Photo: GAA (Sportsfile)
Ahead of the big annual bash in the Convention Centre tomorrow night, this morning the football All-Star team for 2014 was announced and we have three players on the chosen fifteen – Keith Higgins at corner-back, Colm Boyle at wing-back and Cillian O’Connor at corner-forward. Stars they all sure are and their inclusion in the team this year is richly deserved. Well done to them and indeed to all of the Mayo lads nominated this year.
I have to say I’m a bit surprised – in a nice way – that we got the three gongs as I fully expected us to be under-rewarded again this year in the way that we were twelve months ago. Keith and Cillian were always bolted-on certainties for inclusion – the former becoming the first Mayo player to win three All-Stars, the latter gaining his first on top of back-to-back YPOTY awards in 2011 and 2012 – but it’s really great to see Boyler claiming his second All-Star award, beating off stiff enough competition in the half-back line to do so. A bit like how he always performs on the field.
For a change, this year’s All-Star line-up doesn’t have any obvious shocks in terms of inclusions or omissions. James McCarthy edging out Frank McGlynn is probably the closest thing to a controversial pick but the Dublin player was very good all year and deserves recognition and while Paul Durcan’s All-Ireland final howler and Kieran Donaghy’s lack of playing time during the year should perhaps have weighed more strongly against their respective inclusions, it’s probably still right that they both did manage to make it onto the team.
The full team for 2014 is here.
Firstly congrats to the three lads, well done.i was a bit afraid with all the talk about cillians red card, but it would have been an injustice. Talking to a kerry man and he said 0 mahoney was unlucky , my answer was one forward was very very lucky.
Well done to the three lads. All fully deserved.
Delighted for the lads – for Keith on the recognition of his consistent excellence (that performance of his below in Limerick will stay with me til my dying day), Cillian on finally being rewarded with an overdue All-Star and Boyler, in what for me is the sweetest one of all on the acknowledgement of his sheer determination, work ethic and sometimes brute force that awed us on so many occasions this year.
Commiserations to Aido, Seamie and Leeroy, but I can’t say I have any major gripes with the team that has been selected (for a change). I will even grudgingly admit that Donaghy deserves his spot, not on consistent merit as these awards are meant to recognise, but on the impact both he and his arse made when it mattered most. (Yes, I’m still bitter.) Happy also to see Durcan in there after a consistent season and glad that his unfortunate mistake on final day didn’t cost him.
Now we can start looking forward, finally.
5 for Kerry tells it’s own story and when one considers donk started 2 games, Crowley maybe 3 and fouled incessantly and murphy had to be moved off mcbrearty who cleaned him when brought on, they were lucky to get 5!
Blow my own trumpet time – I did name this team back on the 8th!
Well done to the 3 lads, richly deserved, great to see boyler get the nod, surprised o Mahoney didn’t get one as was Kerry’s best defender. Donaghty had to get one as Kerry would not have won the all Ireland without him, he can thank our full back line for his allstar.
Higgins was in our full back line mayoforsam. Congrats to our 3 All Stars. Fantastic performances from all three. Keith simply brilliant, Cillian so consistent and thrilled for Boyle whose attitude and application every time he represents his county is 100 per cent.. Well done again.
Well done Willie Joe. Great piece on the CB. Any update on the survey? It’s gone very quiet. You need to continue your crusade for change and watch your back in McHale Park next Spring. The suits won’t like what you say
Congrats to the three Mayo lads, Higgins and O Connor were in the bag but it was great to see Boyle getting his just deserts, I have said it before that O Shea was the one man you would want in a half forward line in a tight corner and for that reason and his performances this year he should have got one. McCarthy’s All Star is one to keep the volcano from erupting, Aidan O Mahony was one of the best defenders in the championship this year and he is 34 years of age, he was immense again in the final,, apart from those calls they went as expected.
Yeah but james had a good summer too and I have not one bit sorry for o Mahoney Kerry have enough.
Aidan o Shea would have got his all star if he’d been playing in his best position for the county i.e. Midfield and David Moran would not!!
Thanks Pat – the survey is still open, the deadline for anyone who still wants to complete it is Sunday (26th) at 11pm. PJ Monaghan, whose initiative this is, will be providing an update on the survey results after this here on the site.
Congratulations Keith,Colm and Cillian.
Well deserved recognition for the three lads , but for one c of a reilly it could and should have been more. Anyway onwards and upwards, 2015 yet to start.
The three lads winning All Stars will I’m sure re-ignite the passion in the Mayo lads to make another run for Sam. If there was ever any doubt about their ability to mount another serious challenge at winning this thing, then Keith, Colm and Cillian’s achievements will surely inspire the rest of the lads to face into 2015 with renewed confidence.
Just after hearing that Paddy McNicholas is to step down later this year – good decision Paddy as the writing was on the wall.
Congrats to our 3 lads on a brilliant year. Especially to Keith for his 3rd what an achievement. I am delighted for Colm and 2 in a row. Could not happen to a nicer guy. Cillian should be on his second this year.
So “star” gets an all star! Yes Anne Marie, he will be accepting it with a song, “it was all about my arse, bout my arse, no trouble!” 😉
Huge congrats to our 3 lads and lets not forget the 2 mayo hurling lads receiving Christy ring all star awards also tonight, tooreen clubmen Ciaran Charlton and David Kenny. Up mayo!!
On a quick check of past football All Stars not since 1997 have All Ireland winners received as few as five all Stars. Six is the normal quota in that period with exceptional teams getting 7 or 8.
Interesting to see David Kenny get a christy ring all star. I thought he was a brilliant player on last years minor team in football and surely pushing for an u21 place in 2015. He also delivered the memorable “unf***king believable!” quote to tv3 after the all Ireland minor final last year!
Following a similar career path to Keith Higgins… Same position too.. Just saying!!
I think s walsh could cause a shock and win ypoty everyone tipping Ryan mchugh and derseving so But there could be a shock bit like jack mcc last year.
AndyD – that’s incorrect, in 2010 the AI winners Cork won 4 All Stars, which is the lowest for a winning team in recent times.
You’re right, GBXI – Down got as many as Cork did that year and Daniel Goulding, whose long-range pointed frees in the final effectively won the match for Cork, didn’t get one. It was a strange selection that year but it was also the last one where a large number of counties (nine in all) were represented. I did a post on it at the time – it’s here.
It makes very interesting reading looking back on that 2010 All Star team, and the season in general. It was the last time a team won the AI coming through the back door but for me, it also seemed like a transition year where the Kerry/Tyrone dominance ended and it signaled the beginning of a new era at the top.
Separately, when you look back at that 2010 All Star team I think it reflects the year quite well. It was a weird season when Longford beat Mayo, Roscommon and Sligo competed in the Connacht final, Louth were robbed of a Leinster title, Kerry lost a quarter final to a qualifier – Down, and Cork stumbled over the line to an AI. As WJ says, some people who were left out could count themselves unlucky and some who were picked could count themselves lucky – but that’s nearly always the way with All Stars, very hard please everyone.
I think in general the All Stars are close to spot on every year. People say they are useless because the likes of Paul Barden and Emlyn Mulligan don’t get considered, or because they are heavily weighted towards the semis and final, but you just can’t be giving out awards to players whose teams are not competing at the business end of the championship.
Congrats to our three lads. Im delighted for Boyler on a richly deserved all star. He was consistently brilliant all year and really stood up for us when needed.
Agree with boyler too and cillian