ENDA SMITH ADMITTED to The 42 this week that he thought he might be in contention of being selected but did his best to temper his hopes.
Some were assuring him that his name would be called. Those who know you best are often your most vocal supporters.
And then came the list of half-forwards read out at the All-Star award ceremony on Friday night.
Paudie Clifford [Kerry], Seán O’Shea [Kerry] and Enda Smith [Roscommon].
Two All-Ireland finalists and a Connacht semi-finalist. Smith beat off competition from Dublin’s All-Ireland champions, Paul Mannion, Cormac Costello and Con O’Callaghan for a place in the selection. And in doing so, he became Roscommon’s 12th All-Star and the county’s first since Francie Grehan’s selection at centre-back in 2001.
It seems his admirers were right to be hopeful on his behalf.
Smith earned his place on the 2023 All-Star team despite his side not reaching a provincial final or managing to progress past the preliminary All-Ireland quarter-final. Players have often surged from nowhere to snatch an All-Star with a display of note in an All-Ireland semi-final or final. Games with more at stake tend to sway the allocation of such awards, even if another player has performed more consistently in earlier stages of the championship.
Many feel that Clare’s hurling star Tony Kelly was a victim of that trend this year.
But the introduction of an All-Ireland group-based series has offered footballers more opportunities to force their way into All-Star discussions. A Celtic Cross is no longer the only way to add weight to their case.
Smith is not the first of his kind though. He joins a group of eight other All-Star winners who secured their spot among the top picks of their respective seasons without making an All-Ireland quarter-final in the qualifier format that started in 2001.
Smith joins some illustrious company.
Peter Canavan [Tyrone] – 2002
Tyrone legend Peter Canavan was the first in 2002. His county would go on to lift the Sam Maguire three times in that decade. Yet in 2002 their provincial rivals Armagh would go on to become All-Ireland champions while Tyrone’s season ended at the final stage of the qualifiers at the hands of Sligo. Still, Canavan distinguished himself enough to earn an All-Star. That was Canavan’s fourth and two more were awarded to him, in 2003 and 2005 when Tyrone were All-Ireland winners.
Declan Browne [Tipperary] – 2003
Tipperary’s Declan Browne, who already had an All-Star to his name in 1998, added a second in 2003. Tipperary reached the Munster final in 1998 but that was in the days of straight knockout football, which predated the All-Ireland quarter-final era. So when he was honoured a second time five years later, he did so after Tipperary concluded their championship journey in the third round of the qualifiers. Although they were beaten by Donegal that day, Browne made them sweat for the win with an impressive nine points from play.
Then Donegal manager Brian McEniff remarked after the game that “the day belonged to Browne,” and that “anyone would pay an arm and a leg to have him.”
Browne joined Tyrone’s All-Ireland winners Brian Dooher and Brian McGuigan on the half-forward line of that All-Star team.
What's rare is wonderful
— Gaelic Statsman (@gaelicstatsman) November 18, 2023
Only nine players in the All Ireland SFC have won an All Star despite not reaching the Quarter Final pic.twitter.com/axfbB6fCyn
Matty Forde [Wexford] – 2004
Matty Forde of Wexford joined the group in 2004. Considered one of the most exciting forwards of his generation, Forde was named at left corner-forward on the All-Star team that year. Wexford impressed that season, reaching the Leinster semi-final and Round 3 of the All-Ireland qualifiers. Forde was in inspiring form that year, finishing as the championship’s top scorer with a tally of 3-38. Kerry’s Colm Cooper and Enda Muldoon of Derry were the other members of the All-Star full-forward line, which underlines the kind of company Forde was capable of keeping.
Barry Owens [Fermanagh] – 2006
Barry Owens was selected as the All-Star full-back in 2006 even though his Fermanagh team were dismissed from the championship after a three-point defeat to Donegal in the last round of the qualifiers. After winning his first in 2004, Owens became the first man from his county to be a double All-Star winner two years later.
In their Ulster quarter-final that year, Owens restricted the opposition full-forward Kevin McGourty to one point from play. McGourty was sent off that day, his second yellow card coming after a high tackle on Owens. He was tasked with marking Armagh’s star target man Ronan Clarke in the drawn Ulster semi-final and replay. He also kept Donegal’s Rory Kavanagh to one point when the sides met in the qualifiers.
Gary Connaughton & John Keane [Westmeath] – 2008
The list of pre-All-Ireland quarter-final All-Star winners expanded again in 2008 with two more additions. Westmeath duo Gary Connaughton [goalkeeper] and corner-back John Keane banked their places in the line-up after exiting at the second round of the qualifiers. The pair impressed in their side’s Leinster semi-final defeat to Dublin.
Westmeath eventually bowed out to eventual All-Ireland champions Tyrone in the qualifiers, a game where the Leinster side suffered two red cards, to Doran Harte and Damien Healy.
Paddy Keenan [Louth] & Charlie Harrison [Sligo] – 2010
Louth were controversially defeated in the 2010 Leinster football final, but the misery of that season was soothed somewhat by the All-Star that was bestowed on their star midfielder Paddy Keenan. As they did reach a provincial final, the Wee County were afforded a place in the final round of the qualifiers. However, the sting of that freak loss to Meath was still being felt by the time they played Dublin, and they limped out of the championship.
Charlie Harrison of Sligo received an All-Star that year too at corner-back, after captaining his county to a Division 3 title as well as a Connacht final after wins over Mayo and Galway along the way. The Galway encounter went to a semi-final replay and the Tribesmen’s full-forward line of Michael Meehan, Pádraic Joyce and Eoin Concannon managed just three points from play between them in the second clash.
The 2010 season was something of an outlier as this was the first time that none of the All-Ireland semi-finalists had featured in the provincial finals, owing to the introduction of second chances in the qualifiers. That was reflected in the All-Stars as less of the All-Star strongholds were listed. Colm Cooper was the sole Kerry representative in the team.
For 23 years, the number of this unusual pack remained at eight until Smith forced his way in. His obvious talent aside, this development could signify more All-Star for breakout counties in the coming seasons.
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