Five-time All-Ireland winner Griffin quits inter-county scene

TOMMY GRIFFIN has announced his retirement from inter-county football after 12 senior seasons with Kerry.

The versatile Dingle man informed Jack O’Connor on Saturday and the news was broken to the team at yesterday’s challenge game against Wexford. Five-time All-Ireland winner Griffin steps down from the panel after an injury-plagued 2011 season when he failed to feature following ankle and tendon setbacks.

However, the 33-year-old will be remembered for his 2006 and 2009 All-Ireland final performances at midfield and full-back respectively.

His three other medals came in 2000 and ‘07, when he made substitute appearances, and ‘04 as an unused replacement and also has four Munster titles, three National Leagues and an U21 All-Ireland crown.

“I had my mind more or less made up before I met with Jack,” Griffin said.

“It’s the right time to hang up the boots.”

Asked whether he might repeat the actions of Mike McCarthy and Eoin Brosnan and come out of retirement, Griffin laughed: “I don’t think my body will let me do it!”

Kerry won yesterday’s challenge against Wexford 1-18 to 1-13 in Cork. Brian Moran, brother of David, and Paul Geaney were both involved for Kerry despite UCC playing in the McGrath Cup.

Meanwhile, Kilkenny’s Eddie Brennan admitted his surprise at the “overwhelming reaction” to his retirement from inter-county hurling.

“The success that we’ve had and the run we’ve been on has been unbelievable, outrageous,” he said. “A lot of it has been down to luck and there are lads who I would consider a cut above me that have gone and deserved more praise than me.

“I didn’t expect it to cause this much of a stir. I’ve been inundated with best wishes but I’m surprised by the overwhelming reaction.”

Brennan revealed he never aimed to win back his place for last year’s All-Ireland final as a means of going out of the game with a bang.

“I’ve been highly fortunate to be going out on such a high. It was a little bonus to get back into the team but it wasn’t the motivation to get on it and quit at the top, so to speak.

“I’ve seen both sides of the coin and I’ve been lucky to play most of the time.

“Management were going to try a few things and I wouldn’t have expected anything else. I went into the year with an open mind and the idea of getting myself right.

“I had a taste of it against Waterford [in the semi-final] and was driving hard by then and I wanted it [a start] badly. In the run-up to the All-Ireland final, there was talk of Colin Fennelly not making it and I was thinking, ‘great, someone’s injured and I have a chance — surely they’ll be targeting me as one of the lads to come in’.

“As it turned out, the door opened up for me in the half-forward line [replacing TJ Reid]. I remember Colm O’Rourke saying you appreciate it the more you get older and he couldn’t have been more right.”