Senior
Having just graduated from the minor grade,Carey was added to the Kilkenny senior team during the 1988-89 National League. He made his senior debut on 19 February 1989 when he lined out in goal in Kilkenny's 0–13 to 1–08 defeat of Offaly. Carey was later included as sub-goalkeeper to Kevin Fennelly for the 1989.
Carey's tenure as a goalkeeper ended during the 1989-90 National League when he was switched to an outfield player. He made his first appearance as a forward on 15 October 1989 when he scored 0–10 in Kilkenny's 0–20 to 2–08 defeat of Antrim. On 22 April 1990,Carey scored 1-04 from play when Kilkenny defeated Wexford by 3–12 to 1–10 in the National League home final. He ended the campaign with a National League medal after top scoring with 0–10 in Kilkenny's 0–18 to 0–09 defeat of New York in the final proper,while he was also the league's top scorer with 1-52. [53] Carey made his Leinster Championship debut on 17 June 1990 in a 4–15 to 1–08 defeat by Offaly in the semi-final.
On 21 July 1991,Carey lined out in his Leinster final. He scored five points from right wing-forward and collected a winners' medal following the 1–13 to 1–11 defeat of Dublin. [54] Carey was switched to left wing-forward for the All-Ireland final against Tipperary on 1 September 1990. Carey lined out in a second successive Leinster final on 5 July 1990. He ended the game with a second winners' medal after top scoring with 1–06 in the 3–16 to 2–09 defeat of Wexford. On 6 September 1992,Carey lined out at left wing-forward when Kilkenny faced Cork in the All-Ireland final. He was the game's top scorer with 1-04,including a first-half goal from a penalty,and collected his first All-Ireland medal after the 3–10 to 1–12 victory. [55] Carey was later presented with a second consecutive All-Star award.
On 11 July 1993,Carey scored five points when Kilkenny drew 2–14 to 1–17 with Wexford in the Leinster final. [56] He top scored with 1–05 in the replay a week later and claimed a third successive Leinster Championship medal after the 2–12 to 0–11 victory. On 5 September 1993,Carey lined out at left wing-forward in a third successive All-Ireland final. He scored four points in the 2–17 to 1–15 defeat of Galway and claimed a second successive All-Ireland medal. [57] Carey ended the season by winning a third successive All-Star award while he was also selected as the Texaco Hurler of the Year. [58]
Carey ended Kilkenny's unsuccessful 1994 Leinster Championship campaign as the team's top scorer with 2-08 from two games. In spite of exiting the championship at the provincial semi-final stage Carey ended the season with a fourth consecutive All-Star award.
On 7 May 1995,Carey lined out in his first National League final since 1990. He was held scoreless at full-forward but ended the game with a second league winners' medal after a 2–12 to 0–09 defeat of Clare. [59] On 16 July 1995,Carey top scored with two goals when Kilkenny suffered a 2–16 to 2–05 defeat by Offaly in the Leinster final. He was later presented with a fifth consecutive All-Star award.
Carey was appointed captain of the Kilkenny senior team for the 1997 season. He lined out in a fifth Leinster final on 13 July 1997,however,he ended the game on the losing side after a 2–14 to 1–11 defeat by Wexford. Carey ended the season as the championship's top scorer with 4-22,while he also claimed a sixth All-Star award.
