Mutliple Dublin GAA All-Ireland winner transfers to leading Meath club

It is a major coup for the club

By: irishmirror.ie

Jan 11 2025
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Mutliple Dublin GAA All-Irelan

Dublin All-Ireland winner Shane Carthy has joined 2023 Meath County champions Summerhill, in a major coup for the club.

The signing of the Dublin National League and Sam Maguire winner will bolster a Summerhill side, who have changed management this year with boss Conor Gillespie joining Robbie Brennan’s Meath ticket.

Carthy, who turned 30 back in November, was regarded as one of the brightest young prospects to emerge in Dublin over the past decade with serious skill levels.

He holds five All-Ireland medals across the minor, under-21 and senior grades with Dublin.

Leinster GAA have listed the transfer on their 2025 schedule.

The midfielder/wing forward has battled with depression as he outlined in his book, ‘Dark Blue - the despair behind the glory: My journey back from the edge.’

Carthy was man of the match in the 2014 Leinster under-21 final win over Meath, but in his book he outlines how he ended up in St. Patrick’s Mental Hospital a few days later.

At this stage Carthy was already an All-Ireland minor winner in 2012 under Dessie Farrell.

More recently, the Naomh Mearnog man came on as sub in last year’s Dublin Intermediate Final as his Portmarnock outfit defeated Clanna Gael Fontenoy in the decider.

Summerhill already have strong midfield options with former Meath player Adam Flanagan and Micheal Byrne. Carthy could slot in there or as a half forward.

They’ve changed management for 2025 with Dave Clare - a former Kilmacud Crokes coach and manager of Celbridge and Lucan - taking over after former Meath midfielder Conor Gillespie joined Robbie Brennan’s senior ticket.

Clare was previously part of the Summerhill management team for three years.

New Kildare boss Brian Flanagan has also been involved with Summerhill in recent seasons, while also managing Kildare under-20s, but his senior inter-county duties are likely to rule him out of a role with the club this year.

Summerhill - sponsored by Gordon Elliott Racing - won their first Meath Championship in a decade, when they defeated Ratoath after extra-time in the 2023 County Senior Final.

It brought to an end a heartbreaking run, which had seen the club lose four finals in five years, two of them to Ratoath.

Their main men are rising Meath star Eoghan Frayne, his brother Conor, Barry Dardis, Adam Flanagan, Adam McDonnell and the Ryan brothers - Ross and Ronan.

Last year Summerhill won the League but were beaten in the quarter-final of the Championship by Dunboyne, after emerging from a tough group featuring eventual champions Dunshaughlin, League finalists Ballinabrackey and Donaghmore-Ashbourne.

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