D. J. Carey
Encyclopedia
Denis Joseph Carey better known as D.J. Carey (Irish: Donncha Seosamh Ó Ciara), is a retired Irish
sportsperson. He played hurling
with his local club Young Irelands from 1988 until 2007 and was a member of the Kilkenny
senior inter-county team from 1990 until 2005. Carey is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers of his generation, while some commentators rate him as one of the greatest of all-time.
Carey’s status as one of the greats is self-evident. In a senior inter-county career that lasted for fifteen years he won five All-Ireland
titles, ten Leinster
titles, four National Hurling League
titles and two Railway Cup titles with Leinster
. His tally of 34 goals and 195 points from 57 championship games mark him out as one of the top five scorers of all-time. Carey has made more appearances for Kilkenny than any other player and is the county’s third highest scorer behind Eddie Keher
and Henry Shefflin
.
Carey has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. In 1993 his hurling prowess earned him the prestigious Texaco Hurler of the Year
award. Seven years later in 2000 he received this honour for the second time as well as being presented with the Eircell Hurler of the Year award. There was some mild surprise when Carey was omitted from the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
in 2000. He was, however, named in the left wing-forward position on the Kilkenny Hurling Team of the Century. In 2002 Carey equalled Pat Spillane
's record by collecting a ninth All-Star
award.
Towards the end of his career Carey also served as president of the Gaelic Players Association
.
On May 9, 2011 DJ Carey and his partner, Sarah Newman, consented at the Commercial Court to a judgment for more than €9 million against them in favour of AIB Mortgage Bank arising from loans and guarantees of each other's liabilities.The judgment was made up of €1,517.891 under the €1.5 million loan and €7,901,084 under the guarantee of Mr Carey's liabilities.
team, as well as being part of the Kilkenny senior camogie
team. His brother, Martin Carey, was also a member of the Kilkenny hurling panel as a substitute goalkeeper for a number of years. Carey was always destined to be a hurler as many of his relatives had already shown great skill at the game. His aunt, Peggy Carey, won four All-Ireland camogie titles with Kilkenny and his granduncle, Paddy Phelan
, was an iconic hurler of the 1930s and was selected on the GAA Hurling Team of the Century
and the GAA Team of The Millennium.
Carey was educated at St. Kieran's College, Kilkenny where his hurling skills were first developed. Ironically, when he had the choice of playing either hurling or football
at under-12 level with Kilkenny, Carey chose football. When it became apparent to him that football was the lesser of the two Gaelic games in Kilkenny, Carey soon made the switch to hurling. The 1970s and 1980s were great years for Kilkenny hurling, and stars of that period like Eddie Keher
, Frank Cummins
and Billy Fitzpatrick
were a big influence on the young hurler. Carey later studied at St. Kieran's College in Kilkenny
, a famed hurling nursery. It was here that his hurling skills were developed further and he won back-to-back All-Ireland colleges'
titles in 1988 and 1989.
Carey’s big achievement outside sport is his successful business venture D.J. Carey Enterprises. Based in his home village of Gowran, this is a wholesale company that sells hygiene products to other businesses. Carey’s private life, involving his wife and two children, had long been the subject of intense media scrutiny and rumour. News of the breakdown of his seven-year marriage hit the headlines shortly before the All-Ireland final in 2003 although Carey and his wife had been separated for more than a year. A year later Carey spoke for the first time about the marriage break-down and of finding new love with British
-born millionairess Sarah Newman. Carey has also been lauded for his tireless charity work at home and abroad.
club in Gowran. He has enjoyed much success with the club at under-age level, where he played in goal for much of the time. He joined the club's top team in the early 1990s and captured a county intermediate title in 1992. The club joined the ranks of the senior championship as a result of this victory. Four years later in 1996 Carey added a senior county title title to his collection. Six years later he won a second county title at senior level after a 3-14 to 1-15 defeat of Dunnamaggin
. The game saw Carey give a remarkable display of hurling in which he scored two goals and seven points. As a result of these two county championship wins Carey was awarded with the captaincy of the Kilkenny senior team for the following year. Carey played his last match for Young Irelands in 2007 in relegation play-off against Mullinavat at Nowlan Park
.
minor hurling team. He narrowly missed out on a place on the team in 1987, however, he became a full member of the team in 1988. That year Carey won a Leinster
medal in that grade following a 2-16 to 0-6 trouncing of Offaly
. An appearance in the subsequent All-Ireland final beckoned for Carey, with arch-rivals Cork providing the opposition. An interesting game developed, however, 'the Cats' ability to score goal proved crucial. At the full-time whistle KIlkenny were the victors by 3-13 to 0-12, giving Carey a coveted All-Ireland
minor medal.
Carey subsequently joined the county under-21 panel with whom he won a Leinster
title in 1990, after a 2-9 to 1-10 defeat of Laois
. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted 'the Cats' against near neighbours and rivals Tipperary
. Another close game developed, however, Kilkenny's goal-scoring ability proved the difference. A final score of 2-11 to 1-11 gave Carey an All-Ireland
medal in the under-21 grade.
