Clare hurler Tony Kelly and Cavan footballer Thomas Galligan have been chosen as PwC GAA/GPA Players of the month for November. As the season is very compressed, there will be a separate awards category for the weekend’s All-Ireland hurling semi-finals, which also fall this month.
Kelly was in extraordinary form for Clare this championship and scored 1-53 over four fixtures. In the period in question for which he won the award, his total was 1-36 from three matches, against Laois, Wexford and Waterford. Going into last weekend’s All-Ireland quarter-final, he had scored 1-28.
Even though hampered by the discomfort of having rolled his ankle in the warm-up and aggravated the injury early in the match, Kelly managed 0-8, two from play the last day, as Clare were defeated in an exciting match.
He’s no stranger to awards having won both the Hurler of the Year and Young Hurler of the Year accolades in 2013, when the county last won the All-Ireland.
Galligan was outstanding in Cavan’s first Ulster championship victory since 1997, in last Sunday’s final against champions Donegal.
During November he was also in tremendous from as the county posted comeback wins over Antrim and Down in the provincial championship, having surprised Monaghan in October’s preliminary round with a dying-seconds free converted by his cousin, goalkeeper Raymond Galligan.
