HEGARTY AND O'DONOGHUE WIN GAA PLAYER AWARDS

Limerick’s Gearóid Hegarty won Hurler of the Year and Mayo’s Ryan O’Donoghue won Footballer of the Year at the GAA/GPA All Stars ceremony in Dublin on Friday. Hegarty received the award for the second time, having first won it in 2020. O’Donoghue won his first Footballer of the Year award after Mayo beat Kerry in July’s All-Ireland final. He was named player of the match in Mayo’s 1-20 to 1-17 victory. “It’s pretty surreal,” O’Donoghue said of his award.

The hurling All Stars selection gave nine places to Limerick, who won the All-Ireland, Munster and National League titles this season. All-Ireland runners-up Galway received three places, Cork two and Clare one. Adam English, Aidan O’Connor and Cathal O’Neill were among Limerick’s first-time All Star winners. Galway’s Jason Rabbitte won Young Hurler of the Year after helping his county win the Leinster title and reach the All-Ireland final. Rabbitte and his father Joe are the sixth father-and-son pairing to receive hurling All Stars.

Mayo’s Darragh Beirne won Young Footballer of the Year after scoring his side’s goal against Kerry in the final. O’Donoghue also received his second football All Star. He became the third Mayo player to win Footballer of the Year, following Lee Keegan in 2016 and Andy Moran in 2017. The football All Stars selection included players from eight counties, the most represented since 2010.