Another lynchpin of Brian Cody's great team is gone.
While September brought yet more glory to Kilkenny, the months since have brought wave after wave of guard changing.
David Herity, Tommy Walsh, Brian Hogan and Aidan Fogarty have all called time on their inter-county career in recent weeks and now a fifth mainstay of the Cats superb squad has announced his retirement.
JJ Delaney, the no nonsense defender with nine All Irelands, has quit aged 32.
The Fenians man won All Stars at right wing back, left wing back and full back, collecting seven in total and as he showed in his final game for Kilkenny, the 2014 All-Ireland final replay, he was still the consumate defender.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkRxsHeOeqA
In a statement on the Kilkenny GAA website, Delaney said:
I wish to announce that I am retiring from the Kilkenny senior hurling panel. I have enjoyed my time being part of such a talented group of players and management teams. I wish to thank Brian Cody and his selectors for allowing me to play hurling at the highest level. I also thank the Kilkenny county board for their support on and off the field. Thanks to The GPA they been a great help to my development in both my sporting and professional career.
My father, family, close friends and my girlfriend Aisling have been a huge source of encouragement and support to me over the years. I thank my club The Fenians, my former teachers and various coaches for instilling in me a love for the greatest field game in the world. It's been amazing the encouragement the Kilkenny supporters have given me down through the years and for this I thank you all. I am grateful to my employer Kingspan Insulation for their support.
I wish the Kilkenny senior hurling panel and management team continued success in the future
Kilkenny have absorbed the departure of big names before but with so many medals, and so many years of experience leaving the fray together, next season will certainly be interesting.
