By Ciaran Woods

c.woods@gaeliclife.com

Boots and jerseys are swapped for glitz and glamour as the Ladies football action moves from the pitch to the Citywest for the annual All-Star awards this Saturday night.

Although it was a relatively disappointing season for Ulster sides at senior inter-county level, while Fermanagh lost the intermediate decider and Antrim took the junior prize, football followers in the northern province remain hopeful that it could be a memorable night in terms of individual accolades, with nine Ulster players nominated.

Monaghan fared best of the Ulster sides, reaching the All-Ireland semi-final and have five nominees. Amanda Casey is hoping to make it back-to-back awards at midfield, while the attacking duo of Edel Byrne and Niamh Kindlon are hoping that they too will once again make it onto the selection having been named at corner-forward and centre-forward respectively on last year's team.

Bidding for her first award is wing-back Aoife McAnespie, while her twin sister Ciara is also hoping to get the nod in the half-forward line. If they managed to both take the honours, it would be a truly remarkable achievement.

Tyrone have two players in the running, with corner-back and captain Sinead McLaughlin nominated along with ace score-getter Joline Donnelly. Armagh also have two players bidding for inclusion, with Dervla Toal in the full-back line and Shauna O'Hagan in the half-forwards. Ulster's final nominee is in the form of Fermanagh attacker Caroline Little, who faces stiff competition in the full-forward line.

Cork will unsurprisingly dominate the selection once again, in a reflection of their senior championship domination. They have twelve players nominated for awards, bidding to surpass the seven awards they collected both last year and in 2007.

Amy O'Shea and Ciara O'Sullivan are in line for their first All-stars, while amongst the most decorated are Juliet Murphy and Angela Walsh, going for their fourth and fifth awards respectively.

Dublin, who put up a memorable display against Cork in this year's senior final, have nine players nominated, including goalkeeper Cliodhna O'Connor and captain Denise Masterson at midfield. They are amongst those looking to secure a first All-Star for Dublin since half-back Gemma Fay collected in 2005.

In all, 12 counties are represented in the nominations. Mayo have four, with Golden Boot winner Cora Staunton going for All-Star number seven, while Kildare's Noelle Earley is hoping to make it two All-stars in one family, following her brother Dermot's success last month as he got the nod at midfield in the mens' selection.

Galway's early season form secured the team four nominations, while intermediate champions Clare, victors over Fermanagh, have three nominations. Longford and Tipperary complete the field with one nomination each.

2009 All Star Nominations

Goalkeeper:

Elaine Harte (Cork)

Cliodhna O'Connor (Dublin)

Denise Walsh (Clare)

Full Back Line:

Rena Buckley (Cork)

Noelle Comyn (Dublin)

Maria Kavanagh (Dublin)

Sinead McLaughlin (Tyrone)

Emer Flaherty (Galway)

Geraldine O'Flynn (Cork)

Noelle Tierney (Mayo)

Dervla Toal (Armagh)

Angela Walsh (Cork)

Half Back Line:

Colleen Barrett (Dublin)

Martha Carter (Mayo)

Breige Corkery (Cork)

Jennifer Grant (Tipperary)

Aoife McAnespie (Monaghan)

Siobhan McGrath (Dublin)

Rebecca McPhilbin (Galway)

Ciara O'Sullivan (Cork)

Bríd Stack (Cork)

Midfield:

Amanda Casey (Monaghan)

Louise Henchy (Clare)

Norita Kelly (Cork)

Denise Masterson (Dublin)

Juliet Murphy (Cork)

Alison Smyth (Longford)

Half Forward Line:

Edel Byrne (Monaghan)

Nollaig Cleary (Cork)

Eimear Considine (Clare)

Noelle Earley (Kildare)

Anne Marie McDonagh (Galway)

Emma Mullen (Mayo)

Mary Nevin (Dublin)

Amy O'Shea (Cork)

Shauna O'Hagan (Armagh)

Full Forward Line:

Sinéad Aherne (Dublin)

Una Carroll (Galway)

Lyndsey Davey (Dublin)

Joline Donnelly (Tyrone)

Niamh Kindlon (Monaghan)

Caroline Little (Fermanagh)

Ciara McAnespie (Monaghan)

Valerie Mulcahy (Cork)

Cora Staunton (Mayo)

Donaghmoyne make final leap

Donaghmoyne made it back to where they wanted to be as they booked their passage to the All-Ireland club final courtesy of last weekend's win over Leinster champions Timahoe.

