Westmeath ’keeper Connaughton retires

Westmeath goalkeeper Gary Connaughton has retired from inter-county football in the wake of the county’s 3-10 to 1-15 qualifier defeat by Fermanagh.

The Tubberclair club man played for the Lake County for 12 years, winning a Leinster title in 2004 under Páidí Ó Sé.

He also collected both an NFL Division 2 medal and an All Star award, having been nominated three times in his career. The big custodian was consistently one of the best shot stoppers in the game, having also had a promising underage soccer career, most notably picking up a European U19 Championship medal in 1998 as reserve keeper in Brian Kerr’s successful Republic of Ireland squad.