Kikkerrin/Clonberne’s Nicola Ward Galway’s sole nominee as TG4 Ladies Football All Stars nominees are revealed  

The nominations for the 2023 TG4 Ladies Football All Star awards have been revealed with Galway receiving just one nomination.

Kilkerrin/Clonberne’s Nicola Ward is the single Galway nomination in Midfield.

Despite losing out in the showpiece decider to the Sky Blues at Croke Park on August 13, Kerry lead the way with 13 nominations, with Dublin receiving 12, while the long list of 45 nominees includes nine players from the 2022 TG4 All Star team.

Dublin captured a sixth TG4 All-Ireland Senior title this year – and their first since 2020 – with a powerful display in the Final.

It was also another stellar campaign for Kerry, however, as the Kingdom landed the Lidl National League Division 1 title before advancing to a second successive TG4 All-Ireland Senior Final.

Dublin and Kerry claim 25 nominations between them, while Mayo, who lost out to Kerry at the semi-final stage, have five players nominated.

There are three nominations each for Armagh, Cork, Donegal and Meath, the 2021 and 2022 TG4 All-Ireland Senior champions, while Clare, Galway and Kildare have one each.

Dublin’s 12 nominees are goalkeeper Abby Shiels, defenders Niamh Crowley, Leah Caffrey, Martha Byrne and Lauren Magee, midfield pair Jennifer Dunne and Eilish O’Dowd, and forwards Orlagh Nolan, Caoimhe O’Connor, Kate Sullivan, team captain Carla Rowe and Hannah Tyrrell, who was the All-Ireland Senior Final Player of the Match.

Kerry’s 13 nominees are goalkeeper Ciara Butler, defenders Kayleigh Cronin, Eilís Lynch, Emma Costello, Cáit Lynch and Aishling O’Connell, midfielders Louise Galvin and Lorraine Scanlon, and forwards Niamh Carmody, Anna Galvin, Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh, who was top scorer in the 2023 TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship, Danielle O’Leary and captain Síofra O’Shea.

Cronin, Lynch, O’Connell, Carmody and Ní Mhuircheartaigh were all named on the 2022 TG4 All Star team.

Mayo’s five nominees are defensive quartet Danielle Caldwell (a 2022 TG4 All Star), Clodagh McManamon, Ciara Needham and team captain Kathryn Sullivan, and attacker Sinéad Cafferky.

Armagh’s trio of nominees are defenders Clodagh McCambridge and Lauren McConville, and forward Aoife McCoy, while Cork’s nominees are defender Róisín Phelan and attacking sisters Ciara and Doireann O’Sullivan.

Donegal have defender Amy Boyle Carr, 2022 All Star and Senior Players’ Player of the Year, Niamh McLaughlin, who’s listed at midfield, and forward Niamh Hegarty on the list, while Meath are represented by three-time and current All Star goalkeeper, Monica McGuirk, defender Mary Kate Lynch and another current All Star, forward Emma Duggan.

Clare’s Fidelma Marrinan (forward) and Kildare’s Róisín Byrne (forward) make up the 45-strong list.

Marrinan and Byrne are the players from the Intermediate grade who earn All Star nominations.

Marrinan claimed the ZuCar Golden Boot award as leading scorer in the 2023 TG4 All-Ireland Championships, while Byrne was Player of the Match for champions Kildare in the Final victory over Clare at Croke Park.

One goalkeeper will be chosen from the shortlist of three, with three players selected from each of the full-back, half-back, half-forward and full-forward lines for inclusion in the TG4 All Star team, along with two midfielders from the six nominated.

The 2023 TG4 All Star team will be announced at a gala banquet at The Bonnington Dublin Hotel on Saturday, November 18.

The 2023 TG4 Junior, Intermediate and Senior Players’ Player of the Year award winners will also be revealed on the night, while the 2023 inductee into the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) Hall of Fame will be acknowledged.

2023 TG4 All Star nominees:

Goalkeepers

Abby Shiels – Dublin

Ciara Butler – Kerry

*Monica McGuirk – Meath

Full Back Line 

Clodagh McCambridge – Armagh

Róisín Phelan – Cork

Niamh Crowley – Dublin

Leah Caffrey – Dublin

*Kayleigh Cronin – Kerry

Eilís Lynch – Kerry

*Danielle Caldwell – Mayo

Clodagh McManamon – Mayo

Mary Kate Lynch – Meath

Half Back Line 

Lauren McConville – Armagh

Amy Boyle Carr – Donegal

Martha Byrne – Dublin

Lauren Magee – Dublin

Emma Costello – Kerry

*Cáit Lynch – Kerry

*Aishling O’Connell – Kerry

Ciara Needham – Mayo

Kathryn Sullivan – Mayo

Midfield 

*Niamh McLaughlin – Donegal

Jennifer Dunne – Dublin

Eilish O’Dowd – Dublin

Louise Galvin – Kerry

Lorraine Scanlon – Kerry

Nicola Ward – Galway  

Half Forward Line 

Fidelma Marrinan – Clare

Ciara O’Sullivan – Cork

Orlagh Nolan – Dublin

Caoimhe O’Connor – Dublin

Kate Sullivan – Dublin

*Niamh Carmody – Kerry

Anna Galvin – Kerry

Sinéad Cafferky – Mayo

*Emma Duggan – Meath

Full Forward Line 

Aoife McCoy – Armagh

Doireann O’Sullivan – Cork

Niamh Hegarty – Donegal

Carla Rowe – Dublin

Hannah Tyrrell – Dublin

*Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh – Kerry

Danielle O’Leary – Kerry

Síofra O’Shea – Kerry

Róisín Byrne – Kildare

*denotes 2022 TG4 All Star

County by county breakdown:

Kerry 13, Dublin 12, Mayo 5, Armagh 3, Cork 3, Donegal 3, Meath 3, Clare 1, Galway 1, Kildare 1.