Cork footballers look likely to be without another one of their star players for the 2014 championship with the news that Ciaran Sheehan is set to move to the AFL.
New manager Brian Cuthbert has had to deal with a raft of retirements, with Alan Quirke and Pearse O’Neill the latest to call it a day, but now he will have to plan without 22 year-old Sheehan who is set to move to the Carlton Blues in January.
The Score have reported that the Eire Óg ace will become the latest Irish export Down Under, taking up a two-year deal after impressive displays in the recent International Rules Series, where he will link up with Laois man Zach Tuohy and another recent Irish recruit Ciaran Byrne.
“It’s a great opportunity that I didn’t want to turn down”, Sheehan told TheScore.ie. “I thought a lot about it and didn’t take the decision lightly.
“Leaving home is very tough and not playing for Cork or Eire Og is a difficult thing to take. But this is something I wanted to do so I’m going to go for it.”
It will be his second stint with Carlton, having spent four weeks with the club in the summer of 2009 before returning home.
A dejected figure after Sunday’s County Final defeat
He will be a huge loss to the Rebels and has become a key figure in attack since making his senior in 2009 having won Munster silverware at minor level for Cork in both codes. In that time he has also battled back from a cruciate injury and become one of the most talented forwards in the game.
Sheehan featured for Eire Óg in their Cork intermediate hurling final defeat to Kanturk last Sunday and his loss will be felt just as keenly by his club.
We wish him all the best in his career Down Under.
Credit: The Score
