'Reflecting back, they were great days': Retired Mickey Quinn reflects on highs and lows with Longford

After playing 13 seasons with Longford, Mickey Quinn is enjoying the first few weeks of his intercounty retirement.

The 34-year-old played 139 times for the Longford seniors and also represented Ireland against Australia in the International Rules Series.

He joined the AFL and played for Essendon for three years, from 2008 to 2011, and when he returned home, he played for the county seniors for the first time in 2012.

"Reflecting back, they were great days," he said. "We had a cohort around that time and we won Division 3, got to win that final in Croke Park and got to play in Division 2 the next year.

"You are thinking: ‘this is great – it will be like this all the time – but it wasn't."

2012 also saw him receive an All-Star nomination that year, but despite the subsequent seasons not offering the same rewards, Quinn proceeded to give his all to the cause until retiring a few weeks ago.

At the moment the GAA world is alive with discussions about Mickey Harte linking up with Offaly. Stalwart Nigel Dunne has already stated that there will be 100% buy-in from every player in the county because of the news.

That is one of the biggest challenges facing teams in Division 3 and 4 face, Quinn suggests. And there are several more.

"The highlights for me came in the first year I was involved, we did well and you feel that’s the norm now, every year will be like that.

"But the reality with sport is that it doesn’t work like that. We went back to Division 3 and then Division 4.

"I was lucky that with the club side of things, we (Killoe Emmet Og) were consistent through all of it.

"But with the county we never got to lift a trophy in Croke Park, we never got to do that again. You were not in it expecting to win an All-Ireland, but we had our