A BRILLIANT year for Allie Tobin came full circle at the Celtic Ross Hotel, where the Cork minor captain was welcomed as a hugely popular guest of honour at the 2025 West Cork LGFA Awards.

Fresh from leading her county to Munster and All-Ireland success, the O’Donovan Rossa star was centre stage once again, this time recognising the region’s rising talents.

Tobin presented 24 players with their player of the match trophies from this past season’s adult, minor, U16, U15, U14 and U13 finals.

‘It was brilliant to be asked as I wasn’t really expecting it at all,’ Tobin told The Southern Star.

‘I was absolutely delighted to attend and present all the players with their awards. When you see some of the people who have previously been guests of honour at these awards, it’s just an absolute honour.

‘Loads of clubs were represented and that’s brilliant to see because it makes West Cork (LGFA) football more competitive. There’s no good in the same two clubs being in every final. So, it’s brilliant to see players from so many West Cork clubs getting player of the match awards.’

It has been quite the year for Tobin: Munster and All-Ireland minor honours with Cork, a senior debut for O’Donovan Rossa, and an All-Ireland senior A schools title with Skibbereen Community School. Matching 2025’s achievements will be no small task.

Nicole O'Sullivan (O'Donovan Rossa), winner of the U13A Summer League player of the match award, with Allie Tobin and Peadar O'Driscoll (Drinagh Co-Op). (Photo: Anne Minihane)

‘A lot of our Cork minor panel have been together since 2014 and we gelled really well, worked really well as a team,’ she explained.

‘Everyone looked out for each other. I think it was U16, and minor as well, where the bus trips did a lot for us in terms of team bonding.

‘We were also training three times a week with Cork. So we saw each other more than we saw our own friends at home during the summer.’

The commitment of representing school, club and county was something Tobin touched on in her speech to the packed audience at the awards evening.

‘Playing minor for Cork was a serious commitment alright, but well worth it when we ended up winning an All-Ireland,’ she said.‘Up and down the road all the time, all that training – and it was usually in Cork. But looking back now, it was definitely all worth it.

‘Four of us packed into a car – Éabha O’Donovan (O’Donovan Rossa), Kate Carey (Ilen Rovers), Ellen Connolly (Castlehaven) and myself – we had some serious craic and the hours used to fly by!

‘I’m sitting the Leaving Cert this year (2026), but football will give me a break from studying. If you were studying the whole time you’d be wrecked. If you go and train, do a bit of running, then you’ll be happier to go back and get stuck into the studying again.’