TIPPERARY ALL-IRELAND winning hurling captain Eoin Kelly has announced his retirement from the game.
The news has been broken of the 32 year-old Mullinahone man’s departure on RTE’s Six-One news this evening.
Kelly captained Tipperary to Liam MacCarthy Cup glory in 2010 to add to his earlier triumph with the county back in 2001. Kelly struck 0-7 in the 2001 final win over Galway and hit the same amount when the Premier defeated Kilkenny four years ago.
Other honours in Kelly’s Tipperary playing career included:
Munster SHC
A title winner in 2001, 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012.
Munster U21HC
Final victories in 1999 as a 17 year-old and again in 2003.
Munster MHC
Kelly won as a 15 year-old at minor level in 1997 and again in 1999.
National Hurling League
In 2001, Kelly helped Tipperary win the final against Clare and then he captained them to win the 2008 decider against Galway.
Kelly won six Allstar awards during his career in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2010 as well as the ‘Young Hurler of the Year’ award in 2000 and 2001. He was also named at right corner-forward on the Munster Hurling Team of the Last 25 Years (1984-2009).
At club Kelly steered Mullinahone to win the Tipperary county senior hurling title in 2002 when he struck 2-7 and he captained Limerick IT to the 2005 Fitzgibbon Cup crown.
