One All Star for Mayo as champions Dublin lead the way
Star Mayo defender Danielle Caldwell has picked up her second TG4 Ladies Football All Star award.
Caldwell, a Castlebar Mitchels player, picked up her award at the annual LGFA TG4 All Star awards banquet, in association with Lidl, as the Bonnington Dublin Hotel last night (Saturday).
The ace defender picked up her first All Star just last year and backed it up with a string of impressive performances for her county this year.
Mayo had five players nominated for awards. In addition to Caldwell, the other four Mayo nominees were Clodagh McManamon, Ciara Needham, Kathryn Sullivan and Sinéad Cafferky
The All Star selection is dominated All-Ireland senior champions Dublin, who secured eight representatives on the team.
Dublin’s haul eclipses their previous all-time best of seven players, which was achieved twice (2018 and 2019).
The eight Dublin players are goalkeeper Abby Shiels, defenders Leah Caffrey, Lauren Magee and Martha Byrne, midfielder Jennifer Dunne, and forwards Orlagh Nolan, Hannah Tyrrell and Carla Rowe.
Tyrrell was named Player of the Match in the 2023 TG4 All-Ireland senior final, while Rowe had the honour of lifting the Brendan Martin Cup as team captain.
TG4 All-Ireland senior finalists Kerry have been rewarded with five All Star award winners, namely defenders Eilís Lynch and Cáit Lynch, midfielder Lorraine Scanlon, and forwards Niamh Carmody and Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh.
Caldwell and Cork forward Ciara O’Sullivan complete the 2023 All Star line-up.
The team is comprised of four first-time award winners, with Dublin’s Abby Shiels, Martha Byrne and Jennifer Dunne joined by Kerry’s Eilís Lynch as inaugural recipients.
As well as Caldwell, five other players picked up their second awards on the night – Dublin’s Lauren Magee, Orlagh Nolan and Hannah Tyrrell, and Kerry’s Lorraine Scanlon and Niamh Carmody.
Kerry’s Cáit Lynch is now a three-time TG4 All Star award-winner, while the Kingdom’s ace forward Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh and Dublin’s Carla Rowe are both honoured for a fourth time.
Cork’s Ciara O’Sullivan is now a five-time winner, and she bridges a five-year gap after winning her fourth award in 2018.
There are four players who featured on the 2022 TG4 All Star team named on this year’s selection, as Mayo’s Danielle Caldwell and Kerry trio Cáit Lynch, Niamh Carmody and Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh receive the prestigious individual accolades once again.
The 2023 TG4 All Star team also contains three players from the Castleisland Desmonds club in Kerry – Eilís Lynch, Cáit Lynch and Lorraine Scanlon.
Two players from the Cuala club in Dublin are also honoured – Martha Byrne and Jennifer Dunne – while there are also two awards for the Na Fianna club in the capital, with Leah Caffrey and Hannah Tyrrell included in the annual 15.