Carlton continue GAA player recruitment drive

AFL club Carlton’s recruitment of underage Gaelic football stars shows no signs of abating.

They have offered Louth minor Ciarán Byrne a two-year international rookie contract and last Saturday held a training camp in the University of Limerick which was attended by three members of this year’s Tipperary All-Ireland minor winning side. There were also players from Dublin, Cork, Galway, Kildare and Offaly present.

Carlton officials put 16 of the best young footballers in the country through their paces following an extensive scouting process this summer that saw them focus on games in the All-Ireland MFC championship.

The session was conducted by Carlton recruitment officer Gerald Sholly with the players undertaking a series of drills designed to test speed, agility, reflexes, stamina and their ability with the oval ball.

Tipperary’s heroics in lifting the Tom Markham Cup were recognised with centre-back Dylan Fitzelle from Cashel King Cormacs and Clonmel Commercials duo Ian Fahy and Michael Quinlivan, who lined out at midfield and full-forward respectively, all attending the session. Fitzelle and Fahy are both still eligible for the minor grade next season.

From the Dublin team that were narrowly beaten by Tipperary in that decider, wing-back Jack McCaffrey, midfielder Emmet Ó Conghaile and attacker Ciaran Kilkenny were also present. Both Ó Conghaile and Kilkenny were part of the Dublin sides that contested this year’s All-Ireland minor hurling and football finals.

Cork were represented by Tadhg MacCarthaigh’s Brian O’Driscoll, a younger brother of 2009 All-Ireland U21 medal winners Colm and Kevin, and Iveleary’s Cathal Vaughan. Both featured in the side that reached the quarter-finals of this year’s All-Ireland MFC.

Galway attacker Shane Walsh from Kilkerrin-Clonberne, who starred in the St Jarlath’s side that reached last April’s Hogan Cup final, and Offaly’s Peter Cunningham from Raheen, were others involved.

Kildare pair Pádraig Fogarty and Sean Hurley, who have both gained senior inter-county championship experience under Lilywhites boss Kieran McGeeney, also attended while their teammate Fionn Dowling was invited but was sidelined with an injury.

St Mochta’s clubman Byrne, a younger brother of Louth senior Declan, will not be taking up the contract offer by the Melbourne-based club immediately as he remains eligible for the minor grade again in 2012.

Under an agreement brokered by GAA chiefs and their AFL counterparts, Australian Rules clubs must wait until Irish players have finished lining out at minor level for their counties, before recruiting them.

Byrne follows in the footsteps of Laois player Zach Tuohy who is currently on the books of Carlton while Cork’s Setanta Ó’hAilpín only saw his lengthy spell with the club draw to a close last week.

While an offer has now been made to Byrne, it is understood Carlton are to continue to keep tabs on the remainder of the players that they drafted in for last Saturday’s trial.