Nominees
Mike Finnerty
ELEVEN players from Mayo senior football champions Castlebar Mitchels have been nominated for The Mayo News/O’Neills Club Stars ‘Team of the Year’.
The 15 players and five replacements will be revealed at the eleventh annual Club Stars banquet – in association with AIB – which will be held on Friday, December 11 at Knockranny House Hotel in Westport.
All proceeds from this year’s event will be divided between two charities — CF West and the Mayo Rape Crisis Centre.
After their impressive march to their 29th Mayo SFC title recently, it’s no surprise that Mitchels dominate the list of nominees. Seven players from beaten finalists Breaffy have also been nominated for a Club Star award, which honours those players who have performed with distinction during the 2015 Mayo club championship.
A total of nine clubs are represented among those in contention for awards on the night.
Semi-finalists Knockmore and Ballintubber are also represented, while quarter-finalists Ballina, Aghamore, Kiltane and Garrymore have had one player shortlisted.
Three players from this year’s Mayo Intermediate Championship have also been nominated as ‘wild cards’. County champions Hollymount/Carramore have two players in contention, with one player picked from beaten finalists, The Neale.
This year’s ‘Team of the Year’ nominees were selected by former Charlestown and Mayo footballer, John Casey, ex-Knockmore manager Eamon Clarke, and Mayo News GAA writers Seán Rice and Austin Garvin.
The judging panel will now be charged with further whittling down that list and picking the 15 players and five replacements for the 2015 team. This selection will not be revealed until the night of the banquet.
With just nine of last year’s nominees back in the hunt, the final selection looks set to include plenty of new faces.
Senior winners Castlebar dominate the nominees list with Mayo panelists Tom Cunniffe, Patrick Durcan, Barry Moran, Neil Douglas and Danny Kirby joined by captain Rory Byrne, Donie Newcombe, Eoghan O’Reilly, Ger McDonagh, Richie Feeney and Shane Hopkins.
Breaffy’s three O’Shea brothers, Seamus, Aidan and Conor, have also been shortlisted for selection, along with club-mates Rob Hennelly, Colm Jordan, David Gavin and Tommy O’Reilly.
A good year for beaten semi-finalists Knockmore is acknowledged with Kieran Langan, Darren McHale and Colm Reape all nominated while Ballintubber’s Michael and Alan Plunkett also make the cut.
From the beaten quarter-finalists, Garrymore’s Shane Nally, Aghamore’s Ciaran Harrison, Kiltane’s Darragh Carey and Ballina’s Padraig O’Hora have all been selected.
Intermediate champions Hollymount/Carramore were rewarded for their fine season with nods for defender Padraig Feerick and attacker Darren Coen, with The Neale’s Seanie Cosgrove completing the line-up.
