Sport

DJ's Greatest Tunes: A quick guide to Carey's inter-county career

Carey makes his first major impact on the national scene

Wed Feb 04 1998 - 00:00

Carey makes his first major impact on the national scene. Wins All-Ireland Colleges title with St Kieran's of Kilkenny and All-Ireland minor title with the county. Scores a goal in the defeat of Cork, but Carey is overshadowed by team-mate and fellow corner forward Adrian Ronan, who contributes seven points.

After capturing a League title with the county - scoring 10 of Kilkenny's 18-point total against New York in the final - his senior championship career begins ignominiously as Carey is substituted against Offaly, who enjoy a surprise win over their neighbours. The year finishes well, however, Carey playing his part in the county's All-Ireland under-21 success.

First Leinster title marked by his infamous eight-steps goal against Wexford. Carey makes it to Croke Park on the first Sunday of September for the first time in his senior career. Tipperary take the Liam McCarthy, however. Carey wins his first All Star - the first of six in seven years.

Carey wins his first All-Ireland medal as Kilkenny beat Cork 3-10 to 1-12. DJ's tally comes to 1-4, the goal arriving from a penalty. His performance warrants this assessment from Tom Humphries, writing in The Irish Times, the day after:

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"Carey's performance wouldn't have satisfied those quibblers who are demanding 70 minutes of genius from him. Probably he won't even have satisfied himself, yet his contributions to Kilkenny's argument were critical."

A second All-Ireland title. A goal in the semi-final against Antrim demonstrates Carey's exemplary skills: he doubles on the sliotar after it is put over from under the Hogan Stand at the Hill end, it comes back off the crossbar, and Carey reacts first to bat it home. Kilkenny beat Galway 2-17 to 115 in the final. Carey has a low-key afternoon, scoring four points, his lone point from play coming in added time. He drives four frees wide. Acknowledges his relatively poor show afterwards, saying: "It's fantastic. It didn't go for me on the day, but luckily it went for the team."

He still wins Texaco Hurler of the Year.

Carey sparkles in the League campaign and Kilkenny take the title. A three-goal tally, taken off Offaly's Kevin Kinahan in the semi-final, is a particular highlight.

Carey is part of the Young Ireland team that takes the club's first Kilkenny senior county title.

Kilkenny get back into the championship after losing to Wexford in the Leinster final. A memorable quarter-final against Galway - possibly the match of the championship - follows in Thurles. A vintage Carey performance, which includes a scoring contribution of 28, sees Kilkenny through. Beaten by Clare in semi-final.