heavy knock late in the first half but remained on the field until he was substituted in the 54th minute. Carey ended the game with a winners' medal after the 2–12 to 1–07 defeat of Conahy Shamrocks. Carey was appointed captain of the Young Irelands senior team for the 1996 Kilkenny Senior Championship. On 6 October 1996, he captained the team to the final against James Stephens. Carey was the game's top scorer with 1–05 in the 2–10 to 0–16 draw. The replay on 20 October 1996 saw Carey top score with 2-04 and claim a winners' medal after a 3–09 to 2–10 victory. On 12 October 1997, Carey lined out in a second successive Kilkenny Senior Championship final. He ended the game as the top scorer with 1-02, however, Young Irelands suffered a 2–10 to 2–07 defeat by Dunnamaggin. Carey ended the championship as the top scorer with 3-16 from three games. Carey lined out in a third Kilkenny Senior Championship final on 27 October 2002. He ended the game with a second winners' medal after top scoring with 2–07 in the 3–14 to 1–15 defeat of Dunnamaggin. Carey was also the championship's top scorer with 5-19 from three games. On 1 December 2002, he scored a point from a free when Young Irelands suffered a 2–05 to 1–02 defeat by Birr in the Leinster final. On 26 October 2003, Carey was at full-forward when Young Irelands lined out against O'Loughlin Gaels in the Kilkenny Senior Championship final. He top scored for the team with 1–03 in the 2–12 to 3–09 draw with O'Loughlin Gaels. Carey was again at full-forward for the replay on 2 November 2003 and was the game's joint top scorer with 1–07 in the 2–12 to 2–10 defeat. Carey made his fifth Kilkenny Senior Championship final appearance on 31 October 2004 when Young Irelands lined out against James Stephens. He top scored with 3-06 but ended the game on the losing side after the 2–16 to 3–12 defeat. Carey ended the championship as the top scorer with 5-35 from five games. On 6 October 2007, Carey lined out in his last senior game for Young Irelands. He top scored for the team with six points in the 1–11 to 0–13 defeat of Mullinavat in a relegation play-off at Nowlan Park. After four years away from the club scene Carey returned as a member of the