"Putting our little club on the map": Mayo clubs heap praise on local All-Stars

The countdown to the PwC All-Stars later this evening is well underway.

It has been confirmed that Mayo have won 6 All-Stars following their All-Ireland winning campaign and 4 of those players are now waiting to see if there are further prizes in store.

Kobe McDonald and Darragh Beirne are in contention for Young Footballer of the Year against Louth’s Dara McDonnell whilst Jack Carney and Ryan O’Donoghue are in the running for Footballer of the Year against Kerry’s David Clifford.

The clubs of Mayo’s six All-Stars have been among those sending well wishes the way of their players who have cemented their names in the history books of the GAA.

Garrymore GAA sent huge congratulations to Enda Hession, named in the All-Star at corner-back. Enda is the first Garrymore player to be awarded an All-Star.

“This is a fantastic achievement for Enda and his family and hugely deserved after a very memorable season in defence in which he scored 5 points between League and Championship and helped Mayo claim the Sam Maguire for the first time in 75 years!”

“We are incredibly proud of Enda who has represented the Club so well, not just this year, but for the last 5 years that he has lined out for the Green and Red!”

His defensive partner Sam Callinan was named on the opposite side of defence in the All-Star team and his home club Ballina Stephenites have sent plaudits his way.

“Massive congratulations to our very own Sam Callinan on receiving a 2026 GAA All Star!”

“An incredible achievement and a hugely proud moment for Sam, his family and everyone involved with Ballina Stephenites.” His former primary school, the Quay NS, also joined in on the praise heading Sam’s way.

“Sincerest congratulations to former pupil Sam Callinan who will receive a GAA All Star Award for his excellent performances for Mayo this year. Sam was a member of the Quay team that won the INTO Mini 7s in 2016,” they said.

Kilmeena GAA were full of praise for their ‘midfield maestro’ Jack Carney, who became the club’s first ever All-Star.

“History was made a few weeks ago when Jack became the first Kilmeena man to be nominated for an All Star, and to now see him selected is the icing on the cake!”

“To top it all off, Jack has also been nominated for the 2026 Player of the Year award. We wish him the very best of luck at the awards ceremony tonight.”

“Jack, thank you for representing Kilmeena with such pride and for putting our little club on the map,” they said.

Belmullet GAA hailed Ryan O’Donoghue, named in the half-forward line, for his achievement.

“A huge congratulations to our club man Ryan O’Donoghue and all of the Mayo players who received their well-deserved All-Star awards today. A fantastic achievement and fitting recognition of the hard work, commitment and outstanding performances throughout the season.”

“We are especially proud of Ryan, who continues to be a fantastic ambassador for CLG Béal an Mhuirthead and an inspiration to all our young players.”

Claremorris GAA called it a ‘hugely proud moment’ for their club and their player Darragh Beirne on his receipt of an All-Star.

“A massive congratulations to the six Mayo players who have been named on the 2026 PwC Football All-Star team, especially our very own Darragh Beirne!”

“After an incredible season in the green and red, playing a starring role in Mayo’s historic All-Ireland triumph, Darragh has earned his place among the very best footballers in the country.

“A fantastic achievement and a hugely proud moment for Darragh, his family and everyone associated with Claremorris GAA.”

Crossmolina Deel Rovers congratulated Kobe McDonald on his achievement and his brother Jordan Flynn on his nomination.

“From Crossmolina Deel Rovers to the All-Star stage, it's fantastic to see two of our own recognised among the very best in the game. A brilliant achievement for Jordan and Kobe, and a moment for the whole community to celebrate,” they said.

Kobe’s AFL club St Kilda’s also joined in heaping praise on the young star.

“The accolades keep coming for rookie Kobe McDonald, who has made history as the youngest-ever member of the Gaelic Football All-Stars team - the Irish equivalent of the All-Australian team.”

“At 18, Kobe becomes the youngest player ever selected since the All-Stars tradition began in 1971, following his outstanding season with Mayo which ended the county’s 75-year wait for an All-Ireland title.”

“And there’s more to come, with Kobe also nominated for the GAA Young Footballer of the Year, to be announced in Dublin tonight.”

The PWC All-Star Awards 2026 will be shown live on RTÉ 1 this evening Friday 30th October at 7.30pm.