Bergin calls time on Galway career

Joe Bergin has decided to call time on his career as a Galway senior footballer, after 13 years playing for the Tribesmen.

Bergin feels it is the right time for him to retire from the top level of the game, with injuries taking their toll and work commitments curtailing his availability.

The 31-year-old also wants to focus on playing with his club side Mountbellew/Moylough for another few years before he hangs up his boots for good.

Bergin's final season with Galway ended in disappointment as they lost a Connacht SFC semi-final to Sligo and were beaten by Antrim in the All-Ireland qualifiers.

The former Young Footballer of the Year told the Irish Examiner: "The loss to Antrim was a huge disappointment and I feel now is the time to go.

"I have been fortunate to have a long inter-county career and while the last few seasons have been disappointing, I was lucky enough to win a lot in the early years."

Bergin leaves the inter-county scene as an Under-21 and senior All-Ireland winner - he captained Galway to the Under-21 title in 2002, a year after he helped the Tribesmen beat Meath in the senior decider.

"They were glorious years and I was fortunate to experience so much so early in my career. Others had battled for years in their careers before they won anything," recalled the statuesque midfielder/half forward ad

Meanwhile, Wicklow forward Tony Hannon has also announced his retirement from senior inter-county football this week.

Hannon posted a message on his Twitter page, writing: "I am hanging up my inter-county football boots. Thanks to all the great friends and team-mates I made over the past 16 years with Wicklow."

The Hollywood clubman, noted as a superb free-taker, will be best remembered for his coolly-struck '45' in injury-time which gave Wicklow a famous All-Ireland qualifier win over Down back in 2009.

Hannon turned in a man-of-the-match display that day in Aughrim, shooting six points to guide the Garden County through to the fourth round of the qualifiers for the first time.

The loss of 'Tino' comes on the back of John Flynn's recent retirement. The Baltinglass goalkeeper, a regular between the posts for Wicklow, has opted to take a step back from inter-county football.