DUBLIN SENIOR FOOTBALLER Cormac Costello and Cork senior hurler Alan Cadogan are amongst the nominees for this year’s Cadbury ‘Hero of the Future’ award.
The award is handed out to the leading player in the All-Ireland U21 football championship with Costello and Conor McHugh the members of the triumphant Dublin team included.
Na Fianna’s McHugh was man-of-the-match in the final win over Roscommon as he struck 1-6 from play while Whitehall-Colmcille player Costello bagged 0-4.
Cadogan, man-of-the-match for the Cork hurlers on his senior championship debut last Sunday against Waterford, also shone for the county U21 football side this spring. He hit 0-5 from play in their opening day win against Kerry and also rifled home a terrific goal in the All-Ireland semi-final loss to Roscommon.
The Rossies have two players on the list in sharpshooter Diarmuid Murtagh, who hit 0-10 in the semi-final win over Cork and 2-3 in the defeat to Dublin, and midfielder Thomas Corcoran. Cavan’s Michael Argue, who helped them win their fourth successive Ulster U21 crown this year, completes the list.
The panel of judges includes former Kerry footballer Tomás Ó Sé, former Dublin manager Paul Caffrey and TG4 journalist Micheal Ó Domhnaill. The winner, which will be announced in the coming weeks, will receive €1,000 as well as a special grant of €1,000 for their club.
Here’s the list of past winners of the award:
2006 – Keith Higgins (Mayo)
2007 – Fintan Goold (Cork)
2008 – Killian Young (Kerry)
2009 – Colm O’Neill (Cork)
2010 – Rory O’Carroll (Dublin)
2011 - Thomas Flynn (Galway)
2012 – Ciaran Kilkenny (Dublin)
2013 - Ian Burke (Galway)