Clare's Donnellan announces retirement

Clare’s 2013 All-Ireland winning captain Patrick Donnellan has announced his retirement from inter-county hurling.

The O'Callaghan's Mills clubman follows fellow Liam MacCarthy winners Brendan Bugler and Colin Ryan in calling time on his Banner career over the past week.

The 32-year-old, who made his Championship debut against Cork in 2005, missed the whole of the 2016 campaign with a cruciate knee ligament injury, but returned this year as Clare reached the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Clare's summer ended at the last-eight stage after Gerry O'Connor and Donal Moloney's side suffered a 0-28 to 3-16 defeat to Tipperary at Pairc Ui Chaoimh, Cork on 22 July, after they were beaten 1-25 to 1-20 by Cork in the Munster final in Thurles on 9 July.

"I wish to sincere thank everyone that has helped me and made sacrifices on my behalf to ensure that I could represent Clare to the best of my ability," Donnellan said in a statement.

"I will always consider myself a privileged person to have been able to play for Clare and I hope that I did my utmost for the cause while playing.

"It is hard to express in words what it meant to me, my family and my club to captain a Clare team. 

"To be able to lift the Liam MacCarthy on behalf of Clare and its people was a dream come true and I will always be thankful that I was considered worthy of the honour to be the representative of the Clare team by Davy Fitzgerald.

"I would like to thank all of the players that I have played and trained with over the years. 

"I always felt a sense of belonging and brotherhood in a Clare dressing room and I have been lucky to be friends and teammates with you all."

Missing the Championship already? eir Sport will broadcast up to 30 games from the GAA Football and Hurling Club Championships in 2017. Coverage continues on Saturday, 14 October on eir Sport 2 with the Dublin club football championship semi-finals between Ballymun Kickhams and Kilmacud Crokes [throw-in 5pm] and reigning Dublin champions St Vincent's and St Jude's [throw-in 6.45pm] from Parnell Park. Earlier on Saturday, the Meath Football Club Championship semi-final between Simonstown Gaels and Wolfe Tones at Pairc Tailtean will be shown live on eir Sport 2 [throw in 3pm].

Image: Inpho/ Cathal Noonan

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