DJ Carey, a celebrated former Kilkenny hurler and five-time All-Ireland winner, has been sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison for a fraudulent scheme in which he pretended to have cancer to defraud individuals. The 54-year-old, who previously lived in Newtown, Maynooth, County Kildare, pleaded guilty in July to 10 charges involving 13 complainants, including Denis O’Brien, one of Ireland’s wealthiest entrepreneurs. O’Brien alone provided Carey with over €125,000 (£109,500), along with accommodation and transport. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court revealed that Carey defrauded a total of 22 people out of nearly €400,000 (£350,000), with only about €44,000 (£38,500) repaid to date. The sentencing was delayed last week after Carey was hospitalized. The presiding judge condemned the fraud as one of the most reprehensible, stating that Carey had exploited people’s goodwill. Carey’s defense described his situation as a dramatic fall from grace, leaving him a pariah in the community. Once a revered figure in Irish hurling, Carey’s legacy is now marred by this scandal.