ULSTER collected two Allstar awards at Saturday night’s annual awards banquet at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin.
Tyrone’s All-Ireland intermediatewinning captain Neamh Woods won her second gong, 10 years after her first, the Drumragh player named at midfield, while Donegal corner-back Treasa Doherty received her first at number two.
All-Ireland senior champions Dublin were honoured with seven representatives on the 2018 Allstar team, captain Sinéad Aherne receiving a seventh award, and her third in-a-row, while there was a sixth in seven years for right halfback Sinéad Goldrick.
They were joined on the 2018 list by Dublin team-mates Ciara Trant, Siobhán McGrath, Lauren Magee, Noelle Healy and Lyndsey Davey. Trant, Healy, Aherne and Cork’s Emma Spillane are the only survivors from the 2017 selection, as All-Ireland finalists Cork picked up four awards in total.
Their captain Ciara O’Sullivan became a four-time winner, with her sister Doireann O’Sullivan collecting her first. They are joined on the team by Spillane and another first-time recipient, Róisín Phelan, who is named at full-back.
The remainder of the team is made up of players from Galway’s Sinead Burke and Kerry’s Sarah O’Houlihan. Woods’ selection at midfield capped a magnificent night and a very memorable year for the 29-year-old, who was also namedIntermediate Players’ Player of the Year, as voted by fellow inter-county players.
“I am delighted but theses awards come on the back of excellent team performances all year from Tyrone ladies and as a whole we are just delighted to return to senior football,” said Woods.
As well as leading Tyrone to provincial and All-Ireland honours, scoring a goal in each half of their final victory over Meath and picking up the player of the final award, the St Ciaran’s, Ballygawley teacher represented Northern Ireland in netball at the Commonwealth Games in Australia earlier this year too.
“It has been a crazy, busy year but in another way I don’t know any different between the netball and the football and it’s great I am able to balance the both Doherty hopes that Donegal can build on a successful year which saw them retain their Ulster senior title and reach a first ever AllIreland senior semi-final.
“It has been a great year for Donegal, getting to the semifinal, even though we were really disappointed not getting to the final, which is obviously everyone’s goal, getting that one step further is extra experience for us,’’ she said.
Sinead Aherne was voted the Senior Players’ Player of the Year, while Louth’s Kate Flood, who led her team out against Limerick in the All-Ireland junior final, was named as Junior Players’ Player of the Year.
Donegal’s Megan Ryan received the Provincial Young Players of the Year and Marie Crotty was inducted into the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) Hall of Fame.
