Kerry Dominates

Newly crowned All-Ireland champions Kerry dominate the nominations for the 2009 Vodafone football all-stars with 12 of their team in the running for this year’s awards.

Cork, who lost the All-Ireland final to Kerry, have 10 players nominated, while five Tyrone stars and four from Dublin are also in contention.

Wicklow’s progress under Mick O’Dwyer has been recognized with nominations for Leighton Glynn and Ciaran Hyland.

Kerry duo Paul Galvin and Tomás Ó Sé are both shortlisted for the Footballer of the Year award along with Cork’s Graham Canty.

The Young Footballer of the Year will be contested by Donegal’s Michael Murphy, Cork’s Colm O’Neill and Mayo’s Aidan O’Shea.

The 2009 GAA Football All Stars nominations are:

Goalkeepers: Stephen Cluxton (Dublin), Diarmuid Murphy (Kerry), Alan Quirke (Cork).

Full-backs: Tommy Griffin (Kerry), Tom O’Sullivan (Kerry), Marc Ó Sé (Kerry), Anthony Lynch (Cork), Michael Shields (Cork), Ciarán Hyland (Wicklow), Karl Lacey (Donegal), Johnny McCarthy (Limerick), Justin McMahon (Tyrone).

Half-backs: Graham Canty (Cork), John Miskella (Cork), Michael McCarthy (Kerry), Tomás Ó Sé (Kerry), Davy Harte (Tyrone), Ryan McMenamin (Tyrone), Barry Cahill (Dublin), Johnny Davey (Sligo), Andy Moran (Mayo).

Midfield: Dermot Earley (Kildare), Nicholas Murphy (Cork), Alan O’Connor (Cork), Kevin Hughes (Tyrone), John Galvin (Limerick), Séamus Scanlon (Kerry).

Half-forwards: Paul Galvin (Kerry), Tadhg Kennelly (Kerry), Alan Brogan (Dublin), Leighton Glynn (Wicklow), James Kavanagh (Kildare), Trevor Mortimer (Mayo), Paddy Kelly (Cork), Pearse O’Neill (Cork), Joe Sheridan (Meath).

Full-forwards: Bernard Brogan (Dublin), Colm Cooper (Kerry), Declan O’Sullivan (Kerry), Tommy Walsh (Kerry), Daniel Goulding (Cork), Michael Murphy (Donegal), Michael McCann (Antrim), Stephen O’Neill (Tyrone), Alan Smith (Kildare).

Cats’ Meow

KILKENNY legend Henry Shefflin is in the running for a ninth all-star honor like fellow Cats hero DJ Carey after the nominations for the 2009 awards were announced.

Fellow Kilkenny star Tommy Walsh has been nominated for a seventh consecutive year and is also in the running for the Hurler of the Year award along with John Mullane of Waterford and Lar Corbett of Tipperary.

The Young Player of the Year nominees are Joe Canning (Galway), Padraig Maher (Tipperary) and Noel McGrath (Tipperary).

The 2009 GAA Football All Stars nominations are --

Goalkeepers: Brendan Cummins (Tipperary), P.J. Ryan (Kilkenny), Clinton Hennessy (Waterford).

Full-backs: J.J. Delaney (Kilkenny), Michael Kavanagh (Kilkenny), Jackie Tyrrell (Kilkenny), Padraig Maher (Tipperary), Paddy Stapleton (Tipperary), Ollie Canning (Galway), Fergal Moore (Galway), Noel Connors (Waterford),

Shane O’Neill (Cork).

Half-backs: John Tennyson (Kilkenny), Tommy Walsh (Kilkenny), Michael Walsh (Waterford), Tony Browne (Waterford), Conor O’Mahony (Tipperary), Declan Fanning (Tipperary), John Lee (Galway), Mark Foley (Limerick), Stephen Hiney (Dublin).

Midfield: Michael Rice (Kilkenny), Alan McCrabbe (Dublin), Shane McGrath (Tipperary), James Woodlock (Tipperary), Seamus Hickey (Limerick), Gavin O’Mahony (Limerick)

Half-forwards: Eddie Brennan (Kilkenny), Eoin Larkin (Kilkenny), Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny), Seamus Callanan (Tipperary), Lar Corbett (Tipperary), Pat Kerwick (Tipperary),

John O’Brien (Tipperary), Ben O’Connor (Cork), Aonghus Callinan (Galway).

Full forwards: Eoin Kelly (Tipperary), Noel McGrath (Tipperary), Joe Canning (Galway), Damien Hayes (Galway),

Martin Comerford (Kilkenny), Richie Power (Kilkenny), David O’Callaghan (Dublin), David Treacy (Dublin), John Mullane (Waterford).

GAA Shorts

THE Cork ladies clinched their fifth All-Ireland senior football title with a narrow one point win over Dublin at Croke Park on Sunday. Clare beat Fermanagh by five points to win the intermediate title while Antrim proved too strong for Limerick in the junior decider . . .

TYRONE and Ireland star Sean Cavanagh has undergone surgery to cure a long running ankle injury. Fellow Tyrone players Colm Cavanagh, Philip Jordan and Ryan Mellon have also booked in for surgery to solve long term injuries during the inter-county break . . .

DOWN’S Martin Clarke has confirmed his decision to quit Aussie Rules side Collingwood and will be available to new manager James McCartan for next season’s Ulster Championship . . .

CARLOW manager Luke Dempsey is set to call Brendan Murphy into his senior football squad after the player’s return from a spell in Australia with the Sydney Swans club . . .

YOUNGSTER Michael Murphy has pledged his future to the Donegal footballers and discounted reports that he is poised to switch codes to Aussie Rules . . .

WESTMEATH County Board will ask the Leinster Council to include their senior hurling team in next year’s Leinster championship.