Denis Joseph Carey (born 11 November 1970), often abbreviated to D.J. Carey, is an Irish former hurler and convicted criminal. He played as a left corner-forward at senior level for the Kilkenny county team. In July 2025, he pled guilty to ten counts of deception, and was sentenced to five and a half years’ imprisonment in November 2025.
Carey began his hurling career at club level with Young Irelands. He broke onto the club's top adult team as a 17-year-old in 1988 and enjoyed his first success in 1992 when the club won the Kilkenny Intermediate Championship title and promotion to the top flight of Kilkenny hurling. Carey later won Kilkenny Senior Championship medals as captain in 1996 and 2002. He made numerous championship appearances in three different grades of hurling for the club before retiring after a 25-year club career in 2013.
At inter-county level, Carey was part of the successful Kilkenny minor team that won the All-Ireland Championship in 1988 before later the All-Ireland Championships with the under-21 team in 1990. He joined the Kilkenny senior team in 1988. From his debut, Carey was ever-present as a forward and made a combined total of 138 National League and Championship appearances in a career that ended with his last game in 2005. During that time he was part of five All-Ireland Championship-winning teams – in 1992, 1993, 2000, 2002 and 2003. Carey also secured ten Leinster Championship medals and four National Hurling League medals. He announced his retirement from inter-county hurling on 1 June 2006.
Carey's granduncle, Paddy Phelan, won four All-Ireland medals with Kilkenny. His aunt, Peggy Carey, won four All-Ireland medal with the Kilkenny camogie team. Carey's brother, Martin, was sub goalkeeper on the Kilkenny team for a number of years.
Carey has been described as "GAA's first superstar" and a "hurling legend". During his playing days he won nine All-Star awards, as well as being named Texaco Hurler of the Year on two occasions. He has been repeatedly voted onto teams made up of the sport's greats, including on the Kilkenny Hurling Team of the Century in 2000 and on a special Leinster Hurling Team (1984-2009). Carey's omission from the Hurling Team of the Millennium was seen as controversial at the time.
In retirement from playing, he became involved in team management and coaching. At club level he has trained the Young Irelands junior hurling team, while he has also served as hurling coach at Carlow Institute of Technology. Carey's business and personal life has also been the subject of significant coverage.
Early and personal life Denis Joseph Carey was born in Kilkenny, in 1970. He was born into a large family, with three brothers and three sisters. One of his sisters, Catriona Carey, was a member of the Ireland women's national field hockey team, as well as being part of the Kilkenny senior camogie team. His brother, Martin Carey, was also a member of the Kilkenny hurling panel as a substitute goalkeeper for a number of years. Several members of Carey's extended family have also played hurling and camogie. His aunt, Peggy Carey, won four All-Ireland camogie titles with Kilkenny and his granduncle, Paddy Phelan, was an inter-county hurler of the 1930s and was selected on the GAA Hurling Team of the Century and the GAA Team of The Millennium.
Carey's private life, involving his wife and two children, had long been the subject of intense media scrutiny and rumour. News of the breakdown of his seven-year marriage hit the headlines shortly before the All-Ireland final in 2003 although Carey and his wife had been separated for more than a year. A year later Carey spoke for the first time about the marriage break-down and of finding new love with British-born millionaire Sarah Newman, who was herself a celebrity and starred on the television series Dragons' Den. Carey and Newman separated in 2012.
Controversy and criminal proceedings Carey began a number of business ventures after retiring, including D.J. Carey Enterprises. Based in his home village of Gowran, it was a wholesale company selling hygiene products to other businesses. His former partner Sarah Newman, who was a director of DJ Carey Enterprises, called in auditors in 2012, and a series of discrepancies were found. Around this time, two of his other businesses collapsed with major losses to creditors. D.J. Carey Enterprises was dissolved in 2016. In 2017, Carey's debts of over €9.5m were written down to €60,000.
In 2017, Allied Irish Banks (AIB) reportedly agreed to write down a €9.5 million debt associated with Carey. AIB, which was majority state-owned at the time, was asked to speak to an Oireachtas committee about the arrangement in early 2023. Bank transfers, made to Carey in 2020 by his sister Caitriona (who had previously worked at the same business), were also reputedly the subject of "Garda scrutiny" in early 2023.
In July 2025, Carey pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to ten counts of deception, admitting that he fraudulently claimed to have cancer between 2014 and 2022 in order to induce at least 12 people — including billionaire Denis O’Brien — to donate money allegedly for treatment. He had originally faced 21 charges, including two counts involving false instruments; one count was struck out and the remainder taken into consideration during sentencing. Appearing impassive in court dressed in a dark suit, Carey pleaded “guilty” to each count, while his defence counsel noted that he had serious health issues, including undergoing heart surgery in 2024, as well as psychological distress, and requested preparation of medical and psychological reports. He was granted continuing bail and his sentencing hearing was scheduled for 29 October 2025. The total amount defrauded was not disclosed, though victim Noel Tynan described donating €10,000 after believing Carey’s illness. Irish media highlighted that Carey’s conviction marked a dramatic fall from grace for one of hurling’s most iconic and celebrated figures. On 3 November 2025, Carey was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison for his crimes.