, a campaign which resulted in Carey collecting his first national title as Kilkenny became league champions. Several weeks after this win he made his championship debut, however, Offaly emerged victorious on that occasion whiule Kilkenny exited the championship at an early stage.
In 1991 Kilkenny bounced back in the championship after something of a lean period, with Carey lining out in his first provincial decider. Dublin
provided the opposition on that occasion; however, the men from the capital proved to be no pushovers. With seconds left in the game ‘the Dubs’ were winning by a single point, however, a last-gasp goal sealed a 1-11 to 0-13 victory for ‘the Cats’. It was Carey's first Leinster
winners’ medal in the senior grade. Another nail-biting win over Antrim
in similar circumstances set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Tipperary, their first championship encounter in twenty years. The opening thirty-five minutes saw both sides trade score-for-score, however, a controversial 20-metre free, miss-hit by Michael Cleary
, landed in the net and gave Tipp a lead which they never surrendered. The final score of 1-16 to 0-15 resulted in a loss for Kilkenny. In spite of this defeat Carey was later presented with his first All-Star
award.
In 1992 Kilkenny bounced back from the All-Ireland defeat and Carey collected a second Leinster medal following a comprehensive 3-16 to 2-9 defeat of Wexford
. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw ‘the Cats’ take on Cork for the first time in nearly a decade. The game was well balanced for the first-half, however, Carey scored a goal four minutes before the break. This seemed to give Kilkenny the impetus to go on and win the game. Two more goals by John Power
and Michael Phelan
in the second-half secured a win for Kilkenny and a first senior All-Ireland
medal for Carey. A second All-Star award soon followed.
In 1993 Kilkenny were still on top of the hurling world and Carey captured a third consecutive Leinster title after a draw and a replay with Wexford. He later lined out in his third successive All-Ireland final appearance as ‘the Cats’ faced Galway
for the first time since 1987. Galway won on that occasion; however, in 1993 they were lagging behind Kilkenny for much of the game. They went a point ahead coming into the last quarter; however, Kilkenny won the match by five points, giving Carey a second All-Ireland medal. A third All-Star award quickly followed as well as the honour of being named Texaco Hurler of the Year
. At twenty-two he was one of the youngest-ever recipients of the accolade.
In 1994 Kilkenny were aiming for an impressive third All-Ireland in-a-row, however, the team fell at the first hurdle in the provincial championship. In spite of this defeat Carey’s prowess earned him a fourth consecutive All-Star award.
In 1995 it looked as if Kilkenny’s hurling fortunes were turning. At the start of the year Carey added a second National League title to his collection as Kilkenny defeated Clare
to take the title. In spite of this victory 1995 proved to be an unhappy year for Carey as Kilkenny were trounced by Offaly in the Leinster final. In spite of this championship defeat Carey later collected a fifth consecutive All-Star award.
Kilkenny failed to make the provincial final in 1996, while in 1997, with Carey as captain, the team were defeated by Wexford. As defeated provincial finalists Carey’s side were able to have another shot at the All-Ireland title via the newly-introduced ‘back-door’ system. After a great defeat of Galway, in which Carey put in a great performance, his side were later defeated by eventual winners Clare in the All-Ireland semi-final. A sixth All-Star award quickly followed.
In early 1998 Carey shocked the hurling world by retiring from inter-county activity. The pressure of being a high-profile inter-county star in the spotlight was the reason he gave for his decision. At the age of 27 it looked as if the hurling world had lost one of its greatest players. Carey’s retirement was short-lived. Six weeks after the announcement he had received 25,000 letters from all over the country encouraging him not to retire. Carey reversed his decision and Kilkenny, under the new management of Kevin Fennelly
, defeated Offaly in the provincial final. It was Carey’s fourth Leinster winners’ medal. Kilkenny later cruised to an All-Ireland final appearance where Offaly provided the opposition once again. The defeated Leinster finalists had certainly learned from their mistakes with Joe Errity
and Brian Whelahan
scoring key goals. At the full-time whistle Offaly emerged as the winners by 2-16 to 1-13. It was the first time that a defeated team had won the All-Ireland title via the ‘back-door’ system. Carey was also completely subdued in the final, a possible reason for his omission from the All-Stars team.
In 1999 Brian Cody
took over as manager and Kilkenny began their domination of the championship. That year Carey won his fifth Leinster title as Offaly, the All-Ireland champions, fell heavily in the provincial final. The score of 5-14 to 1-16 tells its own story. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny take on Cork, their age-old rivals, for the first time since 1992. On that occasion Carey won his first All-Ireland medal, however, there was to be no success for him in 1999. A poor game on a wet day gave one of the youngest Cork teams ever the All-Ireland title. In spite of the loss Carey was still presented with a seventh All-Star award.
