Cullen bids farewell to Dubs as Hayes exits Tribe

The inter-county retirements of Dublin’s 2011 All-Ireland SFC-winning captain Bryan Cullen and Galway’s three-time All Star hurler Damien Hayes were confirmed yesterday.

Cullen, 30, steps away after claiming 10 Leinster titles as well as a National League medal. In a statement on the Dublin GAA website, he announced: “I’ve been fortunate enough to represent Dublin at senior level since 2003 but I feel now is the time to step away. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Dublin managers Tommy Lyons, Pillar Caffrey, Pat Gilroy and Jim Gavin and especially to all the Dublin players past and present that I had the pleasure of sharing the pitch with. I’m very lucky to have had the support of my family and my wife throughout my time with Dublin. For now, I’m looking forward to focusing on my career and playing with my club Skerries Harps over the next few years.”

Alan Brogan was among those who paid tribute to Cullen on Twitter. He posted: “What a servant @bryancullen has been to Dublin football. Excelled in his role as captain and will be missed in the dressing room.”