Blue is the dominant colour in a historic football selection that crowns the 2020 PwC All-Stars.
All-Ireland champions Dublin are represented by a record-equalling tally of nine players on the final 15 – a haul not seen by the Sky Blues since their iconic All-Ireland championship-winning team of 1977.
It is a landmark selection for the Breffni Blues of Cavan too, who previously had received two awards in the 50 years of the scheme in Ollie Brady and Dermot McCabe.
However, their magnificent Ulster Championship triumph is recognised through awards for ace goalkeeper Raymond Galligan, heroic defender Padraig Faulkner and the influential Thomas Galligan at midfield. In the case of goalkeeper and captain Galligan, it makes him the 800th player to have received an All-Star since they were first held back in 1971.
Tipperary represented
Elsewhere, there is another notable first for Tipperary captain Conor Sweeney who is acknowledged for his prolific role in leading Tipperary to their first Munster win since 1935 with selection as a PwC All-Star in the full-forward line. In the process, he follows in the footsteps of county men Declan Browne and Michael Quinlivan.
Mayo’s Oisín Mullin, who is nominated for the PwC GAA/GPA Young Player of the Year, is picked in a defence where Dubs dominate.
Dublin’s Brian Fenton, who has never lost a senior championship match since his 2015 debut, partners Thomas Galligan in the middle and collects his fifth career PwC All-Star.
Cillian O’Connor’s razor-sharp contribution to Mayo in their march to Connacht glory and in reaching the All-Ireland final is recognised in an attack that features the towering Conor Sweeney, a first-time award for Niall Scully and then an addition to the personal hauls of Dublin’s big guns Ciaran Kilkenny, Con O’Callaghan and Dean Rock.
Watch the All-Stars show this weekend
The awards were picked by a panel of Gaelic Games Correspondents from across print, radio, tv and digital media. The winners will be showcased on a special tv programme on RTÉ 1 this Saturday evening at 6.35 pm, where the PwC All-Stars in hurling will be announced and also the winners of the PwC GAA/GPA Player and Young Player of the Year will be announced in hurling and football.
PwC All-Stars Football 2020
(previous years selected in brackets)
Goalkeeper
1. Raymond Galligan (Cavan)
Defenders
2. Oisín Mullin (Mayo)
3. Padraig Faulkner (Cavan)
4. Michael Fitzsimons (Dublin) (2017, ’19)
5. James McCarthy (Dublin) (2014, ’17, ’18)
6. John Small (Dublin)
7. Eoin Murchan (Dublin)
Midfielders
8. Brian Fenton (Dublin) (2015, ’16, ’18, ’19)
9. Thomas Galligan (Cavan)
Forwards
10. Niall Scully (Dublin)
11. Ciaran Kilkenny (Dublin) (2015, ’16, ’18)
12. Con O’Callaghan (Dublin) (2017, ’19)
13. Cillian O’Connor (Mayo) (2014)
14. Conor Sweeney (Tipperary)
15. Dean Rock (Dublin) (2016, ’17)
