Carey is the latest high profile candidate identified by the PDs and it is understood an approach has been made to the five-time All-Ireland senior medal winner, who announced his retirement from inter-county hurling last week. Efforts to contact Carey were unsucessful yesterday, but it is believed that he has not given any final decision on the approach.

It would be a major coup if the PDs were to land the man regarded by many as the country's greatest hurler since Christy Ring. The party has targeted five seaters as its best opportunity for gains in the next general election and has already succeeded in attracting high profile One in Four campaigner Colm O'Gorman to stand in Wexford.

Carey's enormous stature and popularity in Kilkenny, along with his affable personality, would make him a formidable candidate, who would be favoured to win a seat. The PDs did not contest CarlowKilkenny in the last general election after a disappointing performance there in 1997. But it has a councillor in Carlow, Walter Lacey, and did win a seat in the constituency in 1987, through Martin Gibbons, the son of former Fianna Fail minister Jim Gibbons.

Carey is not the only bigname GAA figure linked with the next election. Former Galway and Mayo manager John O'Mahony is seeking a nomination to stand for Fine Gael in Mayo.