Cathal feeling so Ath’ home

McCARRON RELISHING LIFE WITH KILDARE CHAMPS

- By PAUL KEANE

RED LETTER DAY Athy celebrate after beating Naas in the Kildare SFC final at Cedral St. Conleth's Park on Sunday

FORMER Tyrone star Cathal McCarron says he's found his ‘home from home’ with new Kildare SFC champions Athy.

McCarron was an All-Ireland medallist as a rising Red Hand star in 2008 and went on to win three All Star nominations across two stints with Tyrone.

In between, he featured for the London footballers in 2014 having moved there while suffering from a high-profile gambling addiction.

The Dromore man revealed just how low things got for him in his 2016 autobiography Out of Control.

By that stage he had benefited from treatment at the Cuan Mhuire addiction centre in Athy - where he stayed and made his home.

Now 37, he played a key role from centre-back in last Sunday's county final defeat of favourites Naas, celebrating afterwards with his partner, Niamh, and their two children.

“It's well documented that I was down here in Cuan Mhuire, and I was doing a bit of work down here” said McCarron.