Setanta Ó hAilpín

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article needs additional citations for verification.
Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008)

**Setanta Ó hAilpín**
Personal information

Birth	18 March 1983 (1983-03-18) (age 25), Sydney, Australia
Recruited from	Na Piarsaigh GAA (Cork GAA)
Height and weight	199cm / 96kg
Playing career¹
Debut	Round 7, 7 May 2005, Carlton vs. Richmond, at Melbourne Cricket Ground
Team(s)	Carlton (2005-) 43 games, 18 goals
¹ Statistics to end of Rnd 11, 2008 season
Career highlights
International Rules Series 2004 (representing Ireland)

Setanta "Carlos" Ó hAilpín, (born in Sydney, Australia on 18 March 1983) is a sportsman of dual Irish-Australian citizenship.^{[citation needed]} He was a hurling champion in Ireland before re-emigrating to Australia where he became a professional Australian Rules footballer. He is of mixed Irish and Rotuman background. His brothers Seán Óg and Aisake are also noted sportsmen.

1 Childhood and Gaelic games
2 AFL career
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Childhood and Gaelic games

Ó hAilpín was born in Australia to an Irish father and a mother from the Fijian dependency of Rotuma. The family moved to Cork city in Ireland in 1988, and Setanta played both hurling and Gaelic football for Na Piarsaigh, eventually concentrating on hurling. In 2000 he was selected for the Cork minor team. He studied at Waterford Institute of Technology and starred on its Fitzgibbon Cup-winning side in March 2003. He joined his elder brother Seán Óg on the Cork team for the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship 2003, which lost the final to Kilkenny in September. His contribution to the campaign earned him an All-Star award and the Young Hurler of the Year award.

In December 2003 Ó hAilpín announced his move to Australia to play Australian rules football for Carlton Football Club in Melbourne. This caused surprise as AFL recruiters in Ireland target Gaelic footballers and Ó hAilpín had concentrated on hurling.^[1] Younger brother Aisake followed Setanta to Carlton, while elder brother Seán Óg has continued with the Cork hurlers.

Setanta returned to Ireland in 2004 to play for the Irish team in the 2004 International Rules Series against Australia. During his trip, he also turned out alongside his brothers for Na Piarsaigh as they won the Cork Senior Hurling Championship.

[edit] AFL career

Originally placed on the rookie list, strong performances in the VFL for the Northern Bullants elevated Setanta to the primary list in place of Anthony Franchina during 2004; however, injury stunted his progress during that season. He made his AFL debut during 2005, but had limited game time, scoring a goal with his only kick — a set shot at the very end of the game.

Ó hAilpín was placed on Carlton's senior list in 2006. After playing largely in the forward line for the first years of his development, he was shifted to half-back in early 2006. He gained regular senior selection late in the season, playing the final ten games of the season.

Ó hAilpín began the 2007 season playing at full-back, playing the first six games there. An injury to Cameron Cloke then saw Ó hAilpín replacing him as a back-up ruckman, which also proved to be a successful position, with Ó hAilpín's mobility an advantage against bigger ruckmen when the ball went to ground. He has also been rotated forward from the ruck position, making him completely versatile.

Setanta has become a crowd favourite amongst Carlton fans due to his great enthusiasm for the game and for his club, along with his exuberant fist pumping goal celebrations. His nickname "Carlos" is derived from the similarity between Setanta and Santana, the surname of Mexican/American guitarist Carlos Santana. "Setanta" was the birth-name of Cúchulainn, hero of the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology.

[edit] References

^ Keys, Colm. "Rebel ace Setanta not for Rules code", Irish Independent, November 28 2003. Retrieved on 2008-02-23.

[edit] External links

Setanta Ó hAilpín profile on the Official AFL Website of the Carlton Football Club
Setanta Ó hAilpín's statistics from AFL Tables

Setanta Ó hAilpín profile in Blueseum

Preceded by Eoin Kelly (Tipperary)	Vodafone Young Hurler of the Year 2003	Succeeded by Brian Murphy (Cork)

v • d • e Cork - All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Runners Up 2003

1 D. Óg Cusack \| 2 W. Sherlock \| 3 D. O'Sullivan \| 4 P. Mulcahy \| 5 T. Kenny \| 6 R. Curran \| 7 S. Óg Ó hAilpín \| 8 J. Gardiner \| 9 M. O'Connell \| 10 B. O'Connor (Capt.) \| 11 N. McCarthy \| 12 T. McCarthy \| 13 S. Ó hAilpín \| 14 J. Deane \| 15 A. Browne (Capt.) \| Subs: J. O'Connor \| S. McGrath \| Manager: D. O'Grady