Cats retirement ‘epidemic’ spreads as Dalton calls time

“It’s an epidemic,” said Michael Kavanagh yesterday, as news that John Dalton — citing work commitments — became the latest Kilkenny player to retire from the 2011 panel.

Dalton joins Eddie Brennan, Cha Fitzpatrick, PJ Ryan and Kavanagh himself, while Tipperary’s Lar Corbett has quit and Waterford’s John Mullane is taking a break from the Déise squad.

“I don’t know what’s in the air but it’s [retirement] becoming very popular — hopefully that’s the end of it now.”