Ballinamore's Eilish O'Dowd nominated for TG4 LGFA All-Star Award

Ballinamore’s Eilish O’Dowd has been nominated for a 2025 TG4 Ladies All-Star award for the second time in three years after the Ladies Gaelic Football Association revealed the nominations on Monday afternoon.

The former Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins and Leitrim player, currently playing for GWS Giants in the AFLW, is one of 12 Dublin players nominated for the prestigious awards which will be announced at a gala banquet at The Bonnington Dublin Hotel on Saturday, November 15.

O’Dowd was nominated in 2023 for the award and after a campaign that saw Eilish face her sister Laura when Leitrim met Dublin in the group stages in The Naul in July before Dublin went on to regain the Brendan Martin Cup after defeating Meath in the Final in Croke Park on Sunday August 3.

Interestingly, the nominations features 22 players who faced Leitrim in competitive action during 2025, including Mayo’s Sinead Walsh and Armagh’s Lauren McConville and Caroline O’Hanlon who were all involved in the relegation playoffs that ended with Leitrim dropping back to the intermediate ranks after defeats by Donegal and Mayo.

Runners-up Meath have ten players nominated, Lidl National League Division 1 Champions Kerry are next in line with seven while Galway have six players nominated. There are three Waterford nominees, two each for Armagh and Cork, and one apiece for Kildare, Mayo and Tipperary on the list compiled by the Ladies Gaelic Football Association’s All-Star committee.

THE LAST POINT: LEITRIM'S CAPITAL GAINS ON THE RISE

Dublin captured a seventh TG4 All-Ireland Senior title, and their second in three seasons, with victory over Meath at Croke Park in the 2025 decider. That success is reflected in a dozen TG4 All-Star nominees for the team joint-managed by Paul Casey and Derek Murray.

Goalkeeper Abby Shiels is nominated, along with defenders Jess Tobin, Leah Caffrey, Niamh Donlon, Sinéad Goldrick, Martha Byrne and Niamh Crowley. Midfielder Éilish O’Dowd is also nominated as well as forwards Carla Rowe, who captained Dublin to TG4 All-Ireland Senior glory, Hannah Tyrrell, winner of the ZuCar Golden Boot award as top scorer in the TG4 All-Ireland Championships, Niamh Hetherton and Kate Sullivan.

The 2025 TG4 Junior, Intermediate and Senior Players’ Player of the Year Award winners will also be revealed on the night, while the 2025 inductee into the Ladies Gaelic Football Association (LGFA) Hall of Fame will be acknowledged.

2025 TG4 All-Star Nominees:

• Goalkeepers: Robyn Murray (Meath), Abby Shiels (Dublin), Mary Ellen Bolger (Kerry)
• Full back Line: Jess Tobin (Dublin), Eilís Lynch (Kerry), Áine Sheridan (Meath), Mary Kate Lynch (Meath), Leah Caffrey (Dublin), Laoise Lenehan (Kildare), Melissa Duggan (Cork), Kate Geraghty (Galway), Niamh Donlon (Dublin)
• Half Back Line: Aoibhín Cleary (Meath), Sinéad Goldrick (Dublin), Aishling O’Connell (Kerry), Martha Byrne (Dublin), Nicola Ward (Galway), Sarah Wall (Meath), Hannah Noone (Galway), Niamh Crowley (Dublin), Aoife Dillane (Kerry)
• Midfield: Emma Murray (Waterford), Louise Ward (Galway), Éilish O’Dowd (Dublin), Anna Galvin (Kerry), Caroline O’Hanlon (Armagh), Marion Farrelly (Meath)
• Half Forward Line: Lauren McConville (Armagh), Sinéad Walsh (Mayo), Aishling Moloney (Tipperary), Carla Rowe (Dublin), Niamh Gallogly (Meath), Olivia Divilly (Galway), Ciara Smyth (Meath), Ailbhe Davoren (Galway), Bríd McMaugh (Waterford)
• Full Forward Line: Emma Duggan (Meath), Hannah Tyrrell (Dublin), Katie Quirke (Cork), Síofra O’Shea (Kerry), Vikki Wall (Meath), Niamh Hetherton (Dublin), Kate Sullivan (Dublin), Danielle O’Leary (Kerry), Lauren McGregor (Waterford)

County by County breakdown: Dublin 12, Meath 10, Kerry 7, Galway 6, Waterford 3, Armagh 2, Cork 2, Kildare 1, Mayo 1, Tipperary 1