All Ireland winners Cork picked up six All Stars at the 2009 O’Neills/TG4 Ladies Gaelic Football All-Star Awards at the CityWest Hotel on Saturday night.
Five-in-a-row champs Cork and losing finalists Dublin dominated the nominations for this year’s All-Stars with 21 nominations between them but it was the Rebelettes who collected the most All Stars on the night.
Cork players Geraldine O'Flynn, Briege Corkery, Norita Kelly, Juliet Murphy, Nollaig Cleary and Angela Walsh were all winners with Walsh picking up her fifth consecutive award.
Dublin collected three in the form of Cliodhna O'Connor, Siobhan McGrath and Sinead Aherne while Mayo also picked up three with Noelle Tierney, Martha Carter and the legendary Cora Staunton all collecting gongs on the night.
Other notable All Stars included Kildare's Noelle Earley, who followed in her father Dermot and her brother Dermot's footsteps by becoming an All Star, and Monaghan forward Ciara McAnespie, who collected her first All Star 12 years after her mother Brenda won an All Star for the Farney women.
Monaghan won two with Edel Byrne of the Magheraclone club collecting her fifth in all.
The Young Players of the Year Awards went to Aileen Gilroy (St Brigids, Mayo), Cliona Murray (Boardsmill, Meath), Niamh O’Dea (The Banner Ladies, Clare) and Niamh McLoughlin (Moyville, Donegal).
The induction of Sally Duggan into the Ladies Football Hall of Fame also took place. The Premier County native was present at the inception of the Ladies Gaelic Football Association in the Hayes Hotel, Thurles in 1974. Sally had a glittering inter-county career winning three All Ireland medals as well as a National League and four Provincial titles.
2009 ALL STARS TEAM:
C O'Connor (Dublin), G O'Flynn (Cork), A Walsh (Cork), N Tierney (Mayo), B Corkey (Cork), M Carter (Mayo), S McGrath (Dublin), N Kelly (Cork), J Murphy (Cork), E Byrne (Monaghan), N Cleary (Cork), N Earley (Kildare), S Aherne (Dublin), C Staunton (Mayo), C McAnespie (Monaghan)
