KERRY ROOTS ADD SPICE TO O'SULLIVAN STEW!
As Sunday's All Ireland semi-final looms nearer we wish our Kilmacud men, Cian, Rory, Paul and Kevin, all the best for Dublin's joust with Kerry. The match is already a sell-out and I'm sure our ticket queen, Carmel Ryan, can attest to the huge interest in the game. The national media will typically highlight the strong links that Cian O'Sullivan has to The Kingdom - no harm in that! Cian has been featured in our homepage Player Profile feature over the past few months - see here. There, his mother's cooking features prominently as we would have expected given "The Mothers" food initiative for the senior football team in recent years! Nevertheless, we wonder how many of his club colleagues know the real Cian and his proud family background? Here are some points that will help us to better understand the formative influences on Cian, one of the most graceful and athletic players that the club has produced, a superb ambassador for his family, Kilmacud Crokes and the GAA. A selection of photos are included for good measure.
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Both of Cian's parents are from Kerry. John, his father, comes from Kilgarvan while his mother, Noreen, is from Ballyhar. His sisters, Mairead and Aisling, and his parents, have provided unwavering support and encouragement from the very beginning of his sporting career.
Cian's earliest achievements were in athletics. Spending much of his childhood in The Kingdom, he participated in athletics competitions throughout the county and represented Kerry in juvenile cross-country. He finished second to Ciaran O Lionaird, current Olympian, in the 2000 Munster Cross-Country Championships.
Cian attended primary school in Scoil San Treasa in Mt. Merrion and
played hurling and football whilst there. He made his Croke Pk debut at a
very early age captaining the school's Junior Hurling team to victory
in the Cumann na mBunscol finals there in 1999. Little did he know way
back then that he would revisit his alma mater again in 2011, bringing
the Sam Maguire with him this time (see shool pics below)
His introduction to Kilmacud Crokes and Gaelic Football came via Gerry O' Brien and Pat Lamb. Almost immediately, athletics were consigned to the archives, followed by hurling, rugby and soccer. Gerry and Pat, along with successive managers and mentors, provided excellent tutelage and exuded infectious enthusiasm for the pursuit of high standards. Cian retains a great sense of gratitude to and admiration for all of these gentlemen.
Cian has represented Dublin at all levels from Under 16 to Senior. He captained Dublin to an Under 21 Leinster Championship in 2009, losing the All-Ireland semi-final to Cork, the eventual winners, by a point. The culmination of Cian's Gaelic career to date has been his All-Ireland Club win over Crossmaglen, in 2009, with Kilmacud Crokes and his All Ireland Senior Championship win over Kerry, in 2011. Naturally, he hopes to enjoy further success with both Club and County in the years ahead. Life in the O'Sullivan household this week can only be interesting to say the least - they can't lose?
