Cathal O'Connor calls time on 14-year Clare career

Clare footballer Cathal O'Connor has retired from inter-county football, bringing the curtain down on a 14-season campaign with the Banner.

The 34-year-old made his debut during the National League campaign of 2009 and would become a central figure in the upturn in the county’s football fortunes under manager Colm Collins.

O’Connor sat out the 2012 season after work took him to Scotland, but was enticed back by Mick O’Dwyer for the Kerry native's sole year in charge of Clare in 2013, and continued to commute from Edinburgh for two years.

The Coolmeen man formed a formidable centre-field partnership with Gary Brennan and was named player of the match when Clare defeated Roscommon to secure an All-Ireland quarter-final place in 2022.

His final appearance came in Clare's 1-19 to 1-13 All-Ireland group stage defeat to Derry last June.

It is another blow for new manager Mark Fitzgerald following Podge Collins’ recent retirement and ace forward Eoin Cleary deciding to take a year away from inter-county football.