Kilmacud Crokes are set to receive another boost this season as Kerry underage star Devon Burns has decided to join the club from Na Gaeil.
Burns was named U20 Munster Footballer of the Year in 2022 and is tipped by many to become the senior goalkeeper someday, but like so many others, his career has taken him to Dublin.
Now a Garda in the capital, the young keeper has completed his transfer to Crokes, and will play for them in the upcoming season as they hope to retain their status as Dublin and Leinster champions.
Na Gaeil chairman Conor Kavanagh told The Irish Examiner that Burns’ departure is an amicable one.
“Devon is a Garda in Pearse Street so his short-term future is in Dublin and that is unavoidable. We have had a great time with Devon, he has been brilliant for us and we would wish him the very best. He is moving to Kilmacud starting straight away.
“We will have to do our best without him but we are hoping that someday down the line that the Gardaí might transfer him down to this part of the country and he would come back to us.
“We sat down and had a good conversation about travelling up and down to training and for games and it would not really be feasible in terms of his job with day and night duty as well as time in the courts.”
Kilmacud Crokes have been the beneficiaries of several talented footballers studying and working in Dublin, most notably Shane Walsh, who in his first season with the club helped them the All-Ireland.
The Galway star received a lot of backlash from the media, but the demands of travelling up and down from the city to make training and matches, is often too much on these amateur sports people who of course have careers and social lives to balance as well.
Crokes lost their title to Watty Graham’s Glen earlier this year, crashing out in the All-Ireland semi-final stages to the eventual winners, but with superstars in their panel like Paul Mannion, Walsh and now Burns added into the mix, they will be feeling confident about their chances in 2024.
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