KERRY FORWARD LOUISE Ní Mhuircheartaigh will rival Dublin duo Leah Caffrey and Jennifer Dunne for the 2023 TG4 LGFA Senior Players’ Player of the Year Award.
The championship top-scorer with an All-Ireland series haul of 3-31, Ní Mhuircheartaigh is nominated for the top award for the second year in a row.
The three-time All-Star scored 1-7 in the decider as Kerry fell just short once again, although they did land a National League Division 1 title earlier this year.
Central to Dublin’s efforts in regaining the All-Ireland title were Caffrey, magnificent in defence, and Dunne, a hard-running and dynamic midfielder who also chipped in with 0-8 during the All-Ireland series.
As Dublin improved incrementally throughout their season, Dunne hit the heights in the concluding stages with 0-4 against Cork in the Thurles semi-final before adding two points in the final.
Caffrey is also three-time All-Star, winning the last of those awards in 2021, and she’s nominated for another award this year, along with fellow Players’ Player of the Year nominees Dunne and Ní Mhuircheartaigh.
The Intermediate shortlist, meanwhile, is made up of players from champions Kildare, runners-up Clare, and Antrim.
In Kildare’s Division 3 and All-Ireland Intermediate final victories over Clare, Róisín Byrne received the Player of the Match Award on both occasions.
She’s now nominated for the Intermediate Players’ Player of the Year Award alongside Clare’s Fidelma Marrinan and Antrim’s Orlaith Prenter.
Marrinan claimed the ZuCar Golden Boot Award as leading scorer across all three grades in the 2023 championships, contributing 5-38.
Prenter finished second on the Intermediate scoring list with 4-19 as Antrim, Division 4 champions, progressed to the All-Ireland Intermediate semi-finals.
Byrne and Marrinan have also been nominated for All-Star Awards.
In the Junior grade, there are also nominations for three different counties in the race to be crowned Players’ Player of the Year.
Representing champions Down is Natasha Ferris, who finished the season as leading scorer in the All-Ireland Junior series with 7-31.
From runners-up Limerick, captain Róisín Ambrose has been nominated on the back of a consistent season at midfield.
Fermanagh’s Bláithín Bogue, the 2022 award-winner, completes the 2023 shortlist after scoring 2-20 in the All-Ireland series.
The nominees in all three categories have all been selected by their fellow players, who could not vote for their own team-mates.
The winners will be revealed at the 2023 TG4 All-Star Awards banquet at The Bonnington Dublin Hotel on Saturday, November 18.
TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year Award nominees
Leah Caffrey (Dublin)*
Jennifer Dunne (Dublin)*
Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh (Kerry)*
TG4 Intermediate Players’ Player of the Year Award nominees
Róisín Byrne (Kildare)*
Fidelma Marrinan (Clare)*
Orlaith Prenter (Antrim)
TG4 Junior Players’ Player of the Year Award nominees
Róisín Ambrose (Limerick)
Bláithín Bogue (Fermanagh)
Natasha Ferris (Down)
*also nominated for an All-Star Award
