Carbery's brightest GAA stars will shine at gala awards night

THE inaugural Westlodge Hotel Carbery GAA Junior Football All-Stars team will be unveiled this Friday night at the Westlodge Hotel in Bantry.

Two weeks ago the shortlist of 45 nominees for the 2015 Westlodge Hotel Carbery Junior Football All-Stars team was released – see below for list – and the final 15 will be named and honoured at Friday night’s gala event that will celebrate another fantastic year for the division’s junior football and hurling championships.

Junior A champions Bandon lead the shortlist with 11 players nominated for All-Stars while losing finalists Kilmacabea have seven players in the running. In total 16 clubs are represented in the shortlist, including junior B champions Kilmeen who have two nominees

This is the inaugural running of the Carbery GAA All-Stars, as the board looks to honour the division’s finest junior players for their heroics and efforts in 2015. The Westlodge Hotel are main sponsors of the event, while The Southern Star is media partner.

GAA President Aogán Ó Fearghail will be the guest of honour on the night in what will be his first official visit to West Cork. Contact your club secretary for ticket information.

The 2015 Westlodge Hotel Carbery Junior Footballer of the Year will also be announced on Friday night with three players in the running for the prestigious accolade – Frank Arundel (Muintir Bháire), Martin Collins (Kilmacabea) and Mark Sugrue (Bandon).

Veteran Arundel was in inspired form in this year’s West Cork JAFC as he helped Muintir into the quarter-finals; young Kilmacabea midfielder Collins was one of the big driving forces in his club’s push for a first-ever West Cork JAFC title and he played a major role in getting the side into a first divisional junior A football final; and Bandon ace Sugrue was his team’s top scorer and leader as they won the West Cork championship, before going on to win the county title for the first time since 1975.

The 45 nominees for the 2015 Westlodge Hotel Carbery GAA Junior Football All-Star are as follows:

Goalkeepers: Pat Prendergast (Bandon), Brian Corcoran (St Mary’s) and Alan Long (Argideen Rangers).

Defenders: Kevin Lucey, Eoghan O’Donovan, Peter Murphy, Joe Harrington and Patrick O’Brien (all Bandon); Niall Hayes, Clive Sweetnam and Sam O’Driscoll (all Kilmacabea); Stephen Keohane and Stephen Cronin (St Mary’s); Don McCarthy and Ray Collins (Kilmeen); Liam Hegarty (Gabriel Rangers), Shane McSweeney (St Colum’s), Brian O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh), Daniel Nyhan (Ballinascarthy), Donncha McCarthy (St James) and Daniel Hegarty (Castlehaven).

Midfielders: Tom Sheehan and Martin Collins (Kilmacabea), James Walsh and Donough Lucey (Bandon), Dermot Hurley (Castlehaven) and Peter Daly (St Mary’s).

Forwards: Darren Crowley, Mark Sugrue and Barry Collins (Bandon); Richie O’Sullivan and Ger O’Donovan (Kilmacabea); Frank Arundel and Brendan O’Dwyer (Muintir Bháire); Mark Cronin and Eddie Goggin (Gabriel Rangers); Sean O’Shea and Denis McSweeney (St Colum’s); Colm O’Driscoll (Tadhg MacCarthaigh), John Daly (St Mary’s), Don O’Driscoll (Clann na nGael), Jack Cowhig (Clonakilty), Jack Bushe (Ilen Rovers), Dylan Hourihane (O’Donovan Rossa) and Ciarán Hurley (Barryroe).