Four Westmeath footballers nominated for All-Star awards

Four Westmeath senior footballers have received nominations for a PwC GAA GPA All-Star award.

The individual playing contributions of Matthew Whittaker (Tubberclair), Ronan Wallace (Multyfarnham), Sam McCartan (St Loman's) and Brandon Kelly (Milltownpass) to the county's collective championship achievements were recognised when the All-Star nominees were announced on Tuesday morning.

In what was a stellar 2026 championship season for Mark McHugh's team, Westmeath won the Leinster senior football championship for only the second occasion in the county's history, before advancing to Round 3 of the All-Ireland series where they were defeated by Monaghan.

Both Whittaker and Wallace are amongst the 18 defenders nominated for an All-Star award, while McCartan and Kelly have been listed as two of 18 potential All-Star winners in the forward line.

This is the most All-Star nominations the Lake County have received following the conclusion of a senior football championship season.

The Lake County's last All-Star success was John Keane from Rosemount who won his second coveted award in 2008.

Prior to this, Athlone's Rory O'Connell claimed the county's first All-Star win in 2001. There were subsequent All-Star award wins for Dessie Dolan and John Keane in 2004, and Gary Connaughton and Keane in 2008.

Roscommon, meanwhile, have received two All-Star nominations, with Diarmuid Murtagh and Darragh Heneghan listed as nominees amongst the 18 forwards.

The 2026 PwC GAA/GPA All-Stars awards ceremony takes place on Friday, October 30.

PwC All-Stars Football Nominations 2026

Goalkeepers - Rory Beggan (Monaghan); Jack Livingstone (Mayo); Shane Murphy (Kerry)

Defenders - Sam Callinan (Mayo); Jack Coyne (Mayo); Enda Hession (Mayo); David McBrien (Mayo); Donnacha McHugh (Mayo); Jason Foley (Kerry); Michael Breen (Kerry); Jarlath Óg Burns (Armagh); Tiernan Kelly (Armagh); Dara McDonnell (Louth); Craig Lennon (Louth); Ronan Wallace (Westmeath); Matthew Whittaker (Westmeath); David Byrne (Dublin); Charlie McMorrow (Dublin); Tommy Walsh (Cork); Niall Devlin (Tyrone); Dylan Byrne (Monaghan).

Midfielders - Jack Carney (Mayo); Mark O’Shea (Kerry); Conn Kilpatrick (Tyrone); John Maher (Galway); Ciarán Kilkenny (Dublin); Michael Langan (Donegal)

Forwards - Darragh Beirne (Mayo); Ryan O’Donoghue (Mayo); Kobe McDonald (Mayo); Jordan Flynn (Mayo); David Clifford (Kerry); Paudie Clifford (Kerry); Dylan Geaney (Kerry); Niall Scully (Dublin); Con O’Callaghan (Dublin); Darragh Heneghan (Roscommon); Diarmuid Murtagh (Roscommon); Sam McCartan (Westmeath); Brandon Kelly (Westmeath); Steven Sherlock (Cork); Stephen O’Hanlon (Monaghan); Ciarán Downey (Louth); Oisín Conaty (Armagh); Robert Finnerty (Galway)

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).