March a curse for cruciate injuries

If the adage “beware the ides of March” can be applied to Gaelic games, it must surely reflect the susceptibility of damaging an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the month.

Ciarán Kilkenny, who describes it as “March madness”, picked up his season-ending tear this coming weekend 12 months ago. The same month, Cork’s Ruairi Deane and Mayo’s Cathal Carolan also experienced it.

Two of Colm O’Neill’s three cruciate injuries have come in March, as have one of John Galvin’s two setbacks. Four years ago this month, former Dublin hurler Stephen Hiney ruptured his.