All-Ireland Senior champions Kilkenny dominate the 2022 PwC Camogie All-Stars team after capturing the O’Duffy Cup for a fifteenth time, taking eight places on the team.
Amongst the All-Stars recipients for the All-Ireland champions, were first time winners Aoife Norris as goalkeeper and half-back Laura Murphy. In defence for Kilkenny, Grace Walsh and Claire Phelan picked up their third All-Star wins.
The Cats half-forward duo of Julianne Malone and Denise Gaule also picked up awards, with Denise Gaule having previously taken her place on the All-Star team in 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Katie Nolan took her place in the 2022 line-up in corner-forward position, with Miriam Walsh joining as full-forward for Kilkenny.
Cork were awarded four positions on the 2022 PwC Camogie All-Stars team from their ten nominations. Libby Coppinger in corner-back, with Saoirse McCarthy as half-back, Ashling Thompson in mid-field and Katriona Mackey completing Cork’s All-Star winners in corner-forward.
Waterford’s Captain Lorraine Bray and Beth Carton were awarded the mid-field and centre-forward positions respectively, with Galway’s Shauna Healy completing the 2022 PwC Camogie All-Stars line up in corner back.
PwC Camogie All Stars Team 2022
Goalkeeper
- Aoife Norris (Kilkenny)
Defenders
2.Libby Coppinger (Cork)
3. Grace Wash (Kilkenny)
4. Shauna Healy (Galway)
5. Saoirse McCarthy (Cork)
6. Ciara Phelan (Kilkenny)
7. Laura Murphy (Kilkenny)
Midfield
8. Lorraine Bray (Waterford)
9. Aisling Thompson (Cork)
Forwards
10. Julianne Malone (Kilkenny)
11. Beth Carton (Waterford)
12. Denise Gaule (Kilkenny)
13. Katriona Mackey (Cork)
14. Miriam Walsh (Kilkenny)
15. Katie Nolan (Kilkenny)
Kilkenny Manager Brian Dowling was named as PwC Camogie Manager of the Year for the second time having guided the Cats to All-Ireland victory in 2020 and 2022.
Miriam Walsh also collected the PwC GPA Camogie Senior Player of the Year award for Kilkenny, with Lisa Casserly of Galway the recipient of the Intermediate accolade, whilst Antrim’s Dervla Cosgrove was chosen for the Premier Junior Player of the Year.
All-Ireland Intermediate champions Galway lead the 2022 PwC Camogie Soaring Stars represented by seven players: defenders Ciara Hickey, Clara Donohue, Katie Manning and Lisa Casserly on the back line. Jennifer Hughes took her position in midfield, with forwards Katie Gilchrist and Niamh McPeake completing Galway’s selection.
2022 Camogie PwC Soaring Star Winners
Goalkeeper
Aine Graham (Antrim)
Defenders
2. Ciara Hickey (Cork)
3. Aisling Hickey (Galway)
4. Ciara Donohue (Galway)
5. Katie Manning(Galway)
6. Gráinne McNicholl (Derry)
7. Lisa Casserly (Galway)
Midfielders
8.Jennifer Hughes (Galway)
9. Emma Laverty (Antrim)
Forwards
10. Joanne Casey (Cork)
11. Aoife Minogue (Meath)
12. Katie Gilchrist (Galway)
13. Dervla Cosgrove (Antrim)
14.Niamh McPeake (Galway)
15. Lauren Homan (Cork)
Speaking at tonight's PwC Camogie All Stars awards, Camogie President Hilda Breslin spoke on what an incredible year it was for Camogie.
"We've been knocking on doors for years, saying that we haven't been recognised, so when we are being recognised, we need to embrace that, and we need to move forward with it.
Our senior championship went to he last round. Nobody knew who was going to semis, nobody knew who was going to be relegated. You've five rounds in a competition, and you're still waiting till the very last day to see who's going to be in the quarter-finals.
We recognise that the games are so tightly contested. I think at the start of the year, people will often pick another team, but as it goes on, nobody knows who is going to win. Did we think it would be Kilkenny and Cork in the final? Lots of people would have said no, certainly Galway would have said no.
What's wonderful to see this year is we've seen new teams coming through. We've seen Waterford coming through, they have a raft of nominations here tonight. It's brillaint for them as an emerging country for this whole new experience to be playing in Croke Park and to be part of the all stars awards."
Prior to the awards commencing, David McGee of PwC spoke of the significance of PwC now sponsoring the Camogie All-Stars.
"We've been a long time sponsor of the GPA player of the month in the women's code, but this is a brilliant opportunity to take that to the next level and we think it's going to be a great sponsorship for us.
There's much bigger crowds, much more people playing it at every age level, more excitement and more coverage, and I think it's fantastic, it will only go from strength to strength."
SEE ALSO: Miriam Walsh: "We Were There For One Another And We Came Out The Right Side"
