DJ Carey misses Kilkenny jubilee team celebration at Croke Park

Henry Shefflin acknowledging the applause in Croke Park as the Kilkenny Jubilee Team of 2000 were celebrated ahead of Sunday's GAA All-Ireland hurling final. The stadium announcer said DJ Carey was 'not with us today'. Picture: Laszlo Geczo/Inpho 

Former Kilkenny hurling star DJ Carey missed a celebration marking his county's All-Ireland victory 25 years ago.

It comes after he pleaded guilty earlier this month to inducing people to give him money after fraudulently claiming to have cancer.

Carey, 54, is one of the most acclaimed figures in GAA history, having won five All-Ireland titles and nine All-Star awards.

When he retired from inter-county hurling in 2006, he was hailed as an "idol" for young players and a legend of the game.

Ahead of Sunday's All-Ireland Hurling Final, the Kilkenny senior hurling championship-winning team which Carey was a part of in 2000 was celebrated at Croke Park.

Former Kilkenny hurler DJ Carey at the Circuit Court on July 2. His legal team told the court that a jury would not be required before he pleaded guilty to 10 counts of fraud. Picture: Collins Courts

However, the announcer said that Carey was "not with us today" as he remained absent from the team lining out on the pitch as part of the celebration.

Carey appeared in court in late 2023 charged with 21 counts under the Theft and Fraud Offences Act, at which point a four-week trial was expected to take place this year.

At the Circuit Court in the Criminal Courts of Justice on July 2, his legal team told the court that a jury would not be required before he pleaded guilty to 10 counts of fraud.

Carey, dressed in a suit and wearing a patterned tie, spoke only to plead "guilty" to the 10 charges during the brief court appearance.

It was put to him that he induced various people, at dates between 2014 and 2022, to make a monetary payment to him after fraudulently claiming to have cancer and needing finances to obtain treatment, with the intention of making a gain to him and causing a loss to another.

The court heard from Carey's defence team that while cancer was referred to in the indictment, Carey "does have very genuine health conditions" and required surgery for a heart condition last year.

A sentencing date has been set for October 29 and Carey was remanded on bail until then.