Football

Mayo dominate as PwC Football All-Stars spread across eight different counties

29 October 2026 - 6:44AM

Mayo forwards Ryan O'Donoghue, Kobe McDonald and Darragh Beirne are all included on the PwC Football All-Stars team. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile

All-Ireland champions Mayo have secured six places on the PwC Football All-Star team for 2026, announced today, and which is spread across eight different counties.

It is the first time since 2010 that there has been such an extensive breakdown on the distinguished final 15, and there are 11 first-time winners of a precious All-Star, the biggest number of debutantes since 2022.

Another notable highlight is a seventh award for Kerry talisman David Clifford, equalling the haul amassed by fellow Kingdom great Mikey Sheehy. Only Colm Cooper (eight) and Pat Spillane (nine) have won more in their Kerry careers, with time still very much on the Fossa favourites side.

After a season that saw them capture the Sam Maguire for the first time in 75 years, Mayo are the clear dominant presence with a sextet featuring defensive rocks Sam Callinan and Enda Hession, dynamic young forwards Darragh Beirne and Kobe McDonald with footballer of the year contenders Jack Carney and Ryan O’Donoghue completing their line-up.

Beaten All-Ireland and League finalists Kerry have three. Joining Clifford, Jason Foley is now a three-time winner at full-back. Shane Murphy’s selection in goal is a justified reward from a season that saw him step into the void left by the injured Shane Ryan and prove to be another impressive safe pair of hands for the Kingdom.

After helping the Lake County win the Delaney Cup, Ronan Wallace carves a special piece of history for himself as a first-time winner of a PwC Football All-Star at wing back which goes with the Tailteann Cup Team of the Year award he won in 2022.

Dara McDonnell is centre-back in recognition of his lynch pin work for Louth in their high-profile season, while completing the defence is Armagh’s versatile Jarly Óg Burns who brings a first-ever All-Star back to his club, Silverbridge, in South Armagh.

Conn Kilpatrick’s enormous contribution is acknowledged in midfield, while Niall Scully collects a second All-Star after a season that saw him so effectively pull the strings for the Dubs in their comeback to a semi-final.

The marauding Stephen O’Hanlon from Monaghan is a winner at wing forward after his impressive season as the competitive landscape in football is very evident in the deliberations around this team.

All three contenders for PwC GAA/GPA Young Footballer of the Year have made the team with Dara McDonnell and Darragh Beirne featuring and AFL convert Kobe McDonald, who is not 19 until December, laying a claim to the youngest ever football All-Star winner.

David Clifford, Jack Carney and Ryan O’Donoghue are the All-Stars who are also nominated for Footballer of the Year.

Uachtarán CLG Jarlath Burns said: “An incredible football season that was crammed full of memorable twists and turns has a legacy in this All-Star football team, one that reflects just how competitive our game is now.

“Mayo have had their season rightly rewarded, and with eight counties represented and 11 first-time winners, there will be clubs all over Ireland that wake up and share in this fantastic news and feel that they have played a part in this success. It will be an extraordinary honour and privilege to be able to present my own club’s first-ever All-Star award to Jarly Óg and Silverbridge.

“The All-Stars are the pinnacle in individual achievement, and we are enormously thankful to PwC for their continued support of this great institution in Irish sport.”

Tom Parsons, CEO of the Gaelic Players’ Association, added: “As a Mayo man, this year holds particular significance. A historic season for Mayo is capped off with six players being named on the PwC All-Stars Football Team. This young team carried the weight of 75 years with courage and belief. Congratulations to each member of the squad who has been selected. To have Sam Maguire and a PwC All-Star award to your name for 2026 is something to be very proud of.

“Kerry, as defending champions, pushed Mayo all the way in the final and are rightly recognised with three players awarded, reflecting another outstanding season for the Kingdom. It is also encouraging to see Westmeath, Louth, Armagh, Tyrone, Dublin and Monaghan represented, which demonstrates the strength of the game across the country.

“Congratulations to all 15 players selected for this year’s PwC All-Star team. In such a highly competitive championship, this recognition is a testament to the quality, commitment and consistency you have shown throughout 2026. While our games are built on collective effort, these awards provide a special opportunity to celebrate the individual performances that have helped shape the season. Your inclusion is very well merited. Finally, I would like to thank PwC and the GAA for their continued partnership in these awards.”

Enda McDonagh, Managing Partner, PwC Ireland: "Congratulations to the players selected on the 2026 PwC All-Star Football Team. Being recognised among the top 15 footballers in the country is a fantastic achievement and reflects the exceptional performances, commitment and consistency they have shown throughout the season. We are delighted to celebrate their achievements and recognise the contribution each of them has made to a very memorable year for Gaelic football, when the new rules really came into their own.”

Part of the GAA landscape since 1971, the All-Stars were chosen by a panel of Gaelic Games correspondents from across print, radio, TV and digital media. The PwC awards will be presented at a special black-tie function in Dublin’s RDS tomorrow night. To avoid a conflict of interest, Uachtarán CLG Jarlath Burns did not chair the debate selecting the list of defenders. The Footballer and Young Footballer of the Year overall awards are chosen by the players themselves. These awards, together with their hurling equivalent and the PwC Hurling All-Stars, will be announced live tomorrow.

They will be shown live on RTÉ 1 television tomorrow night from 7.30pm. A special GAA Digital red carpet preshow programme will be screened live from 6pm on the GAA’s Youtube channel.

PwC All-Stars Football 2026