Carmody rejects Banner invitation

EXPERIENCED Clare forward Tony Carmody has decided not to take up an invitation to play for the county under new manager Ger ‘Sparrow’ O’Loughlin this year.

Carmody has informed team management that he does not have the appetite for inter-county fare and won’t be making himself available for the 2010 season.

Carmody’s decision will come as another early-season blow to O’Loughlin after 34-year-old forward Niall Gilligan called time on his 13-year career this week.

Former All Star nominee Carmody burst onto the senior inter-county scene as a 20-year-old in 2001 but he has struggled to establish himself as a forward of consistency.

Carmody has walked away from inter-county hurling before, most notably during Tony Considine’s reign, but had been expected to give full commitment under the new regime after O’Loughlin took over from Mike McNamara.

Carmody’s decision not to play will leave O’Loughlin with a large void in the half-forward line.

The Inagh-Kilnamona player could well make an appearance later in the year if he rediscovers the hunger for hurling while O’Loughlin will also have to plan without the highly-rated Gary O’Connell, younger brother of last year’s team captain Brian.

The Wolfe Tones clubman is a graduate from the Clare underage ranks and also impressed for Limerick IT in recent Fitzgibbon Cup campaigns.

O’Connell, a versatile player who can operate in midfield or the half back line, had been tipped for a long inter-county career but hurling will have to take a back seat for now as the player has secured a job that will see him work during the evenings only.

O’Connell’s new post means that he will be unable to give full commitment to training and informed O’Loughlin that he will be unavailable for the foreseeable future.