In 2000 Carey captured a sixth Leinster medal as Kilkenny completed their annual trouncing of Offaly once again. On this occasion the score line was a more respectable 2-21 to 1-13 in favour of ‘the Cats’. An appearance in his sixth All-Ireland soon followed for Carey as ‘the Cats’ lined out against Offaly for the second time that season. After just six minutes Carey scored the first of five goals as Kilkenny exposed the Offaly full-back line. He scored 2-4 that day and shared his second goal with a young Henry Shefflin
. Further goals by Charlie Carter
and Eddie Brennan
saw Kilkenny win on a score line of 5-15 to 1-14 and allowed Carey capture his third All-Ireland medal. He later collected his eighth All-Star award, as well as being named Texaco Hurler of the Year and Eircell Hurler of the Year.
In 2001 Carey added a seventh Leinster medal to his collection following another 2-19 to 0-12 demolition of Wexford in the provincial final. In spite of being the favourites to retain the championship title Kilkenny were later caught on the hop by Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final.
In 2002 ‘the Cats’ bounced back with Carey winning an eighth Leinster title. The score line was much closer than in previous encounters with Wexford, as ‘the Cats’ only had a 0-19 to 0-17 win. Kilkenny subsequently had an easy passage into the All-Ireland final where Clare, a team defeated in the first round of the championship, provided the opposition. Once again Carey was on form, scoring a goal after just three minutes of play. Together with Henry Shefflin they scored 2-13 of Kilkenny’s total of 2-20. Clare fought back in the second-half; however, it was Kilkenny’s day. Carey had captured a fourth All-Ireland medal and was later presented with a record-equaling ninth All-Star award.
In 2003 Carey added to his medal collection by capturing a third National League title following a thrilling 5-14 to 5-13 defeat of Tipp. Carey later captained Kilkenny in the championship as collected a sixth consecutive Leinster winners’ medal after an eleven-point win over Wexford. It was his ninth provincial title overall. Kilkenny later faced Cork in an exciting and close All-Ireland final. The Leinster men never led by more than four-points and only secured victory with a late Martin Comerford
goal. Carey won his fifth All-Ireland medal that day as captain; however, he was later omitted from the All-Star selection once again.
In 2004 Kilkenny were aiming for an unprecedented third All-Ireland victory in-a-row, however, the team was now under severe pressure from all quarters. For the first time in seven years Kilkenny failed in their bid to become Leinster champions as a last-gasp Wexford goal ended an almost unprecedented run of success in the provincial semi-final. Kilkenny took the scenic route via the qualifiers system; however, after a scare against Clare they still reached the All-Ireland final. Once again Cork provided the opposition on a gloomy and overcast day. The sides were level for much of the game; however, in the final twenty minutes Cork scored nine points without reply and secured the 0-17 to 0-9 victory. Kilkenny ended the year with no silverware.
The team bounced back in 2005 with Carey adding a fourth and final National League medal to his ever-growing collection. He later won a tenth Leinster title as ‘the Cats’ had a narrow win over reigning provincial champions Wexford. While a third successive All-Ireland showdown with Cork seemed extremely likely, Galway defeated Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final in one of the game’s of the decade. This was Carey's last appearance in the black and amber jersey of Kilkenny. He announced his retirement from inter-county hurling at the start of the championship in 2006. Brian Cody had wished him to remain on the panel as an impact sub, however, Carey favoured a complete break from hurling at the top level.
in the inter-provincial hurling competition. He first tasted success with his province in 1993 when Leinster defeated Ulster
to take the Railway Cup title. Defeat was Leinster’s lot for the next few years, however, Carey added a second Railway Cup medal to his collection in 1998.
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
sportsperson. He played hurling
Hurling
Hurling is an outdoor team game of ancient Gaelic origin, administered by the Gaelic Athletic Association, and played with sticks called hurleys and a ball called a sliotar. Hurling is the national game of Ireland. The game has prehistoric origins, has been played for at least 3,000 years, and...
with his local club Young Irelands from 1988 until 2007 and was a member of the Kilkenny
Kilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
senior inter-county team from 1990 until 2005. Carey is widely regarded as one of the greatest hurlers of his generation, while some commentators rate him as one of the greatest of all-time.
Carey’s status as one of the greats is self-evident. In a senior inter-county career that lasted for fifteen years he won five All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
titles, ten Leinster
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland....
titles, four National Hurling League
National Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
titles and two Railway Cup titles with Leinster
Leinster GAA
The Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...
. His tally of 34 goals and 195 points from 57 championship games mark him out as one of the top five scorers of all-time. Carey has made more appearances for Kilkenny than any other player and is the county’s third highest scorer behind Eddie Keher
Eddie Keher
Edward Peter Keher , better known as Eddie Keher, is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game....
and Henry Shefflin
Henry Shefflin
Henry Shefflin is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and has been a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team since 1999...
