2013 All-Ireland winner and All Star, Colm Galvin has announced his retirement from inter-county hurling.
Injury has prompted the Clonlara man to call time on his Clare career. A dynamo at midfield, Colm was an integral part to the 2013 success following on from U21 All-Ireland and Munster titles in 2012, 2013 and 2014. He added a NHL medal to this collection in 2016.
He formed a memorable midfield pairing with Tony Kelly from minor level, the pair setting the underage ranks alight under Gerry O’Connor and Donal Moloney.
Galvin missed out on Clare’s championship campaigns in 2015 and 2020, his absence for the coming season comes as a massive blow to Brian Lohan.
In a statement on Friday morning, Colm confirmed that a persistent groin injury led to the announcement.
“It’s a scenario that I never thought or hoped would ever happen but unfortunately following a succession of injuries and repeated setbacks, I’ve had to make the difficult decision to retire from inter-county hurling,” he stated.
Called onto the senior panel by Davy Fitzgerald in 2012, he made his championship debut in a memorable qualifier win over Anthony Daly’s Dublin in Cusack Park.
He added, “A decade on from making my senior championship debut against Dublin in Cusack Park, I’d love to have continued playing for Clare but after ongoing conversations with Brian [Lohan], realistically my body just isn’t able for the workload required at the highest level any longer. Central to this is a persistent groin injury that has never healed properly which has proven extremely frustrating as well as mentally draining”.
“It’s not easy to step away from the panel, many of which I have hurled alongside since our formative years in a Clare jersey but I sincerely wish the lads and management all the very best for 2022 and beyond. My focus now is to try and get rehabilitated for my club Clonlara who, along with my parents Kevin and Geraldine, my fiancé Orlaith, siblings Ciara and Ian, friends and extended family, have been so supportive to me throughout my inter-county career.
“I’ve also been blessed to have played with so many great players and equally fortunate to have been coached and managed by people who have given of their all for the county. As a result, I’ve been able to fulfil my lifelong dreams of playing at all levels for Clare and made some truly unforgettable memories along the way.
“To have shared provincial and national successes with such passionate and loyal supporters is something I’ll always cherish and even when things didn’t always go our way, we always felt we had the full backing of the Clare support.
Knowing the commitment and talent that we have, hopefully there’s much more to come from Brian and the lads in the near future. I look forward to watching their progress and fingers crossed I get the opportunity to experience the celebrations myself from the stands. It’s up to Ian to carry the torch for the family now. No pressure”.
Viewed by many as the joker of the panel, Colm’s departure will be keenly felt by his teammates while the man in the engine room with the yellow helmet will undoubtedly be missed by supporters.
Of the 2013 starting team, David McInerney, Patrick O’Connor, Tony Kelly, John Conlon and Shane O’Donnell are the only remaining links to the present side.
