The Guinness GAA Writers' player of the year awards for 1998 have gone to Galway's Jarlath Fallon and Offaly's Brian Whelahan.
The respective All-Ireland champions also provide the winners in the Young Hurler and Young Footballer categories with Galway's Michael Donnellan - also nominated for the senior award - taking the football award and Offaly's goalkeeper Stephen Byrne winning the hurling.
Both winners were extremely influential in their respective All-Ireland finals, spearheading the secondhalf comebacks against Kildare and Kilkenny which proved decisive.
Fallon (25) from the Tuam Stars club is an accomplished footballer who also plays rugby union with Galwegians. After a distinguished underage career he graduated to the county seniors in 1992. The twin demands of rugby and football haven't worked to his advantage in either game and this year it was spring before he could join manager John O'Mahony's panel.
Improving with every outing thereafter, Fallon's performances followed a pattern. Quiet for periods, he would suddenly emerge whereupon his intelligent use of the ball at centre forward allied to his ability to kick off either foot always coincided with Galway's decisive spells of superiority.
In the second half of the All-Ireland final he was at the heart of one of the most stylish displays of attacking football seen at Croke Park in recent years. He went on to represent Ireland with distinction in the International Rules series against Australia last month.
Brian Whelahan (27) has had a remarkable year. Last spring he played a major role in Birr's second All-Ireland club title in four years. Captain of the All-Ireland winning minor team of 1989, he made his senior debut that same summer and is regarded as one of the outstanding hurlers in the modern game. Hurler of the Year in 1994 when wing back in Offaly's last All-Ireland triumph, he played in a number of positions around the field this year.
Centre back in the early part of the campaign - his cool judgment set up Johnny Dooley's last-gasp winning goal against Wexford in the Leinster semi-final - he then reverted to familiar surroundings on the wing before being drafted into attack with sensational effect in the All-Ireland series. In the replay against Clare, he sparked the comeback which was brought to a premature end by referee Jimmy Cooney.
In the final, Whelahan was suffering from flu and finding Kilkenny's Brian McEvoy hard work. He was switched to the attack where he played with such verve that he ended the afternoon as top scorer with 1-6. His brother Simon is one of the nominees for Young Hurler of the Year.
That category was won by Kilcormac/Killoughey's Stephen Byrne who was exceptional in the Offaly goal, particularly in the All-Ireland refixture against champions Clare in Thurles where his saves were responsible for keeping out four goals and a point. His award comes in a year notable for fine goalkeeping displays in hurling and Waterford's Brendan Landers is one of the nominees in this category.
Michael Donnellan's award as Young Footballer of the Year was recognition for a superb season during which his pace and skill on the ball perfectly complemented Fallon's vision in the Galway attack. From a distinguished Galway football family, he was the third generation of Donnellans to win an All-Ireland senior medal.
Now in its fourth year, the awards' scheme is balloted on by the membership of the GAA Writers Association which will host a presentation lunch at the Guinness Hop Store in Dublin on Friday week.
The occasion will be a clean sweep for Galway. As well as claiming the two football winners and five of the six nominees, the county's All-Ireland medallist Mattie McDonagh will be honoured in the Hall of Fame. McDonagh will be joined by Wexford's Billy Rackard who will receive this year's hurling award.
