Team and captain recognized
Eoin Murtagh, Kevin Quinn, Pádraig O'Toole, Dean Healy, Oisín McGraynor and Malachy Stone received their awards at the black-tie GAA Champion 15 Awards ceremony in Dublin. Down, the beaten finalists, accounted for five of the team's 15 selections.
Wicklow captain Healy also earned the 2026 Tailteann Cup Player of the Year award. The 34-year-old midfielder from St Patrick's has represented the county since 2011, according to GAA.ie.
GAA.ie said a panel of Gaelic games correspondents selected the Team of the Year from nominations submitted by GPA player representatives across the competing counties.
A title won from 13 points behind
The awards followed Wicklow's comeback against Down in the July 11, 2026, final at Croke Park. Trailing by 13 points early in the second half, Wicklow recovered to win 1-21 to 2-16 and claim their first Tailteann Cup.
That recovery continued a pattern throughout the campaign: Wicklow were behind at halftime in each of their six Tailteann Cup games, The42 reported.
In manager Oisín McConville's assessment, reported by The42, the victory also made Wicklow the first Division 4 county to win the competition.
A place in the 2027 championship
The title secured Wicklow's entry into the 2027 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship for the Sam Maguire Cup, according to GAA.ie and BBC Sport.
McConville will stay on as senior football manager for that campaign, BBC Sport reported. Appointed before the 2023 season, he will enter his fifth year in charge in 2027.
