Delight for Donegal as Niamh McLaughlin is named TG4 Senior Player of the Year

There was delight for Donegal to cap a fine year as Niamh McLaughlin was tonight named as TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year.

The Donegal captain, who plays for Moville, also secured an All-Star award in one of the midfield berths in the team alongside Cáit Lynch from Kerry, which was announced at a gala banquet at The Bonnington Dublin Hotel.

In the Senior Players’ Player of the Year category, McLaughlin made the shortlist of three beating off competition from Meath’s Emma Duggan and Kerry’s Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh.

McLaughlin put in a series of fine performances for the side managed by Maxi Curran. In 2022, Donegal reached the final of both the Lidl Ladies Divison 1 and the Ulster Senior Championship, as well as the TG4 LGFA All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final, where they lost out to eventual winners Meath on a 0-12 to 1-7 scoreline.

In all, Donegal had six nominations for All-Stars. Termon team-mates, Nicole McLaughlin, Geraldine McLaughlin and Evelyn McGinley, Robert Emmets' Tanya Kennedy and Moville duo Niamh Hegarty and Niamh McLaughlin.

In 2018, when Donegal reached the All-Ireland semi-final and lost to Cork, Therese Doherty was their only All-Star winner. The Hegarty sisters – Niamh and Ciara – were All-Star winners in 2017 as Donegal were knocked out of the championship by Mayo in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

In 2010, Donegal were All-Ireland IFC winners and Yvonne McMonagle, now Bonner, picked up an award.

Termon and Donegal defender Emer Gallagher fulfilled media duties as the event host for TG4 with RTE’s Dáithí Ó Sé and Marty Morrissey doing the pleasantries for the awards, which were presented by Ard Stiúrthóir TG4 Alan Esslemont and President of the LGFA and former Donegal manager Mícheál Naughton.

In all, Meath won six All-Stars, with Kerry taking home five, Mayo two, and Armagh and Donegal one apiece. The All-Star team will travel to Austin, Texas, as reward for their exertions in 2022.

Kerry star Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh, who was top scorer in the 2022 TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship with a haul of 4-24, was also nominated for the Players' Player of the Year, and Meath's All-Ireland winner Emma Duggan.

TG4 All-Star team

Goalkeeper: Monica McGuirk – Meath
Full-backs: Shauna Ennis – Meath; Kayleigh Cronin – Kerry; Danielle Caldwell – Mayo
Half-backs: Aishling O’Connell – Kerry; Emma Troy – Meath; Aoibhín Cleary – Meath
Midfield: Cáit Lynch – Kerry; Niamh McLaughlin – Donegal;
Half-forwards: Niamh Carmody – Kerry; Emma Duggan – Meath; Shauna Howley – Mayo
Full-forwards: Aimee Mackin – Armagh; Stacey Grimes – Meath; Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh – Kerry