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Tipperary's All-Ireland winning defender Paddy Stapleton has announced his retirement from inter-county hurling.
The 31-year-old, who won two All-Ireland senior hurling championship medals, four Munster SHC and a National Hurling League title in a decade-long career with the Premier County., feels the time is right to retire following Tipp's Liam McCarthy Cup win this summer.
“Following ten wonderful years playing senior hurling for Tipperary since first being called up by Babs Keating in 2006, which had until then been a lifelong dream, I wish to announce my retirement from the inter-county scene," he said in a statement released by the Tipperary GAA.
He continued: "In the Tipperary backroom over the years, men of the calibre of John Casey, Paddy O’Brien, Dr. Kevin Delargy, Dr Brendan Murphy and Mick Clohessy had their work cut out keeping me injury-free and they all did a fantastic job and I sincerely thank them for that."
And, after thanking managers Liam Sheedy, Eamon O’Shea and Mick Ryan, the Borris-Ileigh clubman backed the current crop of Tipp stars to win a 28th Liam McCarthy Cup in the coming seasons.
"There is a great mix of youth and experience within this group and I have every faith that they will keep performing to the highest levels similar to what has been reached in recent years," he concluded.
Photo (©Inpho/Cathal Noonan)
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