As well as the Senior, Young and Eircom League Player of the Year awards there are another nine gongs up for grabs.

Coventry midfielder and Irish u21 captain Barry Quinn should take the u21 Player of the Year award ahead of Sunderland's Michael Reddy and Stoke City's James O'Connor.

Manchester United defender John O'Shea will be favourite to take the u18 award ahead of Tranmere goalkeeper Joe Murphy and Arsenal striker Graham Barrett.

The u16 section is hard to call with Newcastle's Stephen Brennan, Tranmere's Sean Thornton and Nottingham Forest's Liam Kearney all in the running but Brennan's form for the Irish u18 team since he stepped up the age level could be enough for him to come out in front.

The Schools award is between Reading's Joe Gamble, Galway United and Ballinrobe player Alan Murphy and Ayr United and Rosses Community school player Martin Ferry.

Gamble's meteoric rise through the ranks from Leeds in Cork through Cork City and onto Reading would make him favourite for this one.

Future stars-a-plenty feature for the u15 award. Leeds United's Robbie Shields and Paul Keegan are joined in the running by Kieran Sharkey of Belvedere and it is anyone's guess as to who will come out in front.

The health of the women's game in Ireland is as strong as it has ever been, with ten of the senior squad getting to a high enough level to play abroad.

Three of these are up for the senior award. They are Arsenal's Yvonne Treacy and Ciara Grant and Margaret Saurin of Fortuna in Denmark.

Grant is the class act of the three and would be favourite for the honour. She has spent three successful years with Arsenal and is an integral part of their set-up.

The u18 Women's nominations are also dominated by Arsenal players, with two of the three nominees plying their trade at Highbury.

Susan Heapes and Caroline Thorpe joined the Gunners in the close season and since then they have gone on to feature in the first team. The other nominee is Louise Henchy of Lifford.

Thorpe should win this award simply because of her goalscoring prowess.

Caroline scored in Ireland's last two international games which led to their first tournament win when they beat Northern Ireland and Scotland in the Celt Cup. This alone should earn her the nod.

The Juniors also had a successful year, topping the UEFA Regions Cup mini-tournament in Finland with three wins from three games.

They started with a win against the hosts and followed that with wins against Lithuania and Poland to qualify for the next round which should be held in Ireland.

Portmarnock's Barry Flynn and Keith Bruen and Evergreen's Pat Holden are nominated from the team and any of the three could win.

And finally the Intermediate award is between Bluebell's Alan Behan, Temple United's Brian Healy and Fanad United's Shane Sweeney.