Banned players up for awards

THE more pleasant after effects of this year's All Ireland championships came into focus yesterday with the announcement of the players shortlisted for the GAA Writers Awards, sponsored by Guinness. Not surprisingly, All Ireland finalists in both hurling and football feature strongly in the four categories.

Of the 12 nominees, four are from All Ireland football champions Meath, three from their hurling counterparts, Wexford, two from the respective finalists, Mayo and Limerick, and one from Tipperary.

This year sees the introduction of additional awards in each code for young players, who have to be under 23 and have played no more than three championship matches before this year.

Three of the football nominees are among the 15 players suspended by the GAC earlier in the week: Trevor Giles of Meath and Mayo's Liam McHale, who both received two month suspensions, are in the running Footballer of the Year and Meath's full back Darren Fay is on the shortlist for Young Footballer of the Year.

The nominations for the senior award will not cause much controversy. Giles has had an exceptional year, winning the Sigerson Cup with UCD in March before playing a vital role in his county's progress to last month's All Ireland triumph. In both general play, as a roving wing forward, and in his place kicking duties, he made a substantial contribution.

McHale's consistent year for Mayo was spoiled by his dismissal in the All Ireland replay, but overall his performances at midfield made him the team's most influential player. He was Man of the Match in the drawn All Ireland final.

Left corner back Martin O'Connell was one of only two survivors of the team that won Meath's last All Ireland in 1988 and his performances were always effective. No corner forward was able to trouble him and he found the time to act as sweeper for his young colleagues. Mark O'Reilly and Darren Fay, in the full back line. Both are shortlisted in the under age category, together with Mayo corner back, Kenneth Mortimer, whose fine year is also recognised.

Both All Ireland hurling captains, Wexford's Martin Storey and Ciaran Carey of Limerick, are shortlisted for Hurler of the Year. Coincidentally, the two marked each other in one of the hurling final's most absorbing duels. Carey's performances at centre back and midfield were significant factors in Limerick's epic journey through Munster and he scored the summer's most famous point in injury time against then All Ireland champions Clare after a breathtaking match in Limerick last June.

Storey became the first Wexford hurler in a generation to lift the Liam McCarthy Cup. His play was notably more integrated with the rest of the team than before and he benefitted greatly from the enhanced structure and discipline of the gameplan adopted by the county this year. The triumphant damburst of scores he shared with Tom Dempsey at the end of the Leinster final was among the great memories of the summer.