Kilkenny defers trial Down Under

DUBLIN AND Castleknock dual star Ciarán Kilkenny had good news for the GAA yesterday when he confirmed he was deferring his trial with AFL club Carlton in order to further his football and hurling career.

He was speaking yesterday after being named as the 2012 Cadbury Hero of the Future at an announcement in Croke Park. "I want to get a taste of playing senior football and under-21 hurling for Dublin. On top of that I've also the Leaving Cert to do and that's not over until June 14th," he told the GAA's official website, gaa.ie.

“I might go down to the country for a day or two to relax after that but then I want to focus on getting into the Dublin teams. That will be my focus. I would like to go to Australia for two weeks and get a taste for it after all that because I think then I will be in a better position to make a decision.”

Kilkenny is probably the most prized young sportsman in the country having played a key role in the march of Dublin’s football and hurling minors to last September’s All-Ireland finals where he suffered the double disappointment of losing to Galway and Tipperary.

This award is recognition of the part he played in the county’s under-21 All-Ireland victory this month when they recovered well in the second half to overcome Roscommon. It was presented to him by Dublin under-21 manager Jim Gavin. His stand-out performance came in the Leinster final when he fired 1-7 against Louth, and he finished the championship as overall top scorer with 2-31.

Kilkenny has also attracted the interest of Carlton, who offered him a trial next month but he has deferred that. Coincidentally, Michael Quinlivan, who starred on the Tipperary side that defeated Dublin in last year’s minor final, is named for his first senior championship start in Sunday’s Munster clash with against Kerry.

MONAGHAN (SFC v Antrim): M Keogh; D Morgan, V Corey, C Walshe; K O’Connell, D Mone, K Duffy; P Dooney, D Clerkin; M McKenna, S Gollogly, J Turley; C McGuinness, P Finlay (capt.), C McManus.

ANTRIM (SFC v Monaghan):

C Kerr; A Healey, R Johnston, K O Boyle; T Scullion, J Crozier, J Loughery; M McCann, A Gallagher; C Murray, M Sweeney, M McAleese; P Cunningham, M Magill, T McCann.

TIPPERARY (SFC v Kerry):

P Fitzgerald; A Morrissey, P Codd, C McDonald; B Fox, R Costigan, A Campbell; G Hannigan, H Coghlan;

L Egan, P Acheson, S Scully; A Maloney, M Quinlavan, P Austin.

HERO OF THE FUTURE NOMINEES: D Smith, N Kilroy, C Shine, N Daly (Roscommon), B Egan (Sligo),

C Kilkenny, P Hudson, E Ó Conghaile, J McCaffrey, P Ryan (Dublin), W Woods (Louth),

D Óg Hodnett, B Hurley (Cork), J Walsh (Kerry), K Tierney (Cavan), D McCurry (Tyrone).