Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO THE FINEST HURLERS from around the country will descend on Dublin’s Convention Centre for the latest installment of the GAA/GPA All-Stars. The football awards were already announced but the awards for the small ball code will be announced live on Friday night. The ceremony is live on RTE 1 from 7pm. You can check out the full list of nominees here. Our writers have had a stab at predicting the 15 players who will be honoured on the 2016 All-Star team.  Let us know what you think. ***** JACKIE CAHILL 1. Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny) 2. Cathal Barrett (Tipperary) 3. James Barry (Tipperary) 4. Daithí Burke (Galway) Advertisement 5. Pádraig…

AIDAN O’SHEA WILL spend the winter honing his handling skills on the basketball court after EJ’s Sligo All-Stars announced they’ve signed the 26-year-old Mayo star. Source: Cathal Noonan/INPHO An avid basketball fan, O’Shea hasn’t played on the hardcourt since he featured for St Declan’s basketball club in Dublin in 2009. He also played schools basketball in Castlebar. The 6’4″ talent took a full-part in the All-Stars’ practice yesterday and is set to play in their National League Division One trip to the Dublin Lions on Sunday. Advertisement “I always played basketball as a young fella and I was mad into it,” he told Ocean FM. “I probably played up until I was 18…

THE FOOTBALL ALL-STARS were announced this morning, as 15 players were honoured for spectacular seasons in 2016.  That left 30 footballers who were nominated out in the cold. Of those, these seven players can consider themselves particularly unfortunate to have missed out. These players were just about pipped at the post, but regardless they deserve recognition for the fantastic seasons they produced in their county colours. *** 1. Stephen Cluxton (Dublin) Source: James Crombie/INPHO Cluxton probably paid the price for his eight-minute meltdown against Kerry in the All-Ireland semi-final. Dublin lost four kick-outs during that spell before half-time and his importance to their cause was highlighted as they struggled to…

Mayo’s Lee Keegan and Dublin’s Diarmuid Connolly are amongst the award winners. Source: James Crombie/INPHO SIX PLAYERS FROM All-Ireland champions Dublin and four from beaten finalists Mayo have been honoured in the 2016 GAA-GPA All-Star football team. There are two award winners from Ulster champions Tyrone with one player apiece from Donegal, Tipperary and Kerry. Champions Dublin have winners in Jonny Cooper, Philly McMahon, Brian Fenton, Diarmuid Connolly, Ciaran Kilkenny and Dean Rock. Mayo’s players recognised are David Clarke, Brendan Harrison, Lee Keegan and Colm Boyle. Mattie Donnelly and Peter Harte are the Tyrone victors with Donegal’s Ryan McHugh, Tipperary’s Michael Quinlivan and Kerry’s Paul Geaney completing the line-up. 6…

Wexford’s Keith Rossiter and Kilkenny’s PJ Ryan have been recruited Source: INPHO NEW WEXFORD SENIOR hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald has included forward star Jack Guiney in a winter training squad of over 40 players. Fitzgerald has also confirmed the make-up of his backroom team – with former county star Keith Rossiter and ex-Kilkenny goalkeeper PJ Ryan set to play key roles. 2015 Leinster club winner Rossiter, who will line out for Oulart-the-Ballagh against Offaly champions St Rynagh’s in next Sunday’s AIB Leinster senior club hurling championship tie, will be involved in a part-time coaching capacity, with 2009 All-Ireland final man-of-the-match Ryan brought in to coach the Wexford goalkeepers. Former U21…

IT WAS SHORTLY before midday yesterday when Eoghan Donnellan received the news that he’d been waiting for. He was free to leave the National Spinal injuries unit at Dublin’s Mater Hospital – and thankfully able to walk out of there. As Ballyea were busy collecting a very first Clare senior hurling title last Sunday, 23-year-old Donnellan was confined to a ward in Limerick’s regional hospital, recovering from the effects of a terrifying training ground injury. It happened last Friday week during a practice match, as Donnellan recalls: “I remember it. One of the balls went in, fell out of my hand and as I went to pick it up, I…

Ireland second row Devin Toner attempts a dunk at the Chicago Bulls’ training facility. Source: Dan Sheridan/INPHO Home Martin O’Neill has included Dundalk pair Daryl Horgan and Andy Boyle in his 35-man squad for Ireland’s World Cup qualifier against Austria. Former UFC champion Bas Rutten believes Conor McGregor can score an early win against Eddie Alvarez but he has concerns about the Dubliner’s chances if the fight enters the championship rounds. Inter-county hurler Lee Chin will miss Wexford Youths’ play-off second leg against Drogheda United on Friday as he is attending the GAA All-Star awards. The international future of Scott Hogan remains uncertain despite the recent advances made by Martin O’Neill…

Advertisement And this is where I sign out @WexfordYouthsFC it has been a pleasure #Youths pic.twitter.com/wBJJOPpssK — Lee Chin (@LeeChin8) November 1, 2016 Source: Lee Chin/Twitter HURLING STAR LEE Chin has said he will not be involved in Wexford Youths’ promotion/relegation League of Ireland play-off second leg on Friday. Chin scored as Shane Keegan’s side won 2-0 in the first leg against Drogheda United at Ferrycarrig Park, but the Wexford inter-county hurler is unavailable for the return clash. The multi-talented star wrote on Twitter that he would “sign out,” having joined the club on a short-term deal back in September. Click Here: And speaking to The Irish Independent, Chin confirmed that he…

BALLYEA MANAGER ROBBIE Hogan is hopeful Eoghan Donnellan will be well enough to attend next Sunday’s AIB Munster club hurling semi-final against Thurles Sarsfields after the player was diagnosed with two broken vertebrae following a training ground collision. Donnellan was injured on the Friday evening after the drawn Clare county final with Clonlara, and ruled out of last Sunday’s subsequent replay victory, when Ballyea were crowned Banner champions for the first time. Donnellan, who plays club football for Clondegad, spent a week in hospital in Limerick before being transferred to Dublin’s Mater Hospital, where he was due to be fitted with a protective head brace yesterday. But Hogan revealed that…

DUBLIN FORWARD DIARMUID Connolly didn’t lose any sleep over his decision to go for a point from the sideline in the last minute of the drawn All-Ireland final with Mayo. Connolly overruled his teammate Ciaran Kilkenny, who appeared as though he wanted to play the ball short and retain possession. Advertisement Source: Morgan Treacy/INPHO But the St Vincent’s man opted to shoot, sending the sideline wide and allowing Mayo enough time to launch one last attack. Cillian O’Connor kicked a last-gasp equaliser and Connolly’s decision not to play it short and run the clock down proved a costly one as Mayo forced another day out. “I don’t read the media…