Declan Bonner expects a good number of Donegal All-Star nominations 

The 2024 PwC All-Star football nominations are set to be unveiled today with Ulster champions and All-Ireland semi-finalists Donegal expected to be well represented. 

Former Donegal boss Declan Bonner expects the likes of Shaun Patton, Brendan McCole, Peadar Mogan, Ryan McHugh, Michael Langan, Caolan McGonagle and Oisin Gallen to all be in with strong shouts for nods there. 

The final XV won’t be decided until October and Bonner hopes Donegal get at least two gongs come then. 

He also says newcomer Ciaran Moore should be in the nominations  shake-up for Young Footballer of the Year after a brilliant debut season for the St Eunan’s player. 

The respective selection committees were scheduled to meet in Dublin yesterday, Wednesday, where they were to decide on a list of 45 players - three goalkeepers, 18 defenders, six midfielders and 18 forwards – in both hurling and football.

The nominations for the Footballer and Hurler of the Year gongs as well as the best young players (U-22) in each sport were also to be decided on. 

“If things worked out differently for Donegal against Galway, they probably would have a number of All-Stars guaranteed”, Bonner told DonegalLive. 

“Unfortunately, that day it didn’t work out in the last 15 minutes in semi-final but you can’t deny that it was a great season overall, really positive and something to build on going forward. 

“I would probably expect Peadar Mogan to get an All-Star considering the year he’s had - especially towards the latter end of the season when Donegal really needed leaders to take the games and go at teams, Peadar was the man to do it. 

“But I think when you look at other players, the fact that they got this far in the championship they won’t be far away. 

“Another St Naul’s man Brendan McCole marked some of the best forwards in the country and was really solid throughout, as was Ryan McHugh. 

“Then when you look in the forward line, you have Oisin Gallen who’s done so well to come back from a series of injuries and become one of Donegal’s leading forwards. 

“At the moment, I think Peadar would be leading in terms of Donegal players winning an All-Star, and then closely behind him I would be backing Michael Langan and then Caolan McGonagle. 

“Michael had a really strong end to the season and was really dominant around the middle, while Caolan was perhaps our most consistent performer especially in that fact that he was moved into a new role in defense”. 

Meanwhile, in hurling, there are separate award categories for players who participated in the Tailteann, Joe McDonagh, Christy Ring, Nickey Rackard and Lory Meagher Cups.

With Donegal senior hurlers lifting the Nickey Rackard Cup - Mickey McCann’s men should dominate both the nominations in that grade and indeed the winning XV when it’s finally selected next month.