GAA Awards:Tomas Quinn was today named Vodafone GAA All-Stars Player of the Month for football, while Andrew Smith picked up the hurling award after both played key roles for their respective sides in winning the All-Ireland Club titles.
Quinn won the All-Ireland Club football title with Dublin side St Vincent's and Smith helped Galway club Portumna to All-Ireland hurling success.
It is the first time since the awards scheme began that the players were selected on the basis of performances at club level. Their efforts in the St Patrick's Day finals played key roles in deciding the outcome of the monthly awards.
After the players were presented with their trophies at the Westbury Hotel in Dublin, Nickey Brennan praised the pair and their clubs.
"March 17th has become one of the most important dates on the GAA calendar and that has happened because of the consistently high quality of football and hurling that you produced this year," said Brennan. "Tomas and Andrew were outstanding for their clubs and are deserving winners of these prestigious awards."
Quinn is no stranger to success at Croke Park as he played on provincial championship winning Dublin teams in recent years. The club triumph was even more special as Quinn was the St Vincent's team captain for the campaign. St Vincent's last captured the national title in 1975.
It was the first time since 1995 that a Dublin club won the title and Quinn made a telling contribution, scoring 0-7 of the team's 1-11 total.
Smith also tasted victory before in Croke Park with Portumna when winning the title for the first time in 2006. Last month he scored two goals as the Galway side were too strong for Birr.