International Rules series will play to McDonald’s strengths

It started with a text. Ciarán McDonald came home from a championship game with Aherlow when his phone chimed.

“I got a text saying ‘are you interested in coming to a trial game?’ and I said ‘sure why wouldn’t I be?’” The newly-qualified doctor wasn’t a consideration for last year’s International Rules series but not because of form: the 25-year-old was laid low after two operations to correct a bilateral hip problem. The defender was told he wasn’t meant to play again.

“I was getting progressive pain in my hip throughout the season. The year before (2012) we played Galway as well, after we lost to Kerry, and I didn’t play because I was incapable of doing it. Luckily enough, I had a good medical team around me. They referred me on to a specialist — Patrick Carton in Whitfield.