LOUTH MINOR Ciarán Byrne has been offered a two-year international rookie contract by AFL club Carlton. The St Mochta’s clubman will not be joining the Melbourne-based outfit for the coming season, however, as he is minor again in 2012.
Current Carlton player Zach Tuohy was identified at a similar age by the Blues, but, under an agreement between the GAA and the AFL, Aussie Rules clubs are not allowed take Irish players on until their minor commitments have concluded.
Byrne is a highly-prized talent in Louth and scored nine of his side’s 10 points in their Leinster minor football semi-final defeat to Meath last July. A younger brother of Louth senior Declan, Byrne was one of 16 players who attended a trial organised by Carlton at the University of Limerick recently.
Kildare players with senior inter-county championship experience, Pádraig Fogarty and Seán Hurley, also attended the trial while Fionn Dowling was invited, but had to cry off due to injury.
Others in attendance were Cork senior Barry O’Driscoll, Dublin minor Ciarán Kilkenny and a couple of members of the AllIreland winning Tipperary outfit.
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