Ciaran Carey Limerick Anchor man with a huge hunger for success Some of them have played in National League, All-Ireland Under 21 or All Ireland club deciders on previous occasions - but none of the current crop of Limerick players have tasted All-Ireland final day proper. Very soon they will, of course. Mighty midfielder Ciaran Carey hasn't even been at an All-Ireland Senior final before! The Patrickwell man will be present at Croke Park in all his glory on Sunday though, and every Offalyman alive will be only too aware of his presence! With his distinctive crew-cut hair style Ciaran Carey fairly stands out from the crowd, and once he gets that hurl in his hand he's also a man apart. Carey's performances at the heart of Limerick's midfield in this year's Championship have established him as one of the code's most exciting young stars and the talented Limerick man is destined to be a real thorn in Eamonn Cregan's side. The bad news for Offaly is that the Patrickswell powerhouse is just raring to go. "It's a first Senior final for us all and obviously we're looking forward to it. You can't afford to go into a game like this even contemplating defeat. We're confident, but we're going to play it cagey", he reveals. Anchoring the Limerick midfield, distributing it, setting up scores, taking them himself, cutting off enemy attacks, getting back to help his defence - Carey is vital to Limerick's cause. A most versatile and intelligent player, his approach this year has always been that of a winner, echoing the approach of the whole Limerick team. A lot of people said after Limerick's defeat of Antrim in this year's semi final that Tom Ryan's men had an easy path to the final - Carey doesn't agree. "People are saying that Offaly had the harder draw but we beat Cork, Waterford and Clare to win Munster so we didn't have it easy either. To be honest, we expected more from Antrim. We were in a no-win situation for that game and went in very well prepared. We picked up a lot of points -and there's more in the tank", he points out. At club level, Ciaran Carey has to date won four county Senior medals, two Munster club titles and two All-Ireland "Sevens" in 1989 and '91. He was right half forward on the Patrickswell side which lost out to Kilkenny's Glenmore in the 1991 All-Ireland club final and has played at both Minor and Under 21 level for his county, himself and Pat Heffernan sharing the unfortunate distinction of losing FOUR consecutive Munster. Under 21 finals between 1988 and '91. Incredibly, this is only Ciaran's first year playing at midfield for the county Seniors. He made his intercounty debut against Dublin in the 1988 League quarter final at Portlaoise as corner forward and has since served the county in a number of roles - most notably as centre half back for which he was honour with an All-Star in 1992. Which of this year's games gave him the greatest satisfaction? "Winning the Munster final was the big one, but beating Cork was sweet because we're so used to Cork and Tipperary beating us". Daithi Regan and Johnny Pilkington are the two players Ciaran will come into direct conflict with on Sunday. Not surprisingly, he has a healthy respect for both. "We know they're two great hurlers and they're both playing well. Regan is strong under the high ball and covers a lot of ground while Pilkington is very fast. I'll concentrate on my own game though and let them worry about us!" Carey agrees that both sides play a similar brand of hurling and doesn't attempt to disguise his determination to win on Sunday. "Playing in an All-Ireland final won't be a dream come true unless we win. When you get so far, it's unbearable to think of losing. I watched Offaly very closely against Galway and we'll have to be firing on all cylinders to beat them. Once I get out on the field I'd expect the nerves to disappear and I have a feeling it could be a very classy game". Do Limerick need this title more than Offaly/ "I suppose both counties need it, but we need it badly. 21 years is a very long time!".. Hunger is crucial in Gaelic games these days - Ciaran Carey is a young man with a huge appetite! He'll take a lot of stopping on Sunday. That is a fact. Written by the Hogan Stand Magazine 2nd Sept 1994 Tweet

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