.
Carey has also been the recipient of many awards and honours off the field. In 1993 his hurling prowess earned him the prestigious Texaco Hurler of the Year
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year is a hurling award, created in 1958, that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award is part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields are honoured....
award. Seven years later in 2000 he received this honour for the second time as well as being presented with the Eircell Hurler of the Year award. There was some mild surprise when Carey was omitted from the GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium
The GAA Hurling Team of the Millennium was announced by GAA President Seán McCague at a special dinner at Croke Park on 24 July 2000. The initiative was sponsored by An Post who issued special commemorative stamps of the Millennium team members. The team was chosen to comprise, as a...
in 2000. He was, however, named in the left wing-forward position on the Kilkenny Hurling Team of the Century. In 2002 Carey equalled Pat Spillane
Pat Spillane
Patrick Gerard Spillane , better known as Pat Spillane, is a retired Gaelic footballer and well known Irish sports pundit. He played Gaelic football with his local club Templenoe and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1975 until 1991...
's record by collecting a ninth All-Star
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
award.
Towards the end of his career Carey also served as president of the Gaelic Players Association
Gaelic Players Association
The Gaelic Players Association The GPA was formed in 1999 when former IMG employee Donal O'Neill and a number of high profile inter-county players including Tyrone's Fergal Logan and Peter Canavan, Derry's Fergal McCusker and Dublin's Dessie Farrell were instrumental in the birth of the organisation...
.
On May 9, 2011 DJ Carey and his partner, Sarah Newman, consented at the Commercial Court to a judgment for more than €9 million against them in favour of AIB Mortgage Bank arising from loans and guarantees of each other's liabilities.The judgment was made up of €1,517.891 under the €1.5 million loan and €7,901,084 under the guarantee of Mr Carey's liabilities.
Biography
Denis Joseph Carey was born in Waterford, in 1970. He was born into a large family, with ten brothers and eight sisters. One of his sisters, Catriona, is a star player on the Irish field hockeyField hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
team, as well as being part of the Kilkenny senior camogie
Camogie
Camogie is an Irish stick-and-ball team sport played by women; it is almost identical to the game of hurling played by men. Camogie is played by 100,000 women in Ireland and world wide, largely among Irish communities....
team. His brother, Martin Carey, was also a member of the Kilkenny hurling panel as a substitute goalkeeper for a number of years. Carey was always destined to be a hurler as many of his relatives had already shown great skill at the game. His aunt, Peggy Carey, won four All-Ireland camogie titles with Kilkenny and his granduncle, Paddy Phelan
Paddy Phelan
Paddy Phelan was an Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Tullaroan and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1930s. He is regarded as one of the greatest players of all-time.-Club:...
, was an iconic hurler of the 1930s and was selected on the GAA Hurling Team of the Century
GAA Hurling Team of the Century
The Hurling Team of the Century was chosen as part of the Gaelic Athletic Association's centenary year celebrations in 1984 to comprise, as a fifteen-member side divided as one goalkeeper, three half-backs, two midfielders, three half-forwardss and three full-forwards, the best hurling players of...
and the GAA Team of The Millennium.
Carey was educated at St. Kieran's College, Kilkenny where his hurling skills were first developed. Ironically, when he had the choice of playing either hurling or football
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
at under-12 level with Kilkenny, Carey chose football. When it became apparent to him that football was the lesser of the two Gaelic games in Kilkenny, Carey soon made the switch to hurling. The 1970s and 1980s were great years for Kilkenny hurling, and stars of that period like Eddie Keher
Eddie Keher
Edward Peter Keher , better known as Eddie Keher, is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the game....
, Frank Cummins
Frank Cummins
Frank Cummins is a retired Irish sportsperson. He played hurling at various times with his local clubs Knocktopher in Kilkenny and Blackrock in Cork. Cummins was also a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from the 1968 until 1984...
and Billy Fitzpatrick
Billy Fitzpatrick
Billy Fitzpatrick is an Irish retired sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club the Fenians and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 1974 until 1986. Fitzpatrick captained Kilkenny to the All-Ireland title in 1975.-Biography:Billy Fitzpatrick was born in Johnstown,...
were a big influence on the young hurler. Carey later studied at St. Kieran's College in Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, a famed hurling nursery. It was here that his hurling skills were developed further and he won back-to-back All-Ireland colleges'
Dr. Croke Cup
The Dr. Croke Cup is an inter-county GAA competition in hurling. The first Croke Cups took place between 1896 and 1915. Clare was the first winner of the Dr Croke Cup for Hurling in 1896. In 1909 Ulster were expelled from the Dr...
titles in 1988 and 1989.
