BBC SPORT | N Ireland | Armagh honours continue

Armagh's glorious GAA season continued on Friday night when Kieran McGeeney and Ronan Clarke won the Footballer and Young Player of the Year awards at the Vodafone Allstars.

McGeeney, already the recipient of the Gaelic Players Association Players' Player of the Year, deservedly picked up the major honour after captaining Armagh to All-Ireland glory in September.

The Mullaghbawn-native had already been named in this year's Allstars football selection announced on Thursday.

Clarke was pipped by Ray Cosgrove for the full-forward Allstar but he was announced as the Young Player of the Year on Friday evening.

Shefflin hurler of the year

His capped a tremendous season for Armagh by getting the better of the great Seamus Moynihan in the All-Ireland decider at Croke Park.

Kilkenny dominated the hurling Allstars announced on Friday night with seven awards.

These included full-forward Henry Shefflin who picked up the hurler of the year award and DJ Carey who was winning his ninth Allstar.

That equalled the legendary Pat Spillane's record haul of football Allstar awards.

Tipperary's Eoin Kelly was named young hurler of the year in addition to being named left corner-forward in the Allstar selection.

Kieran McGeeney: Also won the GPA player of the year award
Kieran McGeeney: Footballer of the Year

Meanwhile, Friday's Allstar banquet at CityWest in Dublin was almost overshadowed by remarkable events in Cork earlier in the evening.

At a press conference, Cork's hurlers announced that they were "withdrawing our services for the foreseeable future" after talks with the county's GAA board had broken down.

The Cork players have been in dispute with county officials for most of this year over the running out of the county squad.

Their demands include that a doctor should be present at all games and training sessions.

The players feel aggrieved and let down

Cork hurler Diarmuid O'Sullivan

There has also been a long-running argument over the fact that the team was asked to travel by road to a National League match in Derry last February.

The players felt that the squad should have travelled north by plane.

Full-back Diarmuid O'Sullivan said on Friday that the players had had enough.

"Every player feels the same. The feel aggrieved and let down," he said.

The Cork county board has yet to comment on the players announcement of a strike.

However, the players have indicated they want clubs to support their stance at the upcoming Cork county convention.

Allstar Hurling Team
Goalkeeper: D Fitzgerald (Clare)
Right full-back: M Kavanagh (Kilkenny)
Full-back: B Lohan (Clare)
Left full-back: P Larkin (Kilkenny)
Right half-back: Fergal Hartley (Waterford)
Centre half-back: P Barry (Kilkenny)
Left half-back: Paul Kelly (Tipperary)
Midfield: C Lynch (Clare) and D Lyng (Kilkenny)
Right half-forward: Eoin Kelly (Waterford)
Centre half-forward: H Shefflin (Kilkenny)
Left half-forward: K McGrath (Waterford)
Right full-forward:Eoin Kelly (Tipperary)
Full-forward: M Comerford (Kilkenny)
Left full-forward: DJ Carey (Kilkenny)


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