Tyrone and Kerry dominate list as others lose ground

GAELIC GAMES ALL STAR NOMINATIONSTHE EVER tricky process of naming the Vodafone All Star football XV began yesterday with the selection panel - made up of GAA correspondents - releasing a 45-man list that will be whittled down on October 15th.

The All-Ireland champions, Tyrone, received most nominations, 10, and were followed closely by Kerry on nine, while the beaten All-Ireland semi-finals, Wexford and Cork, both have four. The provincial champions Dublin and Galway are next on three each.

Armagh received just two nominations - Ronan Clarke and Francie Bellew - which is one less than Fermanagh, the team they beat in the Ulster final.

The main difficulty is squeezing certain players into unfamiliar positions in order to accommodate the most deserving 15.

This process has, of course, become easier to defend considering how modern teams - Tyrone being an outstanding example - regularly move players from place to place on the field.

So, the hot favourite for footballer of the year, Seán Cavanagh, may have worn number 14 on his back all season but is named as a half forward.

It's a similar process with Colm McCullagh, and in fairness, both players did have a habit of drifting out the field.

Cork's Pearse O'Neill is another selected "out of position" at half forward; he played most of the year in midfield. But nomination as a forward gives him a better chance of final selection considering Darragh Ó Sé is closing in on uncle Páidí's five All Stars (as is Colm Cooper) and the excellent form of Enda McGinley in 2008.

Shane Ryan, Marty McGrath, Fergal Doherty and Séamus Scanlon must also receive serious consideration.

Versatility can also be a curse; Tyrone's Joe McMahon is left out entirely. The bearded Omagh man was a midfielder during the Ulster championship and was named as a half forward for large chunks of the qualifiers only to start the All-Ireland final in the fullback line, where he excelled.

The Tyrone goalkeeper Pascal McConnell made two hugely significant saves in the All-Ireland final but that is not enough to get him into the top three, where one from Gary Connaughton (Westmeath), Anthony Masterson (Wexford) and James Reilly (Cavan) will make it.

Dublin had seven All Star nominations last year, and the reduction this year is primarily due to their collapse against Tyrone in the All-Ireland quarter-final.

Eight, in total, of last year's All Stars are nominated, including six Kerrymen - Marc Ó Sé, Tomás Ó Sé, Aidan O'Mahony, Darragh Ó Sé, Declan O'Sullivan and Cooper - Cork's Graham Canty and Alan Brogan of Dublin.

The hurling nominees will be released today. The All Star banquet will take place at the Citywest hotel on Friday October 17th.

The full breakdown by counties: Tyrone 10, Kerry 9, Cork 4, Wexford 4, Fermanagh 3, Dublin 3, Galway 3, Westmeath 3, Armagh 2, Cavan, Derry, Kildare and Monaghan one each.

Meanwhile, RTÉ will provide live television coverage of next Saturday's All-Ireland minor football final replay between Mayo and Tyrone from Pearse Park, Longford. Throw-in is at 2.30pm.

The presenter Des Cahill will be joined by Anthony Tohill and Kevin McStay.

Football All Star niminees for 2008

GOALKEEPER

Gary Connaughton (Westmeath)

Anthony Masterson (Wexford)

James Reilly (Cavan)

FULL BACKS

Francie Bellew (Armagh) All Star '03

Shane Goan (Fermanagh)

Finian Hanley (Galway)

David Henry (Dublin)

Conor Gormley (Tyrone) All Star '03, '05

Justin McMahon (Tyrone)

John Keane (Westmeath) All Star '04

Anthony Lynch (Cork) All Star '99, '02

Marc Ó Sé (Kerry) All Star '06, '07

HALF BACKS

Graham Canty (Cork) All Star '07

Michael Ennis (Westmeath)

Davy Harte (Tyrone)

Philip Jordan (Tyrone) All Star '03, '05

Ryan McMenamin (Tyrone) All Star '05

Ryan McCluskey (Fermanagh)

Thomas McElroy (Fermanagh)

Aidan O'Mahony (Kerry) All Star '06, '07

Tomás Ó Sé (Kerry) All Star '04, '05. '07

MIDFIELD

Fergal Doherty (Derry)

Enda McGinley (Tyrone)

Martin McGrath (Fermanagh) All Star '04

Darragh Ó Sé (Kerry) All Star '00, '02, '06, '07 Shane Ryan (Dublin)

Séamus Scanlon (Kerry)

HALF FORWARDS

Redmond Barry (Wexford)

John Doyle (Kildare)

Seán Cavanagh (Tyrone) All Star '03, '04, '05 Michael Cussen (Cork)

Pearse O'Neill (Cork)

Brian Dooher (Tyrone) All Star '03, '05

Colm McCullagh (Tyrone)

Padraic Joyce (Galway) All Star '98, '00, '01 Declan O'Sullivan (Kerry) All Star '07

FULL FORWARDS

Alan Brogan (Dublin) All Star '06, '07

Ronan Clarke (Armagh) All Star '06

Colm Cooper (Kerry) All Star '02, '04, '05, '07 Kieran Donaghy (Kerry) All Star '06

Tommy Walsh (Kerry)

Matty Forde (Wexford) All Star '04

Ciarán Lyng (Wexford)

Tommy McGuigan (Tyrone)

Michael Meehan (Galway)