On 4 February 1998,rumours of Carey's imminent retirement shocked the hurling world when they began circulating in the national media. He later confirmed his retirement from club and inter-county hurling in an interview on RTÉRadio citing a loss of "appetite" for the game as his primary reason. [60] Over the following few weeks,Carey received 25,000 letters from all over the country encouraging him not to retire. [61] On 20 March 1998,he reversed his decision and announced that he would be returning to hurling at the end of the month. On 5 July 1998,Carey lined out in his sixth Leinster final. He scored 2-01 from play and collected a fourth winners' medal after a 3–10 to 1–11 defeat of Offaly. On 13 September 1998,Carey lined out at right wing-forward when Kilkenny once again faced Offaly in the All-Ireland final. He top scored for Kilkenny with five points,however,he ended on the losing side following a 2–16 to 1–13 defeat. [62]
On 11 July 1999,Carey won his fifth Leinster Championship medal after a 5–14 to 1–16 defeat of Offaly in the final. [63] He ended the game as the top scorer with 2–04 with all bar two points coming from play. On 12 September 1999,Carey was selected at right wing-forward when Kilkenny qualified for a first All-Ireland final-meeting with Cork in seven years. He was held scoreless throughout the game which Kilkenny lost by 0–13 to 0–12. [64] Carey was later presented with a seventh All-Star award. [65]
After making just one appearance during the 2000 National League,Carey lined out in a seventh Leinster final on 9 July 2000. He scored 1-03 from full-forward and claimed a fifth winners' medal after a 2–21 to 1–13 defeat of Offaly. [66] Carey made his sixth All-Ireland final appearance on 10 September 2000,with Offaly once again providing the opposition. Kilkenny's full-forward line of Carey,Charlie Carter and Henry Shefflin scored 4-10 between them,with Carey top scoring with 2-04 and claiming a third All-Ireland medal after the 5–15 to 1–14 victory. [67] He ended the season by winning an eighth All-Star award while he was also selected as Hurler of the Year for the second time in his career. [68]
On 8 July 2001,Carey made his eighth appearance in a Leinster final. Lining out at full-forward he scored a goal in the 2–19 to 0–12 defeat of Wexford and collected a seventh winners' medal. [69]
Carey was ruled out of the 2002 National League after being involved in a car accident which caused him to suffer serious neck and shoulder injuries. He also went an operation to remove his appendix. [70] Carey's career looked to be over when he was also ruled out of the Leinster Championship,however,he returned to the starting fifteen for the first time in twelve months for Kilkenny's 1–20 to 1–16 defeat of Tipperary in the All-Ireland semi-final. On 8 September 2002,Carey lined out at left corner-forward when Kilkenny faced Clare in the All-Ireland final. He ended the game after scoring 1-06 and claimed a fourth All-Ireland medal following the 2–20 to 0–19 victory. Carey ended the season by winning a record ninth All-Star award. [71] [72]
On 5 May 2003,Carey won a third National League medal after scoring 1-03,including three points from frees,in Kilkenny's 5--14 to 5–13 defeat of Tipperary in the final. [73] The departure of Charlie Carter from the team at the start of the Leinster Championship saw Carey assume the captaincy of the team for the second time in his career. [74] On 6 July 2003,he won his ninth Leinster Championship medal - his eighth on the field of play - after scoring three points in the 2–23 to 2–12 defeat of Wexford in the final. [75] On 7 September 2003,Carey captained Kilkenny to an All-Ireland final appearance against Cork,however,on the morning of the game details of his recent marital breakdown made the front page of a national newspaper. The notion that the marriage of an amateur sportsman should be held up for public scrutiny shocked many. [76] Carey was held scoreless from right corner-forward but the 1–14 to 1–11 victory allowed him to collect a fifth All-Ireland medal while he also had the honour of lifting the Liam MacCarthy Cup as captain. [77]
On 12 September 2004,Carey made his ninth All-Ireland final appearance when he lined out at left wing-forward against Cork. For the third time in his career and for the second year in succession he was held scoreless in a final against Cork as Kilkenny suffered a 0–17 to 0–09 defeat. [78]
On 2 May 2005,Carey won a fourth National League medal after scoring 1-02 from full-forward in Kilkenny's 3–20 to 0–15 defeat of Clare in the final. [79] On 7 July 2005,he won a 10th Leinster Championship medal,albeit as an unused substitute,following Kilkenny's 0–22 to 1–16 defeat of Wexford in the final. [80] Carey was beck in the starting fifteen at full-forward for Kilkenny's 5–18 to 4–18 defeat by Galway in the All-Ireland semi-final on 21 August 2005. [81] It was his last game for Kilkenny. Carey announced his retirement from inter-county hurling on 1 June 2006. [82]
