Kerry captain O'Shea named TG4 Senior Players' Player of the Year

Siofra O'Shea of Kerry with her TG4 Ladies Football Senior Players' Player of the Year Award during the TG4 All-Ireland Ladies Football All-Star Awards banquet, in association with Lidl, at the Bonnington Dublin Hotel. Photo by Paul Phelan/Sportsfile

Kerry’s Síofra O’Shea named as 2026 TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year

KERRY captain Síofra O’Shea was named as the 2026 TG4 Senior Players’ Player of the Year at the annual TG4 All-Star banquet, in association with Lidl, at The Bonnington Dublin Hotel on Saturday night.

The coveted individual accolade, which was voted for by fellow inter-county players, capped a memorable night for the Southern Gaels player, who also collected a second successive TG4 All-Star award, following her maiden success in 2025.

O’Shea enjoyed a remarkable season for the Kingdom, leading them to TG4 Munster Senior Championship glory and a fourth TG4 All-Ireland Senior final appearance in five seasons. She finished as top scorer in the 2026 TG4 All-Ireland Senior Championship with a tally of 3-30.

Her highlights included a brilliant 1-8 in the All-Ireland semi-final win over reigning champions Dublin, which also earned her The Croke Park Hotel/LGFA Player of the Month award for July.

O’Shea, who scored 0-5 in the showpiece Brendan Martin Cup decider against Galway at Croke Park, held off stiff competition from Galway’s Olivia Divilly and Armagh’s Aimee Mackin to win the Senior Players’ Player of the Year award.

The 2026 TG4 Intermediate Players’ Player of the Year award, meanwhile, went to Roscommon star Saoirse Wynne.

From the Boyle club, Wynne was outstanding throughout the season, as Roscommon claimed the TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate title for the first time since 2005.

Her immense defensive display in the 2-12 to 0-6 TG4 All-Ireland Final victory over Fermanagh at Croke Park also earned Wynne the Player of the Match award.

Wynne landed the Intermediate Players’ Player of the Year award ahead of Fermanagh’s Eimear Smyth and Westmeath’s Anna Jones.

All three nominees were recently named on the 2026 TG4 Intermediate Team of the Championship.

And Carlow’s Sara Doyle was honoured as the 2026 TG4 Junior Players’ Player of the Year on the night, earning the nod from her peers.

Returning to the inter-county fold after a break in 2025, Doyle was Player of the Match as Carlow won the TG4 Leinster Junior title.

From the St Brigids (Clonmore) club, Doyle’s tally of 2-14 across the All-Ireland series was a big factor in Carlow’s memorable season, which saw them contest a first TG4 All-Ireland final appearance at Croke Park.

Doyle’s team-mate and Carlow captain Róisín Bailey was also nominated for the Junior Players’ Player of the Year award, along with Antrim’s Maria O’Neill, who scored the matchwinner in the TG4 All-Ireland Junior Final and claimed the 2026 ZuCar Golden Boot award.

All three players were recently named on the 2026 TG4 Junior Team of the Championship.

Earlier in the evening, Mayo legend Cora Staunton was officially inducted into the LGFA Hall of Fame.

Staunton made her senior debut for Mayo in 1995 at the age of 13. She won four TG4 All-Ireland senior medals, the first of them in 1999 at the age of 17, and collected 11 TG4 All-Star awards during a glittering playing career in which she scored more than 60 goals and 300 points.

In addition, Staunton was a six-time All-Ireland Senior club winner with Carnacon, whom she captained to their first title in 2002 and to their most recent in 2017.