Playing career St Kieran's College Carey first came to prominence as a hurler with St Kieran's College in Kilkenny. He played in every grade of hurling before joining the college's senior hurling team as a 16-year-old. On 22 March 1987, Carey was listed amongst the substitutes when St. Kieran's College faced Birr Community School in the Leinster final. He was introduced as a substitute and collected a winners' medal following the 4–08 to 3–09 victory. On 10 May 1987, Carey lined out at right corner-forward when St Kieran's College played St Flannan's College from Ennis in the All-Ireland final. He scored a point from play but ended on the losing side following a 4–11 to 1–07 defeat.
On 27 March 1988, Carey lined out at right corner-forward when St Kieran's College faced Enniscorthy CBS in the Leinster final. He claimed a second successive winners' medal after scoring 2–05 in the 8–17 to 1–06 victory. Carey retained his position at right corner-forward for the All-Ireland final on 8 May 1988. He scored two points from play and claimed his first All-Ireland medal after a 3–10 to 2–07 defeat of Midleton CBS.
Carey lined out in a third successive Leinster final on 15 April 1989. He scored 1-05 from full-forward in the 1-07 apiece draw with Birr Community School. Carey retained the full-forward position for the replay on 23 April 1989 but was limited to just a point from play in the 2–11 to 1–09 victory. On 8 May 1989, he lined out in a third successive All-Ireland final. Carey received a pain-killing injection just before the match but scored 3-03 and collected a second successive winners' medal following the 3–05 to 1–09 defeat of St Flannan's College.
Young Irelands Carey joined the Young Irelands club at a young age and played in all grades at juvenile and underage levels. He became a regular member of the club's top adult team during the 1988 Kilkenny Intermediate Hurling Championship.
On 24 September 1989, Carey was just 18-years-old when he played in his first Kilkenny Intermediate Championship final. Lining out in goal he ended the game on the losing side following a 2–13 to 0–14 defeat by Mullinavat.
Carey lined out in a second Kilkenny Intermediate Championship final on 27 October 1991, however, by now he was lining out at centre-forward. He scored 1-02, including a goal from a penalty, in the 4–09 to 2–08 defeat by Dicksboro.
On 18 October 1992, Carey lined out in a second successive Kilkenny Intermediate Championship final - his third overall. Selected to play at full-forward, he suffered concussion after a heavy knock late in the first half but remained on the field until he was substituted in the 54th minute. Carey ended the game with a winners' medal after the 2–12 to 1–07 defeat of Conahy Shamrocks.
Carey was appointed captain of the Young Irelands senior team for the 1996 Kilkenny Senior Championship. On 6 October 1996, he captained the team to the final against James Stephens. Carey was the game's top scorer with 1–05 in the 2–10 to 0–16 draw. The replay on 20 October 1996 saw Carey top score with 2-04 and claim a winners' medal after a 3–09 to 2–10 victory.
On 12 October 1997, Carey lined out in a second successive Kilkenny Senior Championship final. He ended the game as the top scorer with 1-02, however, Young Irelands suffered a 2–10 to 2–07 defeat by Dunnamaggin. Carey ended the championship as the top scorer with 3-16 from three games.
Carey lined out in a third Kilkenny Senior Championship final on 27 October 2002. He ended the game with a second winners' medal after top scoring with 2–07 in the 3–14 to 1–15 defeat of Dunnamaggin. Carey was also the championship's top scorer with 5-19 from three games. On 1 December 2002, he scored a point from a free when Young Irelands suffered a 2–05 to 1–02 defeat by Birr in the Leinster final.
On 26 October 2003, Carey was at full-forward when Young Irelands lined out against O'Loughlin Gaels in the Kilkenny Senior Championship final. He top scored for the team with 1–03 in the 2–12 to 3–09 draw with O'Loughlin Gaels. Carey was again at full-forward for the replay on 2 November 2003 and was the game's joint top scorer with 1–07 in the 2–12 to 2–10 defeat.
Carey made his fifth Kilkenny Senior Championship final appearance on 31 October 2004 when Young Irelands lined out against James Stephens. He top scored with 3-06 but ended the game on the losing side after the 2–16 to 3–12 defeat. Carey ended the championship as the top scorer with 5-35 from five games.
On 6 October 2007, Carey lined out in his last senior game for Young Irelands. He top scored for the team with six points in the 1–11 to 0–13 defeat of Mullinavat in a relegation play-off at Nowlan Park.
After four years away from the club scene Carey returned as a member of the Young Irelands junior team. He began as a goalkeeper before taking up his more regular position in the full-forward line.
Kilkenny Minor and under-21 After narrowly missing out on a place on the Kilkenny minor hurling team in 1987, Carey was added to the team in advance of the 1988 Leinster Championship. He made his debut on 25 May 1988 and scored 1-03 from left corner-forward in Kilkenny's 1–18 to 2–07 defeat of Dublin. Carey again lined out at left corner-forward when Kilkenny faced Offaly in the Leinster final. He was held scoreless from play but ended the game with a winners' medal after a 2–16 to 0–06 victory. On 4 September 1988, Carey scored 1-02 from left corner-forward when Kilkenny defeated Cork by 3–13 to 0–12 in the All-Ireland final.