Six Mayo All-Stars as eight counties recognised
The Sam Maguire Cup is tossed into the air by the Mayo players after their All-Ireland final win over Kerry ©INPHO/Tom O'Hanlon
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.
PwC All-Stars Football 2026 (*previous winning years in brackets)
1 Shane Murphy (Kerry)
2 Sam Callinan (Mayo)
3 Jason Foley (Kerry) (2022, 2025)
4 Enda Hession (Mayo)
5 Ronan Wallace (Westmeath)
6 Dara McDonnell (Louth)
7 Jarlath Óg Burns (Armagh)
8 Conn Kilpatrick (Tyrone)
9 Jack Carney (Mayo)
10 Niall Scully (Dublin) (2020)
11 Ryan O’Donoghue (Mayo) (2021)
12 Stephen O’Hanlon (Monaghan)
13 Darragh Beirne (Mayo)
14 David Clifford (Kerry) (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025)
15 Kobe McDonald (Mayo)
PwC GAA GPA Footballer of the Year Nominees
David Clifford (Fossa, Kerry)
Ryan O’Donoghue (Belmullet, Mayo)
Jack Carney (Kilmeena, Mayo)
PwC GAA GPA Young Footballer of the Year Nominees
Darragh Beirne (Claremorris, Mayo)
Kobe McDonald (Crossmolina Deel Rovers, Mayo)
Dara McDonnell (Naomh Máirtín, Louth)
