Michael Fennelly announces retirement from intercounty hurling

Kilkenny are down a true star after Michael Fennelly has hung up his boots for good.

Eight All-Irelands, nine Leinster Championships, five leagues and three All-Stars later, Michael Fennelly has announced his retirement. The powerhouse midfielder who was a perpetual leader in the Cats' incredible four-in-a-row team announced his retirement through a press release on Friday. He joins Kieran Joyce and Shane Prendergast as the Kilkenny players to have called it a day this winter. It marks a blow for the Cats who will also be without Michael's brother Colin and corner back Paul Murphy for a large chunk of their 2018 league campaign. Both are going to Lebanon on military soon. Fennelly also excelled at underage level, racking up two u-21 All-Irelands, three u-21 Leinster titles as well as one provincial and All-Ireland title apiece at minor level. You can check out his full statement from GaelicPlayers.com below. https://twitter.com/MFennellyKK/status/946794577582854144

"I would like to announce my retirement from inter-county hurling with Kilkenny. I have mentioned on a few occasions in the past “how your mind can get your body to go to certain places” but I feel my body has surpassed its limits at this time. 

I am very grateful to have had a fruitful 12-year tenure with Kilkenny and had the pleasure to have played with and against some of the best hurlers in the country and I owe a lot of credit to the management team over the years of Brian Cody, Mick Dempsey, Derek Lyng, James McGarry and Martin Fogarty. 

Without their understanding and patience, I would not have been in a position to continue playing for Kilkenny during some very challenging injuries and the medical team have also been at the heart of my rehabilitation and pre-habilitation training. I owe them a debt of gratitude. 

The Kilkenny County Board have elected a new chairman in Jimmy Walsh and secretary Conor Denieffe and I would like to wish them all the best in their new roles. I'd also like to acknowledge the work of Ned Quinn and Barry Hickey for their relentless commitment and dedication to the Kilkenny team throughout my career. 

Thank you to all the Kilkenny supporters from near and far for their support and kind words in the last decade and their unwavering support helped us to get us over the line in many last-minute deciders. My employers Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) also deserve huge gratitude for their continued support, particularly after I ruptured my Achilles tendon last year. 

My family have been with me since this journey started with Kilkenny in 2006. Those first few years in the black and amber were up and down for myself and captaining Kilkenny to All-Ireland victory in 2009 was a particularly challenging year on a personal level. My family have been through the highs and lows and no doubt they lived every second of the games that both my brother Colin and I played with their hearts in their mouths. Hopefully those years were as ecstatic for them as they were for me. 

My hurling career began at an early age with Ballyhale Shamrocks and I would like to thank all those mentors who took time to coach, influence and challenge me from childhood all the way through to the senior team.

I would like to wish new captain Cillian Buckley and the Kilkenny team all the very best for 2018. I will be watching with anticipation and no doubt you will represent Kilkenny with pride as always. 

Lastly, I’m looking forward to spending my spare time with my new wife Lesley as the next chapter of our lives unfolds. 

Life is all about the journey - enjoy it."