Carey’s big achievement outside sport is his successful business venture D.J. Carey Enterprises. Based in his home village of Gowran, this is a wholesale company that sells hygiene products to other businesses. Carey’s private life, involving his wife and two children, had long been the subject of intense media scrutiny and rumour. News of the breakdown of his seven-year marriage hit the headlines shortly before the All-Ireland final in 2003 although Carey and his wife had been separated for more than a year. A year later Carey spoke for the first time about the marriage break-down and of finding new love with British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
-born millionairess Sarah Newman. Carey has also been lauded for his tireless charity work at home and abroad.
Club
Carey played his club hurling with his local Young IrelandsYoung Irelands
Young Irelands are a Gaelic Athletic Association Club based in Gowran, County Kilkenny, Ireland. Formed in 1952, they are located on the Goresbridge Road just outside the village. Their jersey consists of red and white vertical stripes....
club in Gowran. He has enjoyed much success with the club at under-age level, where he played in goal for much of the time. He joined the club's top team in the early 1990s and captured a county intermediate title in 1992. The club joined the ranks of the senior championship as a result of this victory. Four years later in 1996 Carey added a senior county title title to his collection. Six years later he won a second county title at senior level after a 3-14 to 1-15 defeat of Dunnamaggin
Dunnamaggin GAA
Dunnamaggin is a Gaelic Athletic Association club situated in the south of County Kilkenny, Ireland. The club was founded in 1897, but had to wait ninety-four years for its first senior county title, taking home the junior trophy in 1994....
. The game saw Carey give a remarkable display of hurling in which he scored two goals and seven points. As a result of these two county championship wins Carey was awarded with the captaincy of the Kilkenny senior team for the following year. Carey played his last match for Young Irelands in 2007 in relegation play-off against Mullinavat at Nowlan Park
Nowlan Park
Nowlan Park is the principal Gaelic Athletic Association stadium in Kilkenny, Ireland, home to the Kilkenny hurling team. It has two covered stands and two terraces, behind each goalpost. The current capacity of the stadium is approximately 24,000 with a seating capacity of 17,000. Plans have...
.
Minor & under-21
Carey first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the KilkennyKilkenny GAA
The Kilkenny County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland and is responsible for Gaelic Games in County Kilkenny. The county board has its head office and main grounds at Nowlan Park and is also responsible for Kilkenny inter-county teams...
minor hurling team. He narrowly missed out on a place on the team in 1987, however, he became a full member of the team in 1988. That year Carey won a Leinster
Leinster Minor Hurling Championship
The ESB Leinster Minor Hurling Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Hurling played in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Leinster Council...
medal in that grade following a 2-16 to 0-6 trouncing of Offaly
Offaly GAA
The Offaly County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Offaly GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Offaly...
. An appearance in the subsequent All-Ireland final beckoned for Carey, with arch-rivals Cork providing the opposition. An interesting game developed, however, 'the Cats' ability to score goal proved crucial. At the full-time whistle KIlkenny were the victors by 3-13 to 0-12, giving Carey a coveted All-Ireland
All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
minor medal.
Carey subsequently joined the county under-21 panel with whom he won a Leinster
Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship
For the Senior equivalent see: Leinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Leinster U-21 Hurling Championship or for sponsorship reasons the Erin Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship is an U-21 hurling tournament. The first tournament took place in 1964 when Wexford were crowned champions. Wexford...
title in 1990, after a 2-9 to 1-10 defeat of Laois
Laois GAA
The Laois County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Laois GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Laois and the Laois inter-county teams.-History:...
. The subsequent All-Ireland final pitted 'the Cats' against near neighbours and rivals Tipperary
Tipperary GAA
The Tipperary County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or C is one of over 30 regional executive boards throughout the world. These executive boards are known as County Boards even though some no longer correspond to the area under the jurisdiction of the counties from which their names...
. Another close game developed, however, Kilkenny's goal-scoring ability proved the difference. A final score of 2-11 to 1-11 gave Carey an All-Ireland
All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship
The All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...
medal in the under-21 grade.
Senior
By this stage Carey was also a member of the Kilkenny senior team. He made his debut in the 1988-1989 National Hurling LeagueNational Hurling League
The National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
, a campaign which resulted in Carey collecting his first national title as Kilkenny became league champions. Several weeks after this win he made his championship debut, however, Offaly emerged victorious on that occasion whiule Kilkenny exited the championship at an early stage.
In 1991 Kilkenny bounced back in the championship after something of a lean period, with Carey lining out in his first provincial decider. Dublin
Dublin GAA
Dublin County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association , or Dublin GAA, is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Dublin. The county board is also responsible for the Dublin inter-county teams...
provided the opposition on that occasion; however, the men from the capital proved to be no pushovers. With seconds left in the game ‘the Dubs’ were winning by a single point, however, a last-gasp goal sealed a 1-11 to 0-13 victory for ‘the Cats’. It was Carey's first Leinster
Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
The Leinster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland....
winners’ medal in the senior grade. Another nail-biting win over Antrim
Antrim GAA
The Antrim County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Antrim GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Antrim. The county board is also responsible for the Antrim inter-county teams...
in similar circumstances set up an All-Ireland final meeting with Tipperary, their first championship encounter in twenty years. The opening thirty-five minutes saw both sides trade score-for-score, however, a controversial 20-metre free, miss-hit by Michael Cleary
Michael Cleary (hurler)
Michael Cleary is a former Irish sportsperson. He played hurling with his local club Nenagh Éire Óg and with the Tipperary senior inter-county team in the 1980s and 1990s.-Early life:...
