Kieran McGeeney, captain of Armagh, and Kilkenny hurler Henry Shefflin last night became the inaugural winners of the SEAT Player of the Year awards organised by the Gaelic Players Association.
At a banquet in the Citywest Hotel in Dublin, the annual players' accolades were presented, along with the monthly awards from 2002.
Significantly, given the friction between the GPA and the authorities in the past, the event was attended by president-elect SeáKelly and Jarlath Burns, chairperson of Croke Park's official Players Committee - which represents prospects of a significant thaw in relations.
McGeeney has been a driving force behind Armagh for the best part of 10 years and again this season exerted an immense influence at centre back as the county won its first All-Ireland title.
He was also a member of Ireland's International Rules team and only last weekend was on the Ulster side narrowly defeated in the Railway Cup final.
Originally with his home club Mullabawn, with whom he won an Ulster title, his work commitments in Dublin with the Irish Sports Council have meant a transfer to Na Fianna. He has suffered the frustration of the club's expulsion from the county championship on technical grounds.
Henry Shefflin has developed into Kilkenny's most influential forward. He carried the county's attack until the return from injury of DJ Carey and in this year's All-Ireland final he was his county's top scorer.
A talented underage player he broke through on to the senior team in 1999 and played in that year's All-Ireland final defeat by Cork.
Since then he has won two All-Ireland medals and evolved from a target-man corner forward into a central presence on the 40.
For GPA chief executive Dessie Farrell there was less welcome news yesterday when the High Court lifted his club Na Fianna's injunction against the rest of the Dublin championship proceeding. This means that the club's pursuit of four successive titles is over.
Counsel for Na Fianna, Mark Sanfey, stated in court that the club would not be appealing the matter to the Supreme Court and wished the best to the remaining participants in the championship.
Two of these, UCD and Raheny, will meet tomorrow morning in their semi-final, which was put off last week when Na Fianna's injunction was granted.
The match will be at 11 a.m. in Parnell Park. The winners will face St Vincent's in the county final next weekend.
On the question of whether the eventual champions will be allowed play in the Leinster championship, the provincial council will hear an application from Dublin on Monday that the county's champions be given another week due to the delay being outside their control and brought about by the need to uphold the GAA's rules in court.
