Kieran Shannon: DJ Carey, Clare and Kilkenny and all that

The story of Clare-Kilkenny involves some of the biggest personalities the sport has known. Cody. Loughnane. Lohan. Shefflin. Fitzgerald. And yes, Carey, probably most of all.

1999: DJ Carey of Kilkenny on his way to scoring a goal despite the challenges of Frank Lohan and Séan McMahon, 6 of Clare during the Guinness All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final. Pic: Brendan Moran, Sportsfile

Can we dare mention his name? If we’re talking about Clare-Kilkenny as something that’s older than the past two years, is there any way we cannot? Before Henry and TJ there was DJ. 

Even more than the pair of them and as much as Loughnane and Cody he shaped the fixture in its modern form.