, landed in the net and gave Tipp a lead which they never surrendered. The final score of 1-16 to 0-15 resulted in a loss for Kilkenny. In spite of this defeat Carey was later presented with his first All-Star
GAA All Stars Awards
The All Stars Awards, currently sponsored by Vodafone, are given annually since 1971 by the Gaelic Athletic Association to the best player in each of the fifteen positions in Gaelic football and Hurling in Ireland. Additionally, one player in each code is selected as the player of the year...
award.
In 1992 Kilkenny bounced back from the All-Ireland defeat and Carey collected a second Leinster medal following a comprehensive 3-16 to 2-9 defeat of Wexford
Wexford GAA
The Wexford County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Wexford GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Wexford. The county board is also responsible for the Wexford inter-county teams.-History:Hurling has been played in...
. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw ‘the Cats’ take on Cork for the first time in nearly a decade. The game was well balanced for the first-half, however, Carey scored a goal four minutes before the break. This seemed to give Kilkenny the impetus to go on and win the game. Two more goals by John Power
John Power (hurler)
John Power is a former Irish sportsperson who played hurling with his local club John Lockes and Kilkenny from 1986 to 2004. In that time, he won four All-Ireland titles and two All Star awards, as well as having the honour of being included on the Kilkenny Hurling Team of the Century...
and Michael Phelan
Michael Phelan (hurler)
Michael 'Titch' Phelan , from Glenmore, County Kilkenny, Ireland, is a former inter-county hurler. Phelan was formally recognised as a sportsperson of national significance in 1992 when nominated as a GAA Allstar. He played both for his local club Glenmore and as a member of the Kilkenny senior...
in the second-half secured a win for Kilkenny and a first senior All-Ireland
All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
medal for Carey. A second All-Star award soon followed.
In 1993 Kilkenny were still on top of the hurling world and Carey captured a third consecutive Leinster title after a draw and a replay with Wexford. He later lined out in his third successive All-Ireland final appearance as ‘the Cats’ faced Galway
Galway GAA
The Galway County Boards of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Galway GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Galway. The county boards are also responsible for the Galway inter-county teams.Unlike all other counties in Ireland,...
for the first time since 1987. Galway won on that occasion; however, in 1993 they were lagging behind Kilkenny for much of the game. They went a point ahead coming into the last quarter; however, Kilkenny won the match by five points, giving Carey a second All-Ireland medal. A third All-Star award quickly followed as well as the honour of being named Texaco Hurler of the Year
Texaco Hurler of the Year
The Texaco Hurler of the Year is a hurling award, created in 1958, that honours the achievements of a hurler of outstanding excellence. The award is part of the Texaco Sportstars Awards, in which Irish sportspeople from all fields are honoured....
. At twenty-two he was one of the youngest-ever recipients of the accolade.
In 1994 Kilkenny were aiming for an impressive third All-Ireland in-a-row, however, the team fell at the first hurdle in the provincial championship. In spite of this defeat Carey’s prowess earned him a fourth consecutive All-Star award.
In 1995 it looked as if Kilkenny’s hurling fortunes were turning. At the start of the year Carey added a second National League title to his collection as Kilkenny defeated Clare
Clare GAA
The Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Association or Clare GAA is one of the 32 county boards of the GAA in Ireland, and is responsible for Gaelic games in County Clare. The county board is also responsible for the Clare inter-county teams....
to take the title. In spite of this victory 1995 proved to be an unhappy year for Carey as Kilkenny were trounced by Offaly in the Leinster final. In spite of this championship defeat Carey later collected a fifth consecutive All-Star award.
Kilkenny failed to make the provincial final in 1996, while in 1997, with Carey as captain, the team were defeated by Wexford. As defeated provincial finalists Carey’s side were able to have another shot at the All-Ireland title via the newly-introduced ‘back-door’ system. After a great defeat of Galway, in which Carey put in a great performance, his side were later defeated by eventual winners Clare in the All-Ireland semi-final. A sixth All-Star award quickly followed.
In early 1998 Carey shocked the hurling world by retiring from inter-county activity. The pressure of being a high-profile inter-county star in the spotlight was the reason he gave for his decision. At the age of 27 it looked as if the hurling world had lost one of its greatest players. Carey’s retirement was short-lived. Six weeks after the announcement he had received 25,000 letters from all over the country encouraging him not to retire. Carey reversed his decision and Kilkenny, under the new management of Kevin Fennelly
Kevin Fennelly
Kevin Fennelly is a retired Irish hurling manager and former player. He played hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from the late 1970s until the late 1980s. Fennelly later served as Kilkenny Senior hurling manager for the 1998 season, and...
