All-Star award "Absolutely fantastic" says Louth's McClean

Louth County board chairperson, Seán McClean, couldn’t hide his pride following Craig Lennon’s win of a 2024 GAA All-Star award.

Lennon now joins Louth GAA legend Paddy Keenan as the county’s only All-Star recipient after he capped a stellar season with this incredible achievement.

“It’s absolutely fantastic. It’s brilliant; we can’t believe it,” McClean said, celebrating Lennon’s All-Star as the crowning moment of an outstanding season for Louth.

“It has been a fantastic year all year. We struck past all expectations, and to cap it all off with an All-Star—it’s just beyond belief.”

The season saw Louth impress with four All-Star nominations in total and McClean believes each nominee deserved recognition.

He said: “We had four nominations, and every one of them was very much deserving of an All-Star, every single one of them. But to actually end up with one was just beyond belief.”

McClean highlighted the significance of Lennon joining Keenan, whose All-Star in 2010 has long been a point of pride for Louth.

He said: “We have cherished Paddy for years and cherished what he had for us. He has been the star of the county, and rightly so. For him to have a bit of company, I am sure Paddy will be delighted as well.”

Lennon’s award is a reflection of the dedication and hard work that’s gone into Louth football over the past several years, led by a committed team and staff.

McClean said: “Absolutely, that is not a one-year project by no means. The lads have gotten on this and driven it themselves for a lot of it. They have good guidance along the way.”

McClean acknowledged the collective effort that led to this individual award. “While they are individual rewards, they are a team award,” he said.

“You don’t win an award on your own in a team. It’s great that Craig has won this—it’s brilliant—but it is reflective of the work the team and the management are putting in.”