Reardens All-Stars gives club players a platform to be recognised for their success

THE Reardens All-Stars returned once more for a 13th time on Friday, December 29 as the top performers from this year’s Gaelic football, hurling, camogie, and ladies’ football championships gathered to collect their awards, which were accompanied by free drink vouchers for Reardens on the night.

The event itself is a special one – it allows club players an opportunity to be recognised for their achievements playing and succeeding at the highest levels in Cork GAA.

The Sars brothers of Eoghan and Killian Murphy were outstanding this season as the Riverstown side secured their first Premier Senior Hurling Championship title since 2014, while Duhallow’s Luke Murphy was the only player representing a divisional side in either of the men’s codes, with his football All-Star a just reward for his performances this season.

In Camogie, Courcey Rovers’ Saoirse McCarthy received an All-Star to go with her Echo Women in Sport for February award after captaining MTU to Purcell Cup success.

Saoirse was also part of the Cork camogie team that were crowned All-Ireland champions after defeating Waterford in August and delivered once more for Courcey Rovers in the club championship.

Aisling Kelleher was the only player to pick up All-Star awards in both codes, representing St Val’s and Cloughduv in ladies’ football and camogie respectively.

Damien Cahalane came close to receiving one in each code, but in the end a football All-Star will have to suffice for the Castlehaven/St Finbarr’s man. He is joined by his brothers Conor and Jack who also received football All-Stars for their part in Castlehaven’s Premier Senior Football Championship success.

A mix of inter-county talent such as Tommy O’Connell, Brian Hurley, Ciara O’Sullivan and Laura Hayes blends well with the future stars in Brion Saunderson and Sadbh McGoldrick.

Newtownshandrum’s Jamie Coughlan and Kanturk’s Lorcan McLoughlin showed that even as veterans of the game, they’re still some of the best around. The pair were outstanding for their clubs in 2023.

Charleville’s Jack Doyle was credited with an All-Star after yet another rock-solid campaign for the club, and he was especially crucial during Darragh Fitzgibbon’s absence as they made it to the quarter final.

The hurling and camogie All-Stars had the greatest spread of representation, with both teams made up of players from six different clubs. County champions Sarsfields had four players in camogie and six in hurling, while the football All-Stars were dominated by Castlehaven – who picked up eight awards.

Ladies’ football was divided between four clubs – with Mourneabbey, Éire Óg, Aghada and St Val’s all represented. Ladies’ football was also the only group of recipients without a player from St Finbarr’s.

The All-Stars were a fitting end to an action packed 2023 and arrive at a time when most clubs are winding down for the winter before the storm resumes with the league fixtures in January and Febraury.

The All-Star recipients in full:

Football: Micheál Aodh Martin (Nemo Rangers); Bríain Murphy (Nemo Rangers), Rory Maguire (Castlehaven), Ronan Walsh (Castlehaven); Kevin O'Donovan (Nemo Rangers), Damien Cahalane (Castlehaven), Mark Collins (Castlehaven); Barry Cripps (Nemo Rangers), Conor Cahalane (Castlehaven); Michael Hurley (Castlehaven), Jack Cahalane (Castlehaven), Luke Murphy (Duhallow); Steven Sherlock (St Finbarr's), Brian Hurley (Castlehaven), Cian Dorgan (Ballincollig).

Hurling: Brion Saunderson (Midleton); Cathal McCarthy (Sarsfields), Paul Leopold (Sarsfields), Séadnaidh Smyth (Midleton); Eoghan Murphy (Sarsfields), Tommy O'Connell (Midleton), Seán O'Leary Hayes (Midleton); Killian Murphy (Sarsfields), Lorcán McLoughlin (Kanturk); Jack O'Connor (Sarsfields), Ben Cunningham (St Finbarr’s), William Buckley (St Finbarr’s); Jack Doyle (Charleville), Aaron Myers (Sarsfields), Jamie Coughlan (Newtownshandrum).

Ladies’ football: Lisa Crowley (Éire Óg); Aisling Kelleher (St Val’s), Eimear Meaney (Mourneabbey), Sally McAllister (Aghada); Grace Cronin (Mourneabbey), Isobel Sheehan (Éire Óg), Aoife Rodgers (Éire Óg); Sadbh McGoldrick (Éire Óg), Hannah Looney (Aghada); Clara Lynch (Mourneabbey), Deirdre Cronin (Mourneabbey), Ciara McCarthy (St Val’s); Emma Farmer (Aghada), Ciara O’Sullivan (Mourneabbey), Eimear Scally (Éire Óg).

Camogie: Ciara O’Leary (Cloughduv); Niamh O’Leary (Seandún), Aisling Kelleher (Cloughduv), Aileen Corkery (Cloughduv); Ashling Moloney (Courcey Rovers), Laura Hayes (St Catherine’s), Niamh O’Callaghan (Sarsfields); Lauren Homan (Seandún), Aoife Hurley (St Catherine’s); Orlaith Mullins (Sarsfields), Saoirse McCarthy (Courcey Rovers), Kate Fennessy (Sarsfields); Caroline Sugrue (St Finbarr’s), Niamh O’Regan (St Catherine’s), Clare Mullins (Sarsfields).