GAA: Kilkenny suffered another setback tonight when Martin Comerford announced his retirment from inter-county duties. The O'Loughlin Gaels forward, who captained his club to the All-Ireland final on St Patrick's Day, had been invited to join the squad for the upcoming championship but opted to decline.
Comerford, who joined the panel in 2001 despite never having featured as an under-age player for the county, went on to win six senior All-Irelands, five National Leagues and three All-Star awards.
He said one of the greatest honours was playing on an All-Ireland winning team captained by his brother, Andy, but he left with nothing but good memories.
"The time comes for everyone to call it a day," said Comerford. "Now is a good time for me to leave. I got to play with and against the best," he said. "Playing in a full Croke Park on All-Ireland day was beyond compare. I consider myself a lucky man to have enjoyed an experience like that."