First All Star nominations for Mallon and Druse

Former skipper Kelly Mallon and her clubmate Emily Druse are among half a dozen Armagh players shortlsted for ladies gaelic football’s national All Stars, which will be handed out this weekend.

The Harps pair are joined by Shane O’Neills goalkeeper Brianna Mathers as first-time nominees, with the inclusion of sisters Aimee and Blaithin Mackin meaning the Camlough club have three representatives recognised.

The Orchard contingent for Saturday night’s Dublin banquet is headed by current county captain Lauren McConville, who has made the shortlist for a sixth consecutive season since returning from a sabbatical in Australia.

McConville’s six-in-a-row breaks the Armagh record previously held by the legendary Caroline O’Hanlon, who was shortlisted five years running between 2011 and 2015 and now has an incredible 13 nominations to her name.

Crossmaglen great McConville was awarded her sole All Star to date two years ago, when she was also one of the three nominees for All Ireland Player of the Year, an honour that Aimee Mackin is in the frame for this time.

Armagh had a record eight All Star nominees in 2024, when Aoife McCoy and Grace Ferguson joined McConville as first-time recipients on the back of an outstanding campaign by Greg McGonigle’s side.

That season, Armagh won the National League title for the first time ever, reclaimed the provincial crown, topped their All Ireland group and reached the last four before being beaten narrowly by eventual champions Kerry.

Armagh were crowned Ulster champions again this season, finished first in the All Ireland’s proverbial ‘group of death’ and made it to the semis where they lost heavily to Galway, who went on to lift the Brendan Martin Cup.

The manner of that defeat to the Tribeswomen may have contributed to Armagh having fewer players shortlisted than two years ago and that may also be reflected when the ceremonial line-up is revealed on Saturday night.

It would be hoped that Armagh will get at least two All Stars for 2026, in which case the best bets would appear to be Aimee Mackin – given that she has been shortlisted for Player of the Year – and inspirational skipper McConville, who was consistently excellent as usual.

Beyond that, the dynamic Druse definitely deserves to be in the conversation too on the back of her impressive performances for Armagh during the year that the former St Catherine’s College Head Girl graduated in Medicine.

Druse’s pace, energy and workrate were great assets for Armagh this past season, when she showed her versatility by alternating between wing back and wing forward and brought up her half century of Orchard appearances.

The newly-qualified doctor is up against McConville and seven others for the three places in the half back line, while Aimee Mackin and Mallon are two of the nine nominees for the full forward division.

Blaithin Mackin, recently crowned Ulster Ladies Footballer of the Year at last month’s Irish News Awards, is among the half dozen midfield nominees and her clubmate Mathers one of the three goalkeepers shortlisted.

Mathers stepped up superbly for Armagh in 2026 after several seasons as understudy to the Orchard’s regular goalkeeper Anna Carr, who opted out of inter-county football this year, and it was surprising that she missed out on an Ulster All Star recently.

Armagh followers will be especially pleased for 37-year-old forward Mallon, who has finally made the All Stars shortlist for the first time after 18 seasons of Orchard duty, deserved recognition for her impactful campaign in the orange jersey this year.

Mallon top-scored for six matches on the trot as Armagh maintained their NFL top flight status back in the spring and topped the Orchard chart for 2026 with an aggregate tally of 4-47 this past season.

Outside of the two All Ireland finalists – winners Galway lead the way with 14 nominations and Kerry get a dozen – it is gratifying to note that Armagh have twice as many players shortlisted for this year’s All Stars as any other county.

Their tally of six matches that of fellow All Ireland semi-finalists Dublin and National League winners Cork – three each – put together, while Waterford, Kildare and Mayo have two apiece and the shortlist of 45 is completed by a sole Meath representative.

It is a reflection of the spread of talent in the country that just four of last year’s All Star recipients have made the shortlist this time round – the Galway pair of Nicola Ward and Olivia Divilly, Meath captain Niamh Gallogly and Kerry’s Siofra O’Shea.

O’Shea and Olivia Divilly are Aimee Mackin’s rivals for the coveted All Ireland Player of the Year award, an accolade especially prized as it is voted for by panellists from all 12 Senior Championship counties.

Former winner Mackin set the pace with a first half hat-trick in Armagh’s notable away win against Cork in their opening group game, while O’Shea finished as the Senior Championship’s top-scorer with 3-30.

Olivia Divilly, who was also one of the three nominees for the prestigious individual award last year, is joined on the 2026 All Stars shortlist by her sisters Niamh and Siobhan, who are up against each other in the midfield sector.