AN ALL-IRELAND WINNING captain and a Footballer of the Year were among the high-quality players who said goodbye to the inter-county game this year.
Even outside of those notable departures in Donegal and Kerry, many more counties lost players who have helped to sustain their hopes across the past decade or two.
Here are 16 footballers who stepped away from inter-county life in 2022.
Brendan Donaghy (Armagh)
The last active Armagh footballer with an Ulster senior medal bowed out this month with the retirement of Brendan Donaghy. The defender ended his 17-year tenure with 138 appearances to his name, the last against Antrim in the 2021 Ulster Championship. As well as that ’08 title, he was there for Armagh’s last Ulster U21 medal in 2007 as well as capturing Division 2 and 3 League titles.
Brian Malone (Wexford)
Sixteen years and over 170 games was the final tally for Brian Malone when he called time on his Wexford career at the start of this year. Compassing the heady days of a 2008 All-Ireland semi-final and two Leinster final appearances, Malone was also a talented hurler, winning an All-Ireland intermediate title in 2007. He won four Wexford senior titles (two hurling, two football) with Shelmaliers who had never won before in either code.
Colm Begley (Laois)
High-profile Laois footballer Colm Begley announced his retirement in May, bringing the curtain down on a stint that began in 2005 and featured four years away playing Aussie Rules with Brisbane Lions and St Kilda. An All-Ireland minor champion in 2003, he represented Ireland at International Rules level in 12 games across seven series. At club level, he helped Stradbally stop Portlaoise from winning 10-in-a-row in the 2016 Laois SFC final. He works as player welfare and engagement manager with the GPA.
Eoin Donnelly (Fermanagh)
Eoin Donnelly spent eight of his 10 years in green and white as Fermanagh captain; a fine tribute to the immediate impression and sustained impact the midfielder made for his county. He came as close as any Fermanagh man to lifting the Anglo-Celt Cup when reaching the 2018 Ulster final; Donnelly got them there when punching home the stoppage-time winning goal against Monaghan in the semi-final. Another highlight among his 114 appearances was an All-Ireland quarter-final in 2015. He captained Ulster to win the last-ever Interprovincial Football Championship.
Fergal Conway (Kildare)
A persistent knee injury forced Fergal Conway to retire from Kildare duty in October. The half-forward’s final appearance came in this summer’s qualifier loss to Mayo; the same team they famously beat at Newbridge in 2018. He helped his county to three Leinster SFC final appearances, all lost to Dublin, but won an U21 title in 2013. Often playing through the pain for his county, his innings ended with 98 appearances to his name since 2014.
Ger Egan (Westmeath)
Hailed among Westmeath’s most gifted forwards, Ger Egan is the only man to captain his county to two Leinster finals (in 2015, after a famous semi-final win over Meath, and 2016). A man with the nerve for big days, he led his county to win the 2017 National League Division 4 (scoring 1-2 in the final as captain), the 2019 O’Byrne Cup (scoring 1-5 in the final), and the 2019 National League Division 3 (scoring 1-7 in the final). His Westmeath career ended in winning his fourth trophy, the Tailteann Cup, at Croke Park.
James O’Donoghue (Kerry)
Footballer of the Year at 24, injury robbed fans of seeing James O’Donoghue at full flight in later years. At his peak, he collected back-to-back All-Stars in 2013 and after winning his All-Ireland medal in 2014. His most famous performance arguably came in defeat, scoring 2-3 in the 2013 All-Ireland semi-final loss to Dublin. He scored 4-24 the following year, including tallies of 1-3 and 2-6 in the semi-final draw and replay against Mayo, and 0-10 (0-8 from play) in the Munster final; one of nine provincial medals to his name. Since retiring last January, he has won his first county championship with East Kerry.
Kevin Harnett (Clare)
A reliable corner-back for years under Colm Collins, Kevin Harnett first represented his county in 2011 and played in Clare’s last Munster final in 2012 before taking a year out to travel to the US. He returned as key a defensive presence as ever in Clare full-backs lines that won the Division 3 League final against Kildare in 2016 and the 2019 McGrath Cup, beating Cork in the final. Injuries interrupted his final year in county colours.
