TYRONE DEFENDER RYAN McMenamin has brought the curtain down on his inter-county career after spending 13 years lining out for the Red Hands senior side.
McMenamin claimed three All-Ireland senior medals during his career with final victories against Armagh in 2003, and Kerry both in 2005 and 2008.
He also won five Ulster medals in 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009 and 2010, along with two National League medals in 2002 and 2003.
An Allstar winner in 2005, McMenamin built a reputation as a tough and tenacious defender whose style of play on occasion saw him embroiled in disciplinary controversies. His last inter-county appearance was in July this year when he came on as a substitute when Tyrone lost out to Kerry in Fitzgerald Stadium in Killarney in round three of the All-Ireland senior football qualifiers.
McMenamin’s retirement means Conor Gormley, Stephen O’Neill, Owen Mulligan and Brian McGuigan are the only four survivors who featured during Tyrone’s 2003 All-Ireland final win against Armagh, to be still part of Mickey Harte’s current squad.
With his club Dromore, McMenamin has enjoyed success in winning their first ever Tyrone senior football title in 2007 and he followed that up by helping them to claim further county crowns in 2009 and 2011. This year they were foiled at the final stage by Errigal Ciaran in the Tyrone decider.
A tribute was paid to McMenamin today on Twitter by current Tyrone defender Cathal McCarron:
And also by current Tyrone forward Kyle Coney:
May I be the first to comment on this momentous occasion. All I can say is good riddance to a dirty,insulting, idiotic excuse for a footballer. Some of the verbal abuse he threw at players was disgusting, let alone the cowardly dangerous tackles, it’s all he’ll be remembered for.
he was a good defender but very nasty, allways in youre face hit below the belt a few time ask paul galvin.