PIC COURTESY OF MARK MCHUGH - TOP DONEGAL DAILY SNAPPER!
THE Donegal All Stars got their hands on their awards tonight at a glittering ceremony in Dublin.
And Donegal defender Karl Lacey was named Footballer of the Year.
The centre half-back a 4-time All Star – was superb as Donegal claimed the All-Ireland title and he pipped team-mates Colm McFadden and Frank McGlynn to the top player title.
Mayo’s Cillian O’Connor took the Young Player award ahead of Paddy McBrearty while the Hurler of the Year honour went to Kilkenny forward Henry Shefflin.
Johnny Coen of Galway collected the Young Hurler of the Year award.
All-Ireland champions Kilkenny were represented by five players in the Hurling All-Stars team, one less than beaten finalists Galway.
Cats centre forward Shefflin took his place in the line-up for an incredible 11th time.
Donegal were rewarded for their Sam Maguire triumph over Mayo by having eight players in the Football All-Stars team which were announced earlier this week.
It is one short of the record haul of nine shared jointly by Dublin in 1977 and Kerry in 1981.
And they lined-up looking as sharp as ever in their Evolve Menswear suits!
Lacey was selected in the line-up for a fourth time and his consistent excellence led to him winning the player award for the first time, no doubt helped by that last gasp quarter-final point which finished off Kerry.
Said Karl afterwards: “This is such a huge honour and of course I feel sorry for Frank and Colm, but this is for everyone, for all the lads and we’ll enjoy it all tonight.”
2012 GAA GPA Football All-Stars
P Durcan (Donegal), N McGee (Donegal), Ger Cafferkey (Mayo), K Higgins (Mayo), L Keegan (Mayo), K Lacey (Donegal), F McGlynn (Donegal), N Gallagher (Donegal), A Walsh (Cork), P Flynn (Dublin), A Dillon (Mayo), M McHugh (Donegal), C O’Neill (Cork), M Murphy (Donegal), C McFadden (Donegal)
2012 GAA GPA Hurling All-Stars
A Nash (Cork), P Murphy (Kilkenny), JJ Delaney (Kilkenny), F Moore (Galway), B Bugler (Clare), B Hogan (Kilkenny), D Collins (Galway), I Tannian (Galway), K Moran (Waterford), TJ Reid (Kilkenny), H Shefflin (Kilkenny), D Hayes (Galway), J Mullane (Waterford), J Canning (Galway), D Burke (Galway)
