Kilkenny calls time on Dublin career

Ciarán Kilkenny has announced his retirement from inter-county football following Dublin's All-Ireland semi-final defeat against Kerry.

The Castleknock clubman won eight All-Ireland titles, 13 Leinster titles and six National League medals in a glittering 15-year career in sky blue.

The 33-year-old was also awarded six All-Stars during his playing career, having turned down a three-year contract with Australian Football League side Hawthorn in early 2013.

"It has been the greatest honour of my life to play for Dublin, a dream I've had since childhood," he said in a statement released through Dublin GAA.

"When I turned down the opportunity to play professional sport in Australia, it was because I knew that representing my club and county would always mean more to me. I could never have imagined how rewarding that decision would be.

"I have been fortunate and privileged to share a dressing room with so many legends of the game and I've made brothers for life. To those beginning your journey with Dublin GAA, I hope it brings you as much fulfilment as it brought me. I look forward to cheering Dublin on for many years. A huge thanks to the Dublin supporters, especially this year, for their loyalty and unstinting support."

Kilkenny's career coincided with Dublin's greatest ever era in the game.

They had won the Sam Maguire after a 16-year gap in 2011, which was the year before he made his debut against Wexford in the 2012 Leinster semi-final. He also appeared off the bench against Laois in that year's All-Ireland quarter-final, before starting in the semi-final loss to Mayo.

Kilkenny was part of the Under-21 side which won the All-Ireland in 2012, and his first senior title followed a year later against Mayo.

He would add another seven as the Dubs became the first senior men's team to win six All-Ireland titles in a row, with the final Celtic Cross arriving in 2023 against Kerry.

His retirement breaks the direct, playing link to the Dublin side which won All-Irelands in 2013 and 2015, with Naomh Olaf's Davy Byrne and Whitehall's Cormac Costello now the sole survivors from the 2016 Sam Maguire triumph.

The statement continued: "Thank you to Pat Gilroy, Jim Gavin, Dessie Farrell, Ger Brennan, their backroom teams, and everyone in Dublin GAA who gave so much to the jersey. It was a privilege and honour to play even a small part in the long and storied history of this great county.

"My thanks to my club, Castleknock GAA, where it all began, and to every opponent I've had the privilege of playing against. The friendships, stories and sense of community the GAA has given me are worth far more than any result, that's why I believe it is the greatest organisation in the world.

"Most importantly, thank you to my family and my partner Rebekah. From my father instilling in me a love of Dublin and the GAA, to my mother and sisters supporting me every step of the way, none of this would have been possible without you.

"Mo ghrá sibh."

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