Kevin McKernan (Down)
A talented underage prospect, Kevin McKernan burst into senior football and spent much of his 16 years as a leader for Down, especially as the county began to struggle in recent years. He won an All-Ireland minor football title in 2005, captained Abbey CBS, Newry, to the 2006 Hogan Cup, and won an Ulster U21 title in 2008. Success with Down came early in his senior career, winning the 2008 McKenna Cup before playing at centre-back in Down’s run to the 2010 All-Ireland final, charging forward to score in both the semi-final and final.
Michael Murphy (Donegal)
Donegal’s All-Ireland winning captain, record scorer, and all-time great, Michael Murphy broke the news last month of his retirement from inter-county football at 33. A totemic leader from full-forward or midfield, he captained Donegal from the age of 21 until his retirement, lifting five Ulster titles. He also captained his country in the 2013 and ’14 International Rules series. He was Young Footballer of the Year in 2009, man of the match in their 2012 All-Ireland victory, and won three All-Star awards. He also received man-of-the-match honours in all three of Glenswilly’s Donegal SFC victories, scoring all but one point in their breakthrough 2011 success.
Neil McGee (Donegal)
Neil McGee gave 18 years of service to Donegal and made a record-breaking 195 appearances, in which time, like Murphy, he won an All-Ireland, five Ulster titles, and three All-Stars. “The body just doesn’t have anything left to give,” he said in October after two injury-afflicted campaigns. A tough-as-nails full-back, he helped Donegal to their first silverware since 1992 when winning the 2007 National League. More recently, he anchored Gaoth Dobhair to victory in the 2018 Ulster Club Championship.
Pat Hughes (Sligo)
A Sligo stalwart for the past decade, Pat Hughes called it a day at 30 in the Croke Park dressing room after his county’s Tailteann Cup semi-final loss to Cavan. The big occasions seemed to bookend the high-fielding attacker’s career. His debut Championship campaign in 2012 saw Sligo shock Galway and push Mayo all the way in the Connacht final. He scored a goal in the 2015 final against the same opponents but in a more one-sided affair. With Sligo only getting one Championship game in the Covid years, Croke Park provided a more fitting send-off.
Ross Munnelly (Laois)
The last remaining footballer with a Leinster senior medal outside of Dublin has retired. Ross Munnelly’s 20-year inter-county innings began with its greatest success; scoring 1-1 as Laois won their first Leinster SFC title in 57 years, the same year he propelled his club, Arles-Kilcruise, to their first and only Laois title. He also played in National League finals across all four divisions, losing the 2003 Division 1 final but picking up a Division 4 title in 2018. He played 222 times for Laois, including every championship game from 2003 until 2017, scoring in all but one during that streak. He was the longest-serving inter-county player until his retirement just shy of his 40th birthday.
Seán Collins (Clare)
A panellist with the Clare All-Ireland hurling champions in 2013 alongside his brother Podge and an All-Ireland U21 winner, when faced with an ultimatum over their dual commitments in 2014, Seán and Podge Collins chose football. That same autumn, they achieved a county championship hurling and football double with Cratloe. Seán won a Division 3 League title in 2016 and a McGrath Cup in 2019 as Clare enjoyed steady improvement under the management of his father Colm.
Seánie Furlong (Wicklow)
A career tally of 32-305 (401 points) in a Wicklow jersey speaks volumes to the importance of Seánie Furlong to his county since his 2008 debut under Mick O’Dwyer. He started as he meant to go on, his debut four points helping Wicklow to a landmark victory over Kildare which doubled as their first senior championship win at Croke Park. In 2009, he starred as Wicklow went on a winning qualifier run, taking the scalps of Fermanagh, Cavan, and Down at Aughrim. He led Wicklow to the 2012 Division 4 title and his club, Kiltegan, to the 2008 Wicklow SFC crown.
Tommy Prendergast (Waterford)
Waterford’s midfield general over 11 seasons, Tommy Prendergast played his last game for the Déise in 2021. There are more losses than wins on the road with Waterford but the former captain was immense in his two Championship successes over Clare (2010) and Wexford (2018). He also helped his county beat Cork en route to winning the 2016 McGrath Cup and to promotion from Division 4 of the National League in 2010.
