Kilkenny 'devastated' for cruciate victim O'Gara

By Brian Murphy

When it emerged that Eoghan O'Gara had torn his cruciate ligament in a club game over the weekend, there was nobody better placed to offer his sympathy than his Dublin team-mate Ciarán Kilkenny.

Kilkenny has been through the nightmare injury and has just come out the other side, returning to the Dublin team this spring after a year spent on the sidelines having ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in an Allianz League game against Kildare this time last year.

Eoghan O'Gara ruled out for season with ACL rupture

The Castlekock prodigy was 20 when he had his brush with the cruciate curse; Eoghan O'Gara is 29 and had started the season in superb form in the Dublin attack. In that context, it's a devastating blow for the Templeogue Synge Street clubman, who played in the 2011 and 2013 All-Ireland finals.

To make matters worse, it later emerged that O'Gara's younger brother, Dublin U21 star Killian, broke his ankle in the same League game against Fingal Ravens.

"I'm devastated for him personally, devastated in general. Just, these things happen in sport. And his brother actually did his ankle in the game - he was flying for the U21s as well. It's tough on the family, but I suppose these things happen in sport," Kilkenny said on Tuesday.

"I wouldn't wish that injury on anyone, but you look at the likes of Colm O'Neill - he has come back from it three times. So, all I can do is wish Eoghan a speedy recovery. If he puts the work in he'll be back, better than ever."

Kilkenny is mature beyond his years, very grounded and, publicly at least, he dealt with his own injury problems in a philosophical manner, opting to use his time out of the game to get involved in coaching teams in St Pat's Drumcondra, where he is studying to be a primary school teacher, as well as going to Zambia as part of his role as an ambassador for Edmund Rice Development which supports the work of the Christian Brothers in the developing world.

"I suppose I was philosophical with it because I've been playing so much with football and hurling with so many different teams, and it was good to get a break. But then again, when I was out for the year, it's tough and it makes you appreciate it a lot more," Kilkenny says.

"You're really in a privileged position to be playing for your county, and you'd even miss being around the dressing-room - the small little things. So I wouldn't wish it on anyone, but I learned a lot from it.

"I helped out with a few teams in the college (St Pat's Drumcondra) and got to develop different aspects of my life as well, so it was good in that sense. But hopefully, touch wood, I won't get it again and wouldn't wish it on anyone.

"I was playing, ever since I was younger, and to be not playing is just hard. I suppose the rehab is the toughest part - you're doing three or four months of rehab, it's tough going.

"But you get to do other things. I got to go to Zambia with a charity, and other things like that as well.

"Going to Zambia gives you a good perspective on life, and how little they have over there and how privileged we are over here. It just made me appreciate things a lot more, going over there, and it was a great experience."

Asked if it was easier or harder than he had expected, Kilkenny is unequivocal.

"Ah yeah, it was a lot harder! When I originally went in, I didn't think it was as bad as it was. But then you have to look at it in a positive way. It was a year out of playing football, and there are so many games - college, club, county - that you look at and you just want to be involved in.

"So, just over the moon, the first game I went out playing for the college. Ever since then, it's been great to be back playing football."

Kilkenny returned to training with Dublin late last year and played in the season-opening O'Byrne Cup before making his competitive return in an Allianz League game against Donegal at Croke Park in early February.

"It was a great game to get back for," he says. "I had played six or seven games before that so I was alright mentally going into the game. It was a great game to be involved in because it was end-to-end stuff, a really competitive game and a good bit of bite in it as well. We were lucky enough to get the win as well so it was good.

"The first few games you are kind of mindful a little bit going up for a high ball or something like that. But as soon as you burst your first tackle or go up for a high ball or somebody hits you a belt or whatever then you are flying.

"After the first few games you get over it, building up your confidence slowly and gradually and after a few games you don't think about it anymore."

Perversely, Kilkenny believes the year-long break might well have done him good, physically as well as mentally. He had Dublin team-mate Kevin O'Brien, who sustained a similar cruciate injury playing for DIT, for company throughout his rehabilitation and both were tested before their injuries and once again afterwards.

"You find out some of your scores are a lot better," Kilkenny says. "You're in the gym for four or five months so you get to specify a lot of parts of your body so you do come back stronger and I suppose looking at Eoghan, if he works hard in the gym he will come back a better player as well. But just take things as they come.

"When you are playing football you think you are invincible and then you get an injury and you suddenly realise these things can happen," he says.

"It makes you think about other aspects of your life, college work, family. You become a better person because of it. Obviously I was devastated that I got it but it was a good opportunity to learn other things about yourself and thank God I'm back fully fit and please God I'll still have a clean bill of health.

"If lads can get through a cruciate injury they can get through a lot of things in life. It's 50/50 mental and physical. You have a lot of hurdles to get over. It's tough."

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Cathal Barrett, Tipperary hurler, Ciarán Kilkenny, Dublin footballer, Cian O'Callaghan, Dublin hurler, and Sarah McCaffrey, Dublin ladies footballer, were on hand to launch the AIG XLNTdriver App; an easy and simple to use app that rewards safe drivers by reducing their car insurance premiums. Further details are available at www.aig.ie or customers can call 1890 27 27 27 with queries. Pictured at the launch are, from left, Sarah McCaffrey, Dublin, Cathal Barrett, Tipperary, and Ciarán Kilkenny, Dublin. Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin