14 |
WINTER 2022 / JANUARY 2023 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie
PLAYER FOCUS
Plenty more
in the tank
FOR THE 2022 TG4 SENIOR PLAYERS' PLAYER OF THE YEAR
NIAMH McLAUGHLIN
By Daire Walsh
I
t might be several weeks since the TG4
All Star awards ceremony took place
in Dublin's Bonnington Hotel,
but Donegal footballer Niamh
McLaughlin insists it still hasn't sunk in that
she was named TG4 Senior Players' Player
of the Year for 2022.
The Donegal captain, who was superb
throughout their productive League and
Championship campaigns, edged out fellow
nominees Emma Duggan (Meath) and
Louise Ní Mhuircheartaigh (Kerry) to claim
this prestigious individual award. Already
over the moon after being named at midfield
- alongside Ní Mhuircheartaigh's team-mate
Cáit Lynch - on the All Star team, this capped
off a memorable night in the capital for the
Moville ace.
"It was very unexpected on my part. It's just
a bit mad, to be honest. I don't think it really
has sunk in. Once I get a wee bit of downtime,
when we reflect back on it, it will settle in then. The
reaction to it has been really nice and people have
been really lovely. I'm getting messages from all over
and different people. It was really nice to get it on the
night," McLaughlin explained.
"The two girls being nominated, that's why I hadn't
even contemplated it at all. It wasn't even a thought in
my head that I might win it. The All Star was obviously
lovely too, my first nomination, but the Player of the
Year was just complete madness. Louise has obviously
been around for a long time, she's just brilliant at what
she does.
