Ex-hurling star rubbishes cancer claims in reverse DJ Carey situation

Bizarre.

Cunningham is a two-time All-Ireland winner with the Tribesmen, and has managed both their senior hurling team and the Roscommon football team.

He was recently in charge of St Brigid's, but stepped down after the All-Ireland SFC final loss to Dingle in January.

It's hard not to see the Cunningham rumours as a kind of reverse DJ Carey situation.

That much-publicised story saw the Kilkenny icon actively lie about having cancer to defraud people out of money, for which he was subsequently sent to jail for.

Speaking on the BBC's GAA Social podcast, Cunningham said: “Some wild rumours there for the last three or four months that I had cancer and I was sick and that type of stuff. Nothing further from the truth really in that.

“It’s sort of a shock really when you hear that kind of stuff. I don’t know where it ever came from, but I train and work out and try and do as much as I can.”

“I love to work out so it was a shock really and I would like to acknowledge all the concerned people that rang and contacted me to see if I was okay. I’m fine, perfect and couldn’t be fitter. I don’t know, this happens from time to time that these wild rumours go out about something.

“I guess it’s a part of modern life as well with communications systems now with Twitter and Facebook.”