O’Carroll blow for senior footballers

Dublin will have to plan for 2016 without the services of outstanding full-back Rory O'Carroll.

The Kilmacud Crokes clubman, who won his third All-Ireland SFC last September, is to take the year out to work and travel in New Zealand.

Rory was honoured with an All-Star for his heroics in 2015 and also lined out for Ireland in their International Rules victory over Australia in Croke Park.

"Rory has decided to go away during the 2016 season,” confirmed Dublin manager Jim Gavin. “He’s moving to New Zealand, so he won’t be a part of us for the year.

“But we wish him the very best. We’ve always said to players it’s important to get the life balance, between family, their profession, and their sport. We will miss him, but we certainly wish him the best, and he goes with the sun on his back. And we look forward to the day when Rory puts on a county jersey again, and his club, Kilmaud Crokes, who will miss him as much as us.

“Well it is a pivotal position, yeah, although maybe more in the past. The game is always evolving, and it’s certainly a position where we feel we have good cover. A player like Rory you would like to have around, but we’ve a big squad, and we’ve always espoused the team ethic.

“He’s a top class guy, a real leader on the field, and we’ve worked with him since the under-21s, going back to 2008. But it’s a great opportunity for Rory to go away and experience a different lifestyle and culture, for a year or two, and it’s a great opportunity for the gap that he’s left, and the different players pushing for that particular position.”