Ulster players nominated for player of the year awards

THE nominees have been announced for the 2024 TG4 Players’ Player of the Year Awards in the Senior, Intermediate and Junior grades.

The winners will be revealed at the 2024 TG4 All-Star Awards banquet at The Bonnington Dublin Hotel on Saturday, November 16th.

Kerry’s TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship winner Kayleigh Cronin, Galway’s Nicola Ward and Armagh’s Lauren McConville have been nominated for the TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year Award.

Cronin was Player of the Match in the TG4 All-Ireland Senior Final victory over Galway and remarkably consistent throughout the campaign, while Ward also enjoyed an outstanding season for the runners-up, with her most eye-catching display coming against Dublin in the stunning TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship quarter-final victory at Parnell Park.

Armagh’s McConville starred for the Orchard County in 2024 as they captured the Lidl National League Division 1 and TG4 Ulster title, before progressing to the last four of the All-Ireland series.

All three players have also been nominated for TG4 All-Star Awards.

The Intermediate shortlist, meanwhile, is made up of players from champions Leitrim and Tyrone.

Leitrim, who landed the 2024 TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate title, have two players nominated – Captain Michelle Guckian and long-serving defender Charlene Tyrell.

They’re joined on the shortlist by Tyrone captain Aoibhinn McHugh, who led her team to Lidl National League Division 2 and TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Final appearances.

All three players were recently named on the TG4 Intermediate Team of the Championship.

In the Junior grade, Fermanagh pair Bláithín Bogue and Eimear Smyth are nominated alongside Louth star Kate Flood.

All three players are former winners of this award; Flood claiming the honour in 2018, Bogue in 2022 and Smyth, a two-time recipient, in 2019 and 2020.

Bogue was also nominated for the TG4 Junior Players’ Player of the Year Award last year, while Smyth ended the 2024 campaign as winner of the ZuCar Golden Boot award as leading scorer across the TG4 All-Ireland Championships.

Bogue and Smyth were recently named on the TG4 Junior Team of the Championship, while Flood finished as leading scorer for Louth as the Wee County progressed to the TG4 All-Ireland decider.

The nominees in all three categories have all been selected by their fellow players, who could not vote for their own team-mates.

TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year Award Nominees

Lauren McConville (Armagh)
Nicola Ward (Galway)
Kayleigh Cronin (Kerry)

TG4 Intermediate Players’ Player of the Year Award Nominees

Michelle Guckian (Leitrim)
Charlene Tyrell (Leitrim)
Aoibhinn McHugh (Tyrone)

TG4 Junior Players’ Player of the Year Award Nominees

Bláithín Bogue (Fermanagh)
Eimear Smyth (Fermanagh)
Kate Flood (Louth)