Retired Tyrone defender Cathal McCarron has moved to rule out any suggestions that he has immediate plans to represent Kildare footballers.
McCarron, who announced his retirement from the inter-county scene only last month, told the Irish News that he would find it difficult to represent the Lilywhites having dedicated so much to his home since his senior debut with the Red Hands in 2008.
At the minute I couldn’t see myself doing that,
I suppose you never say never but to leave my own county to play for another one… I found it very hard to leave Dromore, which was a three-and-a-half hour drive for training.
The All-Ireland winner picked up three senior county championships with the St Dympna's club, before taking the decision to move to Athy GAA, having spent the last number of years living in the Kildare town.
His club move and his subsequent to be disregarded in terms of availability to Mickey Harte's side was bore from McCarron's gruelling travel schedule "taking its toll" on the talented cornerback.
"I'm enjoying not having to tramp up and down the road", said the former All-Star nominee.
Tuesday and Thursday nights and once at the weekend I was doing a serious road trip – it was taking me two hours and 45 minutes to get to training, one way, and three and-a-half hours if there was an accident. Then you were doing the training and heading home about quarter past nine and then hitting my house about midnight or sometimes half 12 depending on what we were doing.
I know boys who travel but I never heard anybody travelling as much as I was. It was insane.
A knee injury in the Super 8's game against Roscommon put pay to the 31-year-old season last summer and despite a return to training, he failed to feature for Tyrone in the recent league campaign.
His former teammates will begin their Ulster Championship campaign at home to neighbours Derry on May 12th.
