BY DARAGH Ó CONCHÚIR
AS Cork players dominated the 2024 PwC Camogie All-Star Awards, Rebels boss Ger Manley hailed the back-to-back All-Ireland winning group as ‘phenomenal’.
After a season that saw Cork defend their All-Ireland senior camogie crown, beating Galway in August’s final, as expected the Rebels cleaned up at the All-Stars held in Croke Park on Friday night – Cork won EIGHT All-Stars, Laura Hayes was named PwC GPA Camogie Player of the Year, while Ger Manley was crowned PwC Camogie Manager of the Year.
Two of the big winners at the awards hailed from Cork, as Manager of the Year Ger Manley with Senior Player of the Year Award winner Laura Hayes.
‘They’re elite athletes. They’re phenomenal. They’ll do anything you ask of them but it’s what they put in when we’re not training is why they get their rewards,’ Manley explained.
‘I think the camogie standard has improved throughout the last couple of years, all the teams. I think we drove it on a bit last year and this year, we were a bit more consistent and I think that paid the way for us but the girls are phenomenal and that’s the reason I’m here. The players make the difference and we’ve an exceptional bunch in Cork.’
While the attire was different in their latest visit to Croke Park, the result was the same as Cork were the big winners on a night of glitz, glamour and celebration.
With Laura Hayes voted the PwC GPA senior Player of the Year by her peers, she saw off the challenges of fellow nominees, close friend and Rebel teammate Saoirse McCarthy from Courcey Rovers, and Galway dynamo Aoife Donohue, the 2021 Player of the Year.
Cork defender Laura Treacy, who picked up her fourth All-Star, with Camogie Association Uachtarán Brian Molloy and Marie Coady, PwC Markets Partner.
Hayes (right half-back, second award) and Ballinspittle native Saoirse McCarthy (right half-forward, third award) were joined on the All-Stars team by goalkeeper Amy Lee (second All-Star), left corner-back Pamela Mackey (fifth award), centre-back Laura Treacy (four All-Star), midfielder Ashling Thompson (fourth All-Star), Katrina Mackey at full-forward (eighth All-Star) and right corner-forward Amy O’Connor (third award).
‘It’s just such an honour, especially when it's a player's vote as well,’ said St Catherine’s star Laura Hayes of the recognition.
‘For me growing up, I really admired Orla Cotter. It’s very well known around our area, I knew everything and anything about her. I was completely starstruck. And then in 2018, when Paudie Murray called me into the Cork panel, I ended up playing with her. So my aspiration was always to be like her, to play for St Catherine’s, to play for Cork, and to win the All-Ireland, to be going up the steps of the Hogan Stand.
‘But to go beyond that, it’s nice to be nominated for an All-Star and then for Player of the Year. It’s just surreal.’
Camogie All-Star Ashling Thompson with Camogie Association Uachtarán Brian Molloy and Marie Coady, PwC Markets Partner.
The PwC Soaring Stars team was also named and there were six members of Cork’s Glen Dimplex All-Ireland intermediate-winning side involved – Emma Flanagan, Niamh O’Leary, Aoife Barrett, Tara McCarthy, Cliona O’Callaghan and Lauren Homan.
PwC Camogie All-Stars: Amy Lee (Cork), Dervla Higgins (Galway), Róisín Black (Galway), Pamela Mackey (Cork), Laura Hayes (Cork), Laura Treacy (Cork), Ashling Thompson (Cork), Aoife Donohue (Galway), Saoirse McCarthy (Cork), Karen Kennedy (Tipperary), Carrie Dolan (Galway), Niamh Mallon (Galway), Katrina Mackey (Cork), Amy O’Connor (Cork).
