Kerry’s dominance in Croke Park harvests eight All Stars

All-Ireland champions Kerry came away with eight football All-Star awards from Friday night’s awards ceremony at the RDS in Dublin. It is the biggest representation for a county since Tyrone also won eight four years ago.

David Clifford, earning his sixth All Star, moves closer to three other legendary Kerry forwards in the all-time list: Mikey Sheehy (seven), Colm Cooper (eight) and Pat Spillane (nine).

Clifford is joined in the team of the year by his brother Paudie, whose selection makes it the fourth time the brothers have been honoured in the same year, bringing the family’s All-Stars total to 10.

[ David Clifford moves within touching distance of history with third Footballer of the Year awardOpens in new window ]

Also chosen is Seán O’Shea, who together with the Cliffords posed all but unanswerable questions to Kerry’s opponents. Armagh tried to suffocate David Clifford in the quarter-final and O’Shea ran riot, scoring 12 points. Tyrone then tried to suffocate O’Shea in the semi-final and Clifford scored 1-9.

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Donegal attempted to stifle both in the All-Ireland final and allowed Paudie Clifford to get on the ball 76 times, seeing him play a key role in dismantling the Ulster champion’s zonal defence.

Other Kerrymen honoured were goalkeeper Shane Ryan, collecting his second award after a season maintaining a great balance between shot-stopping and the more modern requirement to guard possession.

All-Ireland winning captain Gavin White wins his second All Star, having capped a terrific year with a man-of-the-match performance in the All-Ireland final. There was also recognition for full back Jason Foley, winning his second, and first-timer Brian Ó Beaglaoich. The Gaeltacht wing back, significantly absent from the county’s only defeat to Meath due to injury, had a terrific season, combining defensive combativeness with the familiar fast-breaking counterattacks.

Another debutant is Joe O’Connor, also nominated for Footballer of the Year. His switching between centrefield and wing forward was an invaluable contribution to the champions’ performances in the middle third and was rounded off by a goal in the All-Ireland final, which functioned as an exclamation mark to their comprehensive win over Donegal.

The defeated All-Ireland finalists’ season may have ended in disappointment, but Jim McGuinness’s men retained the Ulster title in football’s most competitive province and entered the All-Ireland final with high hopes.

Donegal's Michael Murphy has been selected following an impressive season. Photograph: Inpho

Their season featured the comeback, after two years of retirement, of All-Ireland winning captain Michael Murphy, whose exceptional performances – especially after so long out of the elite game – earned a nomination for Footballer of the Year and his fourth All Star, a first in six years.

Murphy is joined in the selection by team-mates Brendan McCole – for all his travails on David Clifford, still the game’s leading man-marker – at corner back, wing back Finbarr Roarty, named Young Footballer of the Year after a stellar debut season, and Michael Langan, who was exceptional at centrefield.

Three counties receive one All Star apiece. Last year’s champions Armagh have Oisín Conaty included for his second award. The only player from last year’s selection to retain a place, the Tír na nÓg clubman had a terrific season which included a man-of-the-match citation in the Ulster final defeat to Donegal.

Louth’s historic Leinster championship victory is also recognised with Sam Mulroy becoming the county’s fourth All Star, two years after Craig Lennon’s inclusion.

Mulroy became the first Louth player since All-Ireland winning captain Dermot O’Brien in 1957 to receive the Delaney Cup after a wonderful afternoon in Croke Park, where he was named man of the match for a resilient display, scoring 1-7.

Defeated Leinster finalists Meath went on to reach the All-Ireland semi-final, losing out to Donegal. Still, they enjoyed a transformative season, beating Dublin for the first time in 15 years and adding the scalps of eventual champions Kerry and last year’s finalists Galway.

For Seán Rafferty, it has been a remarkable rise to prominence. Overlooked at minor and under-20 level, he became the ultimate late developer in making his debut in this year’s league. His barnstorming displays at full back were a feature of Meath’s progress and he held David Clifford to 0-2 from play when switched on to him in the group stage win over Kerry.

Galway are the only provincial champions not to have been honoured this year in what was ultimately a disappointing season. However, corner forward Rob Finnerty must have come close to recognition, as probably did Donegal’s Conor O’Donnell.

There will, however, be few arguments with the selected players.