Beaten All-Ireland finalists Donegal have received more nominations for the 2025 PwC All Star football awards than champions Kerry.
Twelves counties are represented on the list of 45 nominees, with Ulster champions Donegal leading the way on 10, followed by Kerry (nine), Meath and Armagh (both five), Louth, Monaghan and Galway (all three), Dublin and Tyrone (both two), and Mayo, Down, and Derry (all one).
Kerry’s David Clifford and Joe O’Connor have been shortlisted for the Footballer of the Year award, along with Donegal’s Michael Murphy, while Finbarr Roarty (Donegal), Matthew Thompson (Galway) and Oisín Conaty (Armagh) have been nominated for Young Footballer of the Year.
Kerry’s return of nine nominations is the lowest for any All-Ireland winning side since the Kingdom received that same total in 2006. Armagh also had nine players nominated for the team of the year following their 2002 All-Ireland winning season.
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Of Kerry’s starting team for July’s All-Ireland final win over Donegal, the players to miss out on a nomination are Paul Murphy, Dylan Casey, Seán O’Brien, Mark O’Shea, Graham O’Sullivan and Dylan Geaney.
In addition to their All-Ireland triumph, the Kingdom were also crowned Munster and Division 1 league champions.
Tyrone may well be disappointed to only have two inclusions on the list of nominees having reached the All-Ireland semi-final stages.
Kerry’s Shane Ryan, Monaghan’s Rory Beggan and Armagh’s Ethan Rafferty are the shortlisted goalkeepers, as Donegal’s Shaun Patton and 2024 All Star Niall Morgan from Tyrone miss out.
The 18 defenders nominated include four Kerry players (Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Jason Foley, Gavin White and Mike Breen) and five from Donegal (Brendan McCole, Finbarr Roarty, Peadar Mogan, Ciarán Moore and Ryan McHugh).
Meath’s Seán Rafferty and Ciarán Caulfield are also recognised for their contribution to the Royal County’s season, while Louth’s Craig Lennon is once again included. Lennon was named at wing back on last year’s team of the year, becoming the Wee County’s second ever All Star after Paddy Keenan’s breakthrough in 2010.
Tyrone’s two nominees both come in the defence, where Kieran McGeary and Niall Devlin make the cut. Armagh also have two defensive nominees in Jarly Óg Burns and the marauding Ross McQuillan, while Monaghan’s Dessie Ward is also shortlisted after his fine season for the Farney men. Mayo’s sole nominee for 2025 is promising defender Jack Coyne.
Six counties are represented in the midfield nominations. Joe O’Connor is in the mix for Kerry after the Austin Stacks man produced a real coming-of-age season. He’s up against Donegal’s Michael Langan, first-time nominee Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne from Dublin, Derry’s Conor Glass, Galway’s John Maher and Down’s Odhrán Murdock.
Among those who may feel aggrieved by their omission are Louth’s Tommy Durnin and Meath’s Bryan Menton.
Along with Dylan Geaney, Tyrone duo Darragh Canavan and Darren McCurry are notable omissions up front.
Geaney featured in all nine of Kerry’s championship games, scoring in eight of those fixtures, including three points in the All-Ireland decider. Of all the Kerry players to miss out, Geaney probably had the biggest case for inclusion.
The three Kerry forwards nominated are David Clifford, Paudie Clifford and Seán O’Shea.
Donegal’s four forward nominees are Murphy, Shane O’Donnell, Conor O’Donnell and Ciarán Thompson.
The five Donegal players from their All-Ireland final starting team not nominated are Patton, Caolan McColgan, Eoghán Bán Gallagher, Caolan McGonagle and Oisín Gallen.
All-Ireland semi-finalists Meath have three forwards included – Mathew Costello, Jordan Morris and Ruairí Kinsella.
Louth will be hoping to win a first ever All Star in the forwards after both Sam Mulroy and Ryan Burns received nominations, while Ciarán Kilkenny is Dublin’s sole attacking player included.
Armagh have two forwards nominated, Conaty and Rory Grugan, while Monaghan captain Micheál Bannigan also makes the list.
The 2025 All-Stars banquet will be held at the RDS on Friday, November 7th, with the football team of the year to be revealed live on the night.
2025 football All-Star nominations
Goalkeepers
Shane Ryan (Kerry)
Rory Beggan (Monaghan)
Ethan Rafferty (Armagh)
Defenders
Brian Ó Beaglaoich (Kerry)
Jason Foley (Kerry)
Gavin White (Kerry)
Mike Breen (Kerry)
Brendan McCole (Donegal)
Finbarr Roarty (Donegal)
Peadar Mogan (Donegal)
Ciarán Moore (Donegal)
Ryan McHugh (Donegal)
Niall Devlin (Tyrone)
Kieran McGeary (Tyrone)
Ciarán Caulfield (Meath)
Seán Rafferty (Meath)
Craig Lennon (Louth)
Jarly Óg Burns (Armagh)
Ross McQuillan (Armagh)
Dessie Ward (Monaghan)
Jack Coyne (Mayo)
Midfielders
Joe O’Connor (Kerry)
Michael Langan (Donegal)
Odhrán Murdock (Down)
Conor Glass (Derry)
John Maher (Galway)
Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne (Dublin)
Forwards
David Clifford (Kerry)
Paudie Clifford (Kerry)
Seán O’Shea (Kerry)
Michael Murphy (Donegal)
Conor O’Donnell (Donegal)
Shane O’Donnell (Donegal)
Ciarán Thompson (Donegal)
Mathew Costello (Meath)
Jordan Morris (Meath)
Ruairí Kinsella (Meath)
Rob Finnerty (Galway)
Matthew Thompson (Galway)
Sam Mulroy (Louth)
Ryan Burns (Louth)
Oisín Conaty (Armagh)
Rory Grugan (Armagh)
Micheál Bannigan (Monaghan)
Ciarán Kilkenny (Dublin)
Footballer of the Year
David Clifford (Kerry)
Joe O’Connor (Kerry)
Michael Murphy (Donegal)
Young Footballer of the Year
Oisín Conaty (Armagh)
Finbarr Roarty (Donegal)
Matthew Thompson (Galway)
