DUBLIN DEFENDER RORY O’Carroll is hopeful of returning to contact training next week and is still targeting a return for the Leinster championship as he continues to recover from ankle surgery.
O’Carroll has been hampered by the problem for the last two years and opted in mid-March to finally go under the knife to cure the problem.
Sunday week’s Allianz Division 1 football league final against Tyrone has come too soon for O’Carroll to force his way into the reckoning for Jim Gavin’s side.
But he remains confident that he can be fit in time for their Leinster championship opener on June 1st against either Carlow or Westmeath.
“I was back running at the weekend and then I’ve to be put through my paces this week and just basically see how it goes. Everything’s going according to plan so far.”
“I’ve had it for the last two years. It was just constantly at me, so eventually it was like ‘Here, we better sort it out before it’s too late.’”
“I just had a loose bone and cartilage on my ankle joint, so it was impinging the movement.”
“Two years ago, I had a bad fall and I got an MRI scan last September. I was trying to play on and then it got too much. So I just got the surgery then in mid-March.”
“I’ll be back in contact maybe next Tuesday. That’s assuming that I get through everything this week and the weekend.”
O’Carroll has watched on in recent weeks as Dublin have continued on their winning ways and his Kilmacud Crokes clubmate Paul Mannion has been central to their recent impressive displays.
He caught the eye with 1-4 in last Sunday’s semi-final win over Mayo but his emergence is no surprise to O’Carroll.
“Last year in the club championship he was our best player. So he was basically carrying that form through to inter-county.
“He’s made that step-up quite easily – so hopefully he’ll keep it up. He’s got serious pace and then he’s quite accurate.
“He does have a good leap on him. So he’s good under the high ball, despite not being built like a tank.”
Pity it’s nearly over. It was brilliant.
These games were fantastic. Helped me forget about the doom and gloom for a bit over the last two weeks. Loved the swimming,the track events& cycling Bolt and Co were amazing. And of course our own team did a great job. Hopefully it will inspire kids out there and bring pride back to this country.
I really enjoyed the games! Thought after the amazing opening ceremony everything that followed would be a let down but by god I was wrong! Absolutely loved watching the sports, some of which I had never seen before! London did good, it has to be said! And well done and congrats to all who flew the flag for Ireland! Ye all did us proud!(“,)
Great two weeks of entertainment and a chance to forget the doom and gloom. Just shows what a bit of success can do for our national sense of well being. We really needed the lift. Hope it’s not spoilt by petty wrangling over money and unnecessary interference by politicians. Best moments were of course Katie Taylor and the boxers and other great performances by Annalise Murphy, Cian O Connor, Rob Heffernan and Gavin Noble. A sport I had never seen before was the dressage and I found it fascinating. Horses can dance! Amazing!
Sweden playing France in the Handball not the Volleyball !
Two sports we do not Care about either way! Volleyball is only good if played on a beach by cute women ;)
What about the boxing officials sent hope and Russia saying boxing is fixed ???
And let’s not forget the thousands of Irish fans that made it over to London for the games, who otherwise might not have been able to go if it was halfway across the world, it probably is the closest we will ever have to a HOME GAMES so that has been fantastic, London should be proud of the games they have put on.