KERRY FULL-FORWARD Kieran Donaghy has confirmed that he’s on board again for 2018.
The 34-year-old has returned to basketball action with Super League side Tralee Warriors for the winter, and had said in October that he was yet to make a call on his inter-county future.
With four All-Ireland titles under his belt, the Austin Stacks star is now set for a 14th consecutive season with the Kerry senior footballers.
“I’ve always said it, I’ll retire when I can’t help Kerry anymore,” he told Kieran Shannon.
“Would it be easy for me to go out now? It would be easy. After a very good year at 34, nominated for an All Star, and have people saying: ‘Jesus, he was a great bit of stuff. Wow, you should never have retired, man, you were flying.’
“Rather than what I’m risking now and the ball doesn’t hop my way and things work against me and people going: ‘Ah, man, you should have gone last year.’
Donaghy in action for Tralee Warriors. Bryan Keane / INPHO
Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO
“But that’s fine and, if I don’t help Kerry on the pitch or I feel I can’t help Kerry on the pitch, I’ll be retired quicker than you can sit down, I’ll be gone, but I still feel I can do a job for Kerry and I still enjoy it, so why would I retire?
“Because society thinks I should retire? Because when you get over 30 in the GAA they all think you should retire?”
With a similar agreement to last year in place with Eamonn Fitzmaurice, Donaghy will see out the basketball season before donning the green and gold jersey again.
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
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'I still feel I can do a job, why would I retire?' - Donaghy on board for a 14th year
KERRY FULL-FORWARD Kieran Donaghy has confirmed that he’s on board again for 2018.
The 34-year-old has returned to basketball action with Super League side Tralee Warriors for the winter, and had said in October that he was yet to make a call on his inter-county future.
With four All-Ireland titles under his belt, the Austin Stacks star is now set for a 14th consecutive season with the Kerry senior footballers.
He confirmed the news to the Irish Examiner:
“I’ve always said it, I’ll retire when I can’t help Kerry anymore,” he told Kieran Shannon.
“Would it be easy for me to go out now? It would be easy. After a very good year at 34, nominated for an All Star, and have people saying: ‘Jesus, he was a great bit of stuff. Wow, you should never have retired, man, you were flying.’
“Rather than what I’m risking now and the ball doesn’t hop my way and things work against me and people going: ‘Ah, man, you should have gone last year.’
“But that’s fine and, if I don’t help Kerry on the pitch or I feel I can’t help Kerry on the pitch, I’ll be retired quicker than you can sit down, I’ll be gone, but I still feel I can do a job for Kerry and I still enjoy it, so why would I retire?
“Because society thinks I should retire? Because when you get over 30 in the GAA they all think you should retire?”
With a similar agreement to last year in place with Eamonn Fitzmaurice, Donaghy will see out the basketball season before donning the green and gold jersey again.
The42 has just published its first book, Behind The Lines, a collection of some of the year’s best sports stories. Pick up your copy in Eason’s, or order it here today (€10):
Want to make more great Irish sporting moments? Look at Leinster rugby for clues
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