“The time has come for me to turn the page” – Galway’s Aidan Harte announces his retirement from inter-county hurling

"The Galway supporters have been phenomenal, making huge sacrifices to support us on our journey."

Galway hurling star Aidan Harte has announced his retirement from inter-county hurling. The Gort clubman said it was an "honour and privilege to represent Galway at senior level" but the effort "has also taken its toll on the body and therefore the time has come for me to turn the page." The 33-year-old won everything there is to win in the game, including an All-Ireland minor, and u21 title, before he was even drafted into the senior team in 2007. His hunt for an All-Ireland senior title however was a difficult road, particularly as he came so close on two different occasions, reaching the final in both 2012, and 2015, but still losing out. His glory day came however, in 2017, ending a 29-year wait as the Tribesmen beat Waterford, with Harte playing a key role at half-back. He finishes his inter-county career with three Leinster titles (2012, 2017, 2018), three Allianz League titles (2010, 2017, 2021) alongside the Liam MacCarthy success in '17. At club level, Harte won two Galway senior titles with Gort in 2011 and 2014. In his retirement statement, he thanked his family, friends, coaches and teammates for their support, along with the GPA. https://twitter.com/Galway_GAA/status/1466781782075129858?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1466781782075129858%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rte.ie%2Fsport%2Fgaa%2F2021%2F1203%2F1264679-galways-aidan-harte-retires-from-inter-county-hurling%2F  

"Being in a position to share the field with and against some of the greatest players ever to play the game along with getting the chance to showcase our sport worldwide has provided me with memories I will forever cherish and making many friends during those times," he wrote. "The Galway supporters have been phenomenal, making huge sacrifices to support us on our journey. "Now I look forward to being one again, willing on the current management team and players every success in 2022 and beyond."