula O’Hagan and forwards Sara-Louise Graffin, Niamh Mallon and Sorcha McCartan. Runners-up Antrim have three representatives; defenders Chloe Drain and Niamh Donnelly along with forward Maeve Kelly.