Cork claim 7 All-Stars

All Stars Trip to Dubai Planned for January ‘08

All Ireland winners Cork dominated the 2007 O’Neills/TG4 Ladies
Gaelic Football All-Star Awards with seven All Stars at a gala banquet
at the CityWest Hotel tonight. All-Ireland Champions Cork and Connacht
champions Mayo dominated the nominations for this year’s All-Stars
with 16 nominations between the two senior finalists but it was
Cork who deservedly picked up the majority of the honours.

Cork who claimed their third consecutive All Ireland title this
year deservedly picked up the majority of the honours on the night
with Cork captain Juliet Murphy collecting her second All Star in
three years. Other Cork All Stars included Angela Walsh, Rena Buckley,
Brid Stack, Briege Corkery, Valerie Mulcahy and Dierdre O’Reilly
Mayo, who won the Suzuki National League Division 1 title earlier
this year claimed just two All Stars with Claire O’Hara and Cora
Staunton picking up awards. Cora Staunton was the Championship’s
Golden Boot winner with 4-46 in six championship games. This was
her her fifth All Star Award. The 2007 Championships surprise package
Tyrone received one All Star in the shape of Gemma Begley. Begley
scored 7-17 in five Championship games. Intermediate champions

Leitrim picked up one All Star in the form of half forward Sarah
Mcloughlin while Wexford, runners-up in the Mary Quinn Memorial
Cup also collected one All Star. Kildare, Waterford and Laois also
picked up a single All Star. Cumann Peil Gael na mBán also announced
that in January 2008 the Ladies Football All Stars would travel
to Dubai to play an exhibition match. The last Ladies Football All
Stars tour was to Singapore in 2006. An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern
TD was the guest of honour at the prestigious event which was filmed
live for deferred airing on TG4. Entertainment was provided on the
night by Mickey Joe Harte, Francis Black and the GAA All Stars –
Jack O’Shea, Barny Rock and David Beggy.

The Young Players of the Year Awards went to Louise Ni Mhuircheartaigh
(Kerry – Munster) Amy Connolly (Dublin – Leinster), Ciara Hegarty
(Donegal – Ulster) and Melissa Coleman (Mayo – Connacht).

Helen O’Rourke, Chief Executive of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association,
said “The All Stars would not be possible but for the contribution
of our sponsors TG4 and O’Neills sportswear. I would like to take
this opportunity to thank most sincerely the Managing Director of
O’Neill’s Tony Towell and an Ceannasai of TG4 Pól O’Gallchóir for
their commitment to the sponsorship of our sport and their continued
support of the Association. The significant increase in the live
televised games on TG4 has heightened the profile of the game and
extended the sport to a wider audience.” Pol O’Gallchor, Ceannasai
TG4, said, “I would like to pay tribute to those in Cumann Peil
Gael na mBan – in particular Uachtarán, Geraldine Giles and Chief
Executive, Helen O’Rourke and all the staff for their vision, dedication,
good humour and friendship. Our partnership as sponsors and broadcast
rights holders has matured well as we continue to work in tandem
to achieve common goals.”

O’Neills/TG4 Ladies Gaelic Football All Star Team 2007 Goalkeeper:
Mary Rose kelly (Wexford) Left Corner Back: Rebecca Hallahan (Waterford)
Full Back: Angela Walsh (Cork) Right Corner Back: Rena Buckley (Cork)
Left Half Back: Claire O’Hara (Mayo) Centre Half Back: Brid Stack
(Cork) Right Half Back: Briege Corkery (Cork) Midfield: Juliet Murphy
(Cork) Midfield: Brianne Leahy (Kildare) Left Half Forward: Sarah
McLoughlin (Leitrim) Centre Half Forward: Cora Staunton (Mayo) Right
Half Forward: Tracey Lawlor (Laois) Left Corner Forward: Valerie
Mulcahy (Cork) Full Forward: Gemma Begley (Tyrone) Right Corner
Forward: Deirdre O’Reilly (Cork)