News that current Young Hurler of the Year Adrian Mullen will miss the remainder of Kilkenny's season with a torn cruciate, originally reported in the Irish Examiner, capped a bad weekend for injuries in the GAA.
Mullen, who played a starring role in his club Ballyhale’s back-to-back All-Ireland club titles in the past two years - winning Club Hurler of the Year in 2019 - as well as Kilkenny’s progress to last summer’s All-Ireland final against Tipperary, sustained the injury in his county’s draw with Clare last Sunday.
The wing forward was stretchered off in the 21st minute of the league match at UPMC Nowlan Park and worst fears confirmed on Monday after the injury had been scanned.
He is one of three award winners from the past two seasons to pick up season ending injuries in the past few days.
Limerick’s 2018 All-Ireland winner at corner back Richie English was confirmed out, also with a cruciate injury, by team manager John Kiely after the weekend success against Cork in Páirc UÍ Chaoimh. The Doon hurler had picked up the injury in the previous week’s league encounter with Galway.
Finally, Tyrone footballers’ All Star full forward Cathal McShane whose decision not to pursue a career in the AFL had been a cause of much celebration in the county in the past fortnight, will also miss most if not all of the 2020 season with a serious ankle injury.
Manager Mickey Harte said after his side had suffered a record defeat on his watch, now stretching back 18 seasons, that McShane had “at least” dislocated his ankle.