, defeated Offaly in the provincial final. It was Carey’s fourth Leinster winners’ medal. Kilkenny later cruised to an All-Ireland final appearance where Offaly provided the opposition once again. The defeated Leinster finalists had certainly learned from their mistakes with Joe Errity
Joe Errity
Joe Errity is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Birr and was a member of the Offaly senior inter-county team between 1998 and 2003. During a glittering career Errity won All-Ireland minor medals in 1986 and 1987 and All-Ireland senior medals in 1994 and 1998. He also won...
and Brian Whelahan
Brian Whelahan
Brian Whelahan is an Irish sportsperson. He currently plays hurling with his local club Birr and was a member of the Offaly senior inter-county team from 1989 until 2006...
scoring key goals. At the full-time whistle Offaly emerged as the winners by 2-16 to 1-13. It was the first time that a defeated team had won the All-Ireland title via the ‘back-door’ system. Carey was also completely subdued in the final, a possible reason for his omission from the All-Stars team.
In 1999 Brian Cody
Brian Cody
Brian Cody is an Irish hurling manager and former player, currently managing the Kilkenny senior inter-county team, where he has been in charge since 1998...
took over as manager and Kilkenny began their domination of the championship. That year Carey won his fifth Leinster title as Offaly, the All-Ireland champions, fell heavily in the provincial final. The score of 5-14 to 1-16 tells its own story. The subsequent All-Ireland final saw Kilkenny take on Cork, their age-old rivals, for the first time since 1992. On that occasion Carey won his first All-Ireland medal, however, there was to be no success for him in 1999. A poor game on a wet day gave one of the youngest Cork teams ever the All-Ireland title. In spite of the loss Carey was still presented with a seventh All-Star award.
In 2000 Carey captured a sixth Leinster medal as Kilkenny completed their annual trouncing of Offaly once again. On this occasion the score line was a more respectable 2-21 to 1-13 in favour of ‘the Cats’. An appearance in his sixth All-Ireland soon followed for Carey as ‘the Cats’ lined out against Offaly for the second time that season. After just six minutes Carey scored the first of five goals as Kilkenny exposed the Offaly full-back line. He scored 2-4 that day and shared his second goal with a young Henry Shefflin
Henry Shefflin
Henry Shefflin is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Ballyhale Shamrocks and has been a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team since 1999...
. Further goals by Charlie Carter
Charlie Carter
Charles "Charlie" Carter born 1970) is a former Irish sportsperson. He still plays his club hurling with his local Young Irelands GAA Club and played with the Kilkenny senior inter-county team in the 1990s and 2000s.-Club:...
and Eddie Brennan
Eddie Brennan
Eddie Brennan is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club Graigue-Ballycallan and has been a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team since 2000.-Biography:...
saw Kilkenny win on a score line of 5-15 to 1-14 and allowed Carey capture his third All-Ireland medal. He later collected his eighth All-Star award, as well as being named Texaco Hurler of the Year and Eircell Hurler of the Year.
In 2001 Carey added a seventh Leinster medal to his collection following another 2-19 to 0-12 demolition of Wexford in the provincial final. In spite of being the favourites to retain the championship title Kilkenny were later caught on the hop by Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final.
In 2002 ‘the Cats’ bounced back with Carey winning an eighth Leinster title. The score line was much closer than in previous encounters with Wexford, as ‘the Cats’ only had a 0-19 to 0-17 win. Kilkenny subsequently had an easy passage into the All-Ireland final where Clare, a team defeated in the first round of the championship, provided the opposition. Once again Carey was on form, scoring a goal after just three minutes of play. Together with Henry Shefflin they scored 2-13 of Kilkenny’s total of 2-20. Clare fought back in the second-half; however, it was Kilkenny’s day. Carey had captured a fourth All-Ireland medal and was later presented with a record-equaling ninth All-Star award.
In 2003 Carey added to his medal collection by capturing a third National League title following a thrilling 5-14 to 5-13 defeat of Tipp. Carey later captained Kilkenny in the championship as collected a sixth consecutive Leinster winners’ medal after an eleven-point win over Wexford. It was his ninth provincial title overall. Kilkenny later faced Cork in an exciting and close All-Ireland final. The Leinster men never led by more than four-points and only secured victory with a late Martin Comerford
Martin Comerford
Martin Comerford is an Irish sportsperson. He plays hurling with his local club O'Loughlin Gaels and was a member of the Kilkenny senior inter-county team from 2002 until 2010.-References:-Teams:...
goal. Carey won his fifth All-Ireland medal that day as captain; however, he was later omitted from the All-Star selection once again.
