GALWAY WILL HAVE to plan without Gary Sice for their return to Division 1 football after the Corofin forward informed Kevin Walsh of his decision to retire from inter-county football.
Walsh confirmed Sice’s decision yesterday after the county’s FBD League match with Mayo, which was postponed just after the scheduled throw-in due to a frozen pitch.
Sice, who turned 33 in November, made his inter-county debut in 2007, and his final game for the Tribesmen looks like being last summer’s Connacht final defeat to Roscommon at Pearse Stadium.
Sice is still involved with Corofin in their All-Ireland club championship campaign, which continues in a fortnight’s time against British champions Fulham Irish, and would be unavailable to Galway until their involvement in the competition concludes, but he has confirmed his decision to step back from the county game to team management.
Already Walsh will be without the retired Michael Meehan and Finian Hanley, while captain Gary O’Donnell and a number of other front line players will miss league action.
“Obviously Michael Meehan, Gary Sice and Finian Hanley have called it a day,” said Walsh. “Sean Armstrong is still undergoing his own programme, whether he will make league or not at this stage, it will be tight.
“Gary O’Donnell is (out until) mid league, Fiontán Ó Curraoin will miss the league, Michael Daly will probably miss the whole league as well. It disappointing for us to get to Division 1 and to be missing that amount.”
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):
Big Fight for Conor. The PPV portion of the card is where the money is. Win this fights and he’ll be in Dickie Bows for life!