All-Stars past and present were at Croke Park yesterday afternoon to mark the launch of the 50th anniversary of the All-Stars which were first awarded in 1971 and proudly sponsored by PwC since 2017.
2021 is the 50th anniversary of Ireland’s most prestigious sports awards.
Across that unbroken half-century, some of the greatest names in Gaelic Games have been honoured by being selected on an All-Stars team.
Henry Shefflin, the Kilkenny legend with eleven All-Stars, and Kerry hero Pat Spillane, a nine-time winner, are the two most successful All-Stars of all-time in hurling and football respectively, and they were present to mark the occasion.
Waterford hurler Tadhg de Búrca, two-time winner and current PwC All-Star having been selected on the team for his performances as the Deisé made the 2020 All-Ireland final, and Dublin’s Paul Mannion, a three-time All-Star, joined them at Croke Park.
This is just the first of a number of special events that will mark the 50th anniversary of the All-Stars, before the 2021 PwC All-Stars in hurling and football themselves are announced later this year.
PwC held a special online session with clients and the players last night which attracted a high take-up from across Ireland’s business leadership.
The company and the Gaelic Players Association announced last week that they were extending the relationship to include Player of the Month Awards in Ladies Football and Camogie as well as in Football and Hurling.
“We are proud to be sponsors of the PwC All-Stars, which is Ireland’s most prestigious sporting awards,” said PwC Managing Partner Feargal O’Rourke.
“Over the years so many legends of hurling and football have been honoured with an All-Star and it’s always clear to see how much it means to them. All-Stars are not only outstanding individual players but also integral parts of the teams they play on.”
“Their values such as determination and teamwork, are also held closely at PwC. We look forward to marking this special anniversary with a number of other events over the course of the year, leading up to the announcement of the 2021 PwC All-Stars”.
“Since its inception in 1971 the All-Stars have been a by-word for excellence in Gaelic games,” added Larry McCarthy, President of the GAA.
“Hurling and football are the ultimate team sports, but over the last 50 years, it has allowed us to recognise inspirational individuals who have stood out as special in a given year.”
“We are delighted to mark the 50th anniversary of the All-Stars in conjunction with the GPA and PwC, and look forward to honouring the heroes of 2021, as well as future heroes, and salute the impact these players have on our games”.
“Our games are team sports, but it is also right to recognise and reward individual excellence. I know from my own personal experience that the All-Stars have been the pinnacle of individual achievement in our games for half a century and it is fitting to mark this milestone and remember the players who have been honoured down through the years,” said GPA Interim CEO Ciaran Barr.
“The winners know that they could not have achieved anything without the support of their families, clubs and coaches. They all share in the excitement of that moment when the winning names are announced. We salute and congratulate our members who are past All-Stars and present PwC All-Stars. They are rightly held up as leaders and role models in the GAA and in the wider community”.
PwC, The GAA and the GPA are among the 250+ members of the Sport for Business network of sporting and business organisations working together across a number of key areas.
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