In 2004 Kilkenny were aiming for an unprecedented third All-Ireland victory in-a-row, however, the team was now under severe pressure from all quarters. For the first time in seven years Kilkenny failed in their bid to become Leinster champions as a last-gasp Wexford goal ended an almost unprecedented run of success in the provincial semi-final. Kilkenny took the scenic route via the qualifiers system; however, after a scare against Clare they still reached the All-Ireland final. Once again Cork provided the opposition on a gloomy and overcast day. The sides were level for much of the game; however, in the final twenty minutes Cork scored nine points without reply and secured the 0-17 to 0-9 victory. Kilkenny ended the year with no silverware.
The team bounced back in 2005 with Carey adding a fourth and final National League medal to his ever-growing collection. He later won a tenth Leinster title as ‘the Cats’ had a narrow win over reigning provincial champions Wexford. While a third successive All-Ireland showdown with Cork seemed extremely likely, Galway defeated Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final in one of the game’s of the decade. This was Carey's last appearance in the black and amber jersey of Kilkenny. He announced his retirement from inter-county hurling at the start of the championship in 2006. Brian Cody had wished him to remain on the panel as an impact sub, however, Carey favoured a complete break from hurling at the top level.
Provincial
Carey also lined out with LeinsterLeinster GAA
The Leinster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, rounders and handball in the province of Leinster. The Leinster Council has been partnered with the European County Board to help develop Gaelic Games in Europe...
in the inter-provincial hurling competition. He first tasted success with his province in 1993 when Leinster defeated Ulster
Ulster GAA
The Ulster Council is a Provincial council of the Gaelic Athletic Association sports of hurling, Gaelic football, camogie, and handball in the province of Ulster. The headquarters of the Ulster GAA is based in Armagh City....
to take the Railway Cup title. Defeat was Leinster’s lot for the next few years, however, Carey added a second Railway Cup medal to his collection in 1998.
Young Irelands
- Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship:
- Winner (2): 1996, 2002
- Runner-up (3): 1997, 2003, 2004
Kilkenny
- All-Ireland Senior Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1887 for the top hurling teams in Ireland....
:- Winner (5): 1992All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1992The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1992 was the 106th staging of Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition. Kilkenny won the championship, beating Cork 3-10 to 1-12 in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.-Participating counties:...
, 1993All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 1993The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 1993 was the 107th staging of Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition. Kilkenny won the championship, beating Galway 2-17 to 1-15 in the final at Croke Park, Dublin.-Participating counties:...
, 2000All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2000The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 2000 was the 114th edition of Ireland’s premier hurling knockout competition. The championship ran from May to September of that year, culminating with the All-Ireland final, held at Croke Park, Dublin on 10 September...
, 2002All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2002The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship of 2002 was the 116th staging of Ireland's premier hurling knock-out competition...
, 2003All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2003The All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2003 was the 117th since its establishment in 1887. The first matches of the season were played in May 2003, and the championship ended on 14 September 2003... - Runner-up (4): 1991, 1998, 1999, 2004
- Winner (5): 1992
- Leinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipLeinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Leinster GAA Hurling Championship is an annual hurling competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1888 for the top hurling teams in the province of Leinster in Ireland....
:- Winner (10): 1991, 1992, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005
- National Hurling LeagueNational Hurling LeagueThe National Hurling League is an annual hurling competition between the county teams of Ireland. Contested by 35 teams , it operates on a system of promotion and relegation between four different divisions, with Division One...
:- Winner (4): 1989-1990, 1994–1995, 2003, 2005
- All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipThe All-Ireland Under-21 Hurling Championship is the premier "knockout" competition for players aged between 18 and 21 in the game of hurling played in Ireland...
:- Winner (1): 1990
- Leinster Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipLeinster Under-21 Hurling ChampionshipFor the Senior equivalent see: Leinster Senior Hurling ChampionshipThe Leinster U-21 Hurling Championship or for sponsorship reasons the Erin Leinster Under-21 Hurling Championship is an U-21 hurling tournament. The first tournament took place in 1964 when Wexford were crowned champions. Wexford...
:- Winner (1): 1990
- All-Ireland Minor Hurling ChampionshipAll-Ireland Minor Hurling ChampionshipThe GAA Hurling All-Ireland Minor Championship is an annual competition organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association since 1928 for competitors under eighteen years of age in the game of hurling played in Ireland.The series of games are played during the summer months with the All-Ireland final...
:- Winner (1): 1988
- Leinster Minor Hurling ChampionshipLeinster Minor Hurling ChampionshipThe ESB Leinster Minor Hurling Championship is the Minor "knockout" competition in the game of Hurling played in the province of Leinster in Ireland. The series of games are organised by the Leinster Council...
:- Winner (1): 1988
Leinster
- Railway Cup:
- Winner (2): 1993, 1998
- Runner-up (3): 1994, 1996, 2000
External links
- D J Carey
- A picture of D.J. Carey
- DJ Carey videos on KilkennyCats Hurling Forum
- Official Gaelic Players Association Website
