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Donnchadh Walsh voted GAA.ie Football Player of the Week

Donnchadh Walsh

Donnchadh Walsh

Kerry forward Donnchadh Walsh has surged to victory in this week's GAA.ie Football Player of the Week award, driving home with 40 per cent of the vote.

Walsh delivered a typically tireless display in Kerry's win over Donegal on Sunday, and that display saw him pick up 40 per cent of the votes cast on the GAA's official Twitter (@officialgaa), Facebook and Instagram pages.

He finished ahead of Dublin wing back James McCarthy in second place and Fermanagh's Tomás Corrigan in third.

Click here for GAA.ie Hurling Player of the Week results


GAA.ie FOOTBALL PLAYER OF THE WEEK RESULTS

1. Donnchadh Walsh (Kerry) - 2,194 votes (40 per cent)
2. James McCarthy (Dublin) - 1,893 votes (34 per cent)
3. Tomás Corrigan (Fermanagh) - 1,402 votes (26 per cent)


When Donnchadh Walsh won his first All Star last year, the line was that the Cromane man would have to give up his unofficial title of 'most underrated footballer in Ireland' in the process. Certainly, the days when Walsh's qualities go unnoticed are long gone and he gave a typically indefatigable performance in Kerry's win over Donegal on Sunday. Walsh rose above the fray in a scrappy, fractious match which saw 10 cards handed out. His extraordinary work-rate saw him pop up all over the field, and the sparky nature of the game made his tasks all the more challenging and draining. That he managed to power through and fist three crucial points on top of all his other labours showed just how valuable he now is to Kerry, in every regard. He powered home with 40 per cent of the vote.

On the night that Jack McCaffrey's absence for 2016 was confirmed by Dublin manager Jim Gavin, the Clontarf man's opposite wing colleague James McCarthy eased the pain of Dublin supporters with a gloriously swashbuckling display in the All-Ireland champions' win over Cork at Croke Park. The supremely athletic Ballymun Kickhams clubman has started the year like a train, and he was one of Dublin's main attacking weapons against the Rebels, driving forward at very regular intervals to support the Dublin attack. He was involved in many of Dublin's 16 scores and he capped off a superb display with a wonderful individual goal towards the end. He finished second with 34 per cent.

Tomás Corrigan has been showing signs in recent times that he is among the most deadly forwards in Ulster on his day. On Sunday against Laois, the Fermanagh man gave nationwide notice of his talent, scoring a remarkable 1-11 (1-4 from open play) to guide Pete McGrath's side to a 10-point win. Corrigan was absolutely electric. He hit 1-8 in the first half alone, and while his freetaking was absolutely top rate, it was the constant threat he provided from open play that stung Laois the most. Talented forward Seán Quigley was unavailable for Fermanagh against Laois, but when Corrigan is in this kind of form, on-one notices and that is quite the compliment. He took 26 per cent of the vote.


** Players of the Week are decided based on votes cast by followers of @officialgaa on Twitter, on the Official GAA Facebook Page and on the Official GAA Instagram page**