Declan Lynch grateful Antrim curtain call came at Croke Park

Moments after Antrim lost to Laois in last Sunday's Tailteann Cup semi-final, Declan Lynch was joined by his son, Catháir, and wife, Áine, on the Croke Park pitch.

Áine (Tubridy), one of Antrim’s top women's footballers with her own distinguished career, sensed the magnitude of the occasion and made sure to get their little three-month old baby onto the pitch with his dad for photographs.

And once the snaps were taken and he made his way down the tunnel to reach a pretty crestfallen Antrim dressing room, Lynch knew his time was up.

An inter-county championship career that began against Fermanagh in 2014 had come to an end.

"I would have preferred to have retired in three weeks’ time after winning the Tailteann Cup," the Lamh Dhearg clubman admits.

"It was not to be. But at least I got to bow out after playing at Croke Park and the best thing was that I got to get a photo taken on the pitch afterwards with Catháir and Áine. That was special for me and it was fairly emotional too if I am being honest."

Only 32, the former Antrim captain and Áine were married this time last year and as they prepared to welcome Catháir into the world, he saw his wife take time out from her own career.

"Now it’s time for me to step back. Áine will drive on again and her career is better and more successful than mine anyway," he laughs.

Catháir was born near the end of March, shortly before Antrim retained their Allianz Football League Division 3 status.

Almost from his first day home Lynch knew that his inter-county career was on borrowed time. "You’re gone an hour before training, there for two hours, and probably stay on for an hour after so you miss lots of wee moments with the baby," he says.

"And whilst Antrim wouldn’t be winning too much, we