Kerry’s David Clifford has won a third PwC GAA/GPA Footballer of the Year award at Friday night’s All Stars ceremony at the RDS in Dublin. This latest recognition comes after also winning the distinction in 2022 and ’23.
In yet another dominant year for the Fossa clubman, he contributed enormously to Kerry’s clean sweep of the league, Munster and All-Ireland titles. Highlights included his tour de force in July’s semi-final against Tyrone and the lethal strike for a two-pointer just before half-time in the All-Ireland final against Donegal.
When Kerry were struggling, having lost an All-Ireland group match to Meath, it was Clifford who rallied the county’s football public with a powerful interview after Jack O’Connor’s side beat Cavan in the preliminary quarter-final.
[ Kerry’s dominance in Croke Park harvests eight All StarsOpens in new window ]
The Croke Park run-in to the All-Ireland final was as daunting as any county has navigated: All-Ireland champions Armagh in the quarter-final, newly buoyant Tyrone (having defeated Dublin) in the semi-final, and Ulster champions Donegal in the final.
READ MORE
Kerry, led by outstanding performances from Clifford in all three games, not alone survived but thrived, winning by a cumulative margin of 24 points. The 26-year-old contributed 1-25 and was the top-scorer of the championship both overall (8-61) and from play (8-48).
His third Footballer of the Year citation puts him within one of county man Jack O’Shea’s record of four, won in the 1980s.
Tipperary’s John McGrath was presented with the Hurler of the Year award crowning a remarkable comeback season in which his scores were crucial to the county’s extraordinary All-Ireland success.
The Loughmore-Castleiney man contributed 7-16 during the campaign, including two goals in Tipp’s All-Ireland final destruction of Cork.
There was surprise when McGrath – last an All Star in 2016 – was recalled to the Tipperary team for the opening Munster match against Limerick, a first championship appearance since 2023, but he repaid Liam Cahill’s faith with two goals that day and went on to persecute defences for the rest of the year.
He also scored two goals against Clare in a crucial Munster group match in Ennis, and picked up another green flag in the All-Ireland semi-final against Kilkenny.
The Premier County was also honoured in the Young Hurler of the Year category, as Darragh McCarthy marked an amazing year. The 20-year-old’s season saw him claim All-Ireland medals with the Tipperary seniors – scoring 1-13 in the final – and under-20s, as well as two red cards over the course of the championship.
And Donegal teenager Finbarr Roarty added Young Footballer of the Year to an All Star for a wonderful rookie season. His pace, aggression in the tackle and speedy transition play marked him out in his team’s run to the All-Ireland final.
2025 PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Year winners:
Footballer of the Year – David Clifford (Kerry)
Young Footballer of the Year – Finbarr Roarty (Donegal)
Hurler of the Year – John McGrath (Tipperary)
Young Hurler of the Year – Darragh McCarthy (Tipperary)
*The Player of the Year awards are voted on by their intercounty peers. All Star teams are selected by two panels of journalists drawn from the national media.
