DAVID CLIFFORD AND Aaron Gillane have claimed the GAA player of the year awards for their 2023 inter-county exploits.
The Kerry and Limerick stars were recognised at tonight’s awards ceremony at the RDS in Dublin. Clare hurler Mark Rodgers and Derry footballer Ethan Doherty were announced as the Young Player of the Year award winners.
Clifford becomes the first player to defend the PwC GAA-GPA Footballer of the Year Award, since the scheme began in 1995.
Interestingly, the Texaco Footballer of the Year award, which ran from 1958 to 2011 had a number of successful defences; Jack O’Shea achieved in 1980 and ’81, and again in 1984 and ’85. Jimmy Keaveney managed it in 1976 and ’77, as did James McCartan of Down in 1960 and ’61.
Brendan Rogers of Derry and Dublin’s Brian Fenton were the other nominees for the award.
Aaron Gillane, winning his fourth hurling All-Star in five seasons, becomes the third consecutive player from the Patrickswell club in Limerick to win it, following Diarmuid Byrnes last season and Cian Lynch in 2021.
Lynch also won the award in 2018 and Patrickswell now draw level with Ballyhale Shamrocks as a club to have had three Hurlers of the Year. The Kilkenny club had Henry Shefflin (2002, 2006 and 2012), Michael Fennelly (2011) and TJ Reid (2015) previously.
Gillane was up against his clubmate Byrnes, defending the honour, and their county team mate Kyle Hayes.
All nominees were decided by a panel of Gaelic Games media correspondents and the committee was chaired by GAA President Larry McCarthy. The awards were voted on exclusively by inter-county players.
