Mayo's O'Donoghue named Footballer of the Year

Mayo All-Ireland winner Ryan O'Donoghue has been crowned GAA-GPA Footballer of the Year for the first time at a ceremony in the RDS Centre in Dublin.

O'Donoghue was named man-of-the-match in the All-Ireland final in July when Mayo beat Kerry to end their 75-year wait to win the Sam Maguire.

The full-forward becomes the third Mayo player to collect the award after Lee Keegan in 2016 and current manager Andy Moran in 2017.

The Belmullet man, who also collected his second All-Star, contributed 2-56 in eight championship games as Mayo claimed a historic triumph.

The 28-year-old beat off competition from team-mate Jack Carney and Kerry superstar David Clifford, who has won the award three times.

"It's pretty surreal. I suppose I did dream of this, being the best player in Ireland," he told BBC Sport NI's Thomas Kane.

"The reason for that is if I trained like I wanted to be the best player in Ireland, it would help Mayo win football matches and in turn that would give Mayo a better opportunity of winning the All-Ireland and we did this year and now I have this [award].

"I told my mum and dad back in 2020 that that's what I wanted and put my head down. It all wasn't straight line to the top, there were a lot of downs but tonight makes it all the more sweeter."

O'Donoghue's Mayo team-mate Darragh Beirne, who scored his side's goal in their 1-20 to 1-17 win in the decider, picked up the Young Footballer of the Year.

He won the award ahead of team-mate Kobe McDonald, who has since embarked on his Australian Football League career, and Louth's Dara McDonnell.

Limerick All-Ireland winner Gearoid Hegarty was voted as Hurler of the Year as he became only the third player to win the award for a second time.

Hegarty, who also won the award in 2020, finished ahead of team-mate Diarmaid Byrnes and Cork's Brian Hayes.

Galway's Jason Rabbitte was selected as Young Hurler of the Year to cap a fine breakthrough season for the teenager.

He helped Galway to win a Leinster title and was key to their run to the All-Ireland final.

The 15 players selected in the All-Star football team was revealed on Thursday and was chosen at a meeting of GAA correspondents from across print, tv, radio and digital media, chaired by the association's president Jarlath Burns.

There are eight different counties represented - the most since 2010 - and 11 first-time winners, the most since 2022.

The team included six Mayo players and there was also also Ulster representation in the form of Jarlath Óg Burns (Armagh), Conn Kilpatrick (Tyrone) and Stephen O'Hanlon (Monaghan).

There were nine representatives from Limerick's All-Ireland winning side in the All-Star team hurling team which was announced during the ceremony.

The Treaty County's Adam English, Aidan O'Connor and Cathal O'Neill were first-time All-Stars alongside Galway trio Darren Morrisey, Tom Monaghan and Jason Rabbitte and Cork's Niall O'Leary.

Footballer of the Year: Ryan O'Donoghue (Mayo)

Young Footballer of the Year: Darragh Beirne (Mayo)

Football All-Stars: Shane Murphy (Kerry), Sam Callinan (Mayo), Jason Foley (Kerry), Enda Hession (Mayo), Ronan Wallace (Westmeath), Dara McDonnell (Louth), Jarlath Óg Burns (Armagh), Conn Kilpatrick (Tyrone), Jack Carney (Mayo), Niall Scully (Dublin), Ryan O'Donoghue (Mayo), Stephen O'Hanlon (Monaghan), Darragh Beirne (Mayo), David Clifford (Kerry), Kobe McDonald (Mayo)

Hurler of the Year: Gearoid Hegarty (Limerick)

Young Hurler of the Year: Jason Rabbitte (Galway)

Hurling All-Stars: Nickie Quaid (Limerick), Niall O'Leary (Cork), Darren Morrisey (Galway), Barry Nash (Limerick), Diarmaid Byrnes (Limerick), William O'Donoghue (Limerick), Kyle Hayes (Limerick), Adam English (Limerick), Tom Monaghan (Galway), Gearoid Hegarty (Limerick), Aidan O'Connor (Limerick), Cathal O'Neill (Limerick), Jason Rabbitte (Galway), Peter Duggan (Clare), Brian Hayes (Cork)