CIAN & STABLE

Dublin's ambitious All Star appreciates value of support he's had during rise up the ranks

- GARRY DOYLE

CIAN O'SULLIVAN doesn't just play hurling - he lives it.

From smashing sliotars in Russell Park as a toddler to commanding the Dublin senior panel today, every strike is about leaving a mark.

And make no mistake, O'Sullivan's focus isn't on the past; it's on the next chapter of a career built on sheer grit.

For recent All Star winner O'Sullivan, the ticking clock of a sporting career is ever-present.

He knows the body won't last forever, and the desire to leave tangible success behind is what drives him.

He told the St Brigid's club website: "It only dawns on you as you get older that you have a shelf life and the body can only perform for so long.

"You want to have some silverware on that shelf when it's time to hang up the boots."

That shelf, he hopes, will bear trophies with St Brigid's, his club in Castleknock and also with the Dublin hurlers who shocked Limerick this year en route to an All-Ireland semifinal under Niall Ó Ceallacháin (inset).

O'Sullivan said: "I believe the current group of Dublin hurlers are more than capable to bring home silverware, with a good mix of experienced campaigners and exciting youth.

"The panel has never been as competitive which only raises that standard and expectations of the group internally.