“I HAD HEARD about his so-called illness for years. I just happened to meet him again by chance.”

Jeff Howes, a golf course designer originally from Canada, first met Kilkenny hurling legend DJ Carey in 1999.

Yesterday, Carey pleaded guilty to defrauding Howes.

He wouldn’t divulge the sum that Carey conned him out of, but when asked if it was a significant amount, Howes said: “It’s more like a principle than anything else. Any amount is significant.”

In 2022, Howes had given the money to Carey thinking it was going towards special cancer treatment in the United States.

It later came out that Carey didn’t have cancer at all, and in September 2023 he was arrested and charged with fraud and forgery. There were more than a dozen complainants. Among them was Howes and billionaire Denis O’Brien.

The media had geared up for a weeks-long trial, but yesterday, on day one, Carey pleaded guilty to ten counts of dishonestly inducing people to pay him money after he fraudulently claimed to have cancer and needed finances for treatment.

Howes and Carey were friendly for decades, after meeting at a press event for Gowran Park Golf Club, which Howes helped design.

“DJ came up and introduced himself to me … he was always a nice guy, always friendly.

I had no reason to suspect anything like this might happen.

While they weren’t “best friends,” Howes says, they saw each other sporadically over the years.

“I had heard about his so-called illness for years. I just happened to meet him again by chance.”

This was 2022, when Carey induced him to give him money.

Asked if he had doubted Carey’s cancer claims, Howes said: “Afterwards, there was a bit of a doubt, but initially, no.

“I’m just glad he pleaded guilty, so we didn’t have to go through a trial and testifying.”

Howes said he’d heard reports from court that Carey has had genuine health difficulties, as well as some mental health issues.

“I hope he can sort himself out.”

Howes says he doesn’t hold a grudge against him.

The pair haven’t talked since Carey was charged in September 2023, and Howes said it’s not something he would seek to do at this time.

Among the others Carey was charged with dishonestly inducing to make payments to him were Aidan Mulligan, between June and September 2022; Christy Browne, between September and October 2022; Thomas Butler, between October 2019 and November 2022; Jeffrey Howes, between February 1 2022 and August 8 2022; Noel Tynan, between January 1 2017 and October 2022, and Edwin Carey, between December 21 2021 and November 12 2022.

Carey’s solicitor Edward Hughes told the court on Wednesday that Carey has “genuinely significant health issues” and had had surgery carried out for a heart condition.

He also has “certain mental health issues” and Hughes asked that a psychological report be prepared.

A sentencing date has been set for 29 October and Carey was remanded on bail until then.

Carey is regarded as one of the greatest hurlers to have played the game, winning five All-Ireland senior medals with Kilkenny, once as captain.

He was named Hurler of the Year in 2000, while he won nine All-Star awards. Since retiring from play, he has managed the Kilkenny U21 hurlers and was a selector for the county senior team.