They may have fallen at the same stage last year, but Donaghmoyne did enough to make sure lightning didn't strike twice as they saw off their opponents with four points to spare, 1-10 to 0-9 the final score.

Played in front of a large home crowd, Donaghmoyne raced into an eleven point lead before Timahoe scored their only point of the first half. Points from Majella Woods (2), Amanda Casey (2), Cora Courtney, Joanne Courtney and Catriona McConnell helped them into a seven point lead and then in the 24th minute they were awarded a penalty when Lisa Kingham was fouled. Catriona McConnell netted the resulting spot kick and then fired over another point before Martina Dunne kicked Timahoe's only point of the half. At that stage it looked like plain sailing. However come the end it was Donaghmoyne goalkeeper Linda Martin who was the heroine for the Ulster side as she kept her side in control with a number of crucial late saves.

Early in the second half Timahoe's Martina Dunne pointed. Eileen McElroy and Catriona McConnell fired over for the home side but these two scores were to be Donaghmoyne's only successes in the second half.

Timahoe's persistence resulted in a couple of points for Angela Casey and Dunne however they then had midfielder Maggie Murphy sin binned. With Murphy off the field Donaghmoyne failed to use their numerical advantage, instead Timahoe added three further points through Alison Hooban, Angela Casey and Martina Dunne.

Cora Courtney and Shona Barry were also sin binned in the final quarter. With ten minutes remaining Timahoe were awarded a penalty, Martina Dunne driving her spot kick straight at Linda Martin. Before the game was up Dunne did manage to send over another couple of points to bring her tally to six however it wasn't enough as Donaghmoyne held on for a win.

In the decider they will face Cork side Donoughmore, who beat reigning All-Ireland champions Carnacon by a single point.

Two rather fortunate goals proved to be the difference as Donoughmore edged home in what was a titanic struggle between the sides. Mayo stars Claire Egan and Martha Carter, along with Cora Staunton and the McGing sisters, were the engine room for Carnacon, while Donoughmore were able to call on the likes of Juliet Murphy, Rena Buckley, Aisling O'Connor and Louise Murphy from the all-conquering Cork side to help steer them home.

There's no doubt that Donoughmore rode their luck for long spells in the game, with Carnacon seemingly in control of proceedings, but when it mattered most it was the Munster girls who took control and booked their ticket to a final showdown against Donaghmoyne in what could be an epic All-Ireland final tussle.

Dreams dashed for St Paul's and Corduff

There was little luck for Ulster's other All-Ireland semi-finalists as St Paul's crashed out of the intermediate race, while Corduff fell short in their junior semi-final.

Antrim and Ulster champions St. Paul's suffered a four point loss to Tipperary kingpins Brian Boru's.

The home side had a dream start and led 2-6 to 0-1 after ten minutes, the goals coming from Tipp county stars Mairead Morrissey and Jennifer Grant. Aisling Reilly pulled a goal back for St Paul's but then picked up an injury which hampered her for the rest of the game. Grant found the net for a second time and the Munster champions went on to lead at the break 3-9 to 1-4.

Despite being 11 points down at the midway stage credit must go to St Paul's for their brilliant second half comeback. Goals from Stephanie Corr and Kirsty McGuinness closed the gap however time run out and they lost by just four points 3-12 to 3-8.

Ulster junior club champions Corduff bowed out of the All Ireland junior club championship in West Cork as they went down to Clonakilty.

The Monaghan side had a serious long journey behind them and found themselves behind at the break 2-4 to 0-2. Captain Francis Patton rallied her troops in the second half, but despite Louise Byrne netting twice they lost 4-8 to 2-7 to Clonakilty.