At the age of 33, Chrissy McKaigue is among the oldest first-time All Star winners.
The Slaughtneil man, who was once on the books of AFL club the Sydney Swans, had already carved out a fine career with Derry but it was only this year that he featured in the latter stages of the Championship for the first time, thereby greatly enhancing his chances of winning the coveted award.
We make it that McKaigue is only one of six footballers to win an All Star for the first time aged 33 or more.
Incidentally, of the six, four are defenders, another was a goalkeeper and the other a midfielder, with no forward managing to break in for the first time once reaching that particular age just yet.
Mick O’Connell, Kerry (1972)
O’Connell was 35 when winning his first All Star 50 years ago and is the oldest first-time recipient though it is something of a red herring as it was only the second year of the awards scheme.
Previously, he had won two Cu Chulainn awards, a precursor to the All Star scheme which ran from 1963-67, in 1964 and ‘65.
Paddy McCormack, Offaly (1972)
‘The Iron Man’ was 33 when he won his first award at full-back the same year as O’Connell was chosen at midfield, at the end of a long and storied career with Offaly which yielded six Leinster titles and two All Stars
Similar to O’Connell, the unflinching defender may well have won one sooner had the All Stars been in existence throughout his senior inter-county career which started in 1957 and petered out after he suffered a serious eye injury in 1972.
Tom Heneghan, Roscommon (1979)
The Castlerea St Kevin’s man was 33 when he won his only award in 1979 at left corner-back during what remains Roscommon’s best era since their All-Ireland wins of the 1940s as they won four successive Connacht titles, a League title in ‘79 and reached the 1980 All-Ireland final.
Heneghan managed Roscommon to the 1978 All-Ireland under-21 title and was in charge of the senior team in the final defeat to Kerry in 1980 having stepped back from playing after winning his All Star.
Dermot Deasy, Dublin (1993)
The versatile Deasy played intermittently for Dublin from the early ‘80s before becoming more of a regular in the ‘90s as they finally shook off Meath in Leinster only to repeatedly fall short to Ulster opposition in the All-Ireland series.
Deasy claimed his only All Star at full-back in 1993 having turned 33 and he finally won that elusive All-Ireland two years later albeit he was injured for the final win over Tyrone.
Raymond Galligan, Cavan (2020)
A relatively late convert to the goalkeeping position having first played for Cavan out the field, Galligan was a revelation as they won their first Ulster title in 23 years in 2020, kicking long range frees and 45s as well as making a string of saves across the campaign.
He was 33 when one of three Cavan All Stars that year, bringing the county’s total to five.
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