Some of the most influential footballers in the history of the game have stepped away ahead of the 2025 season – and there may yet, and mostly likely will, be more to follow.
But, for now, we’re ranking the best of those that have announced their retirement since the conclusion of this year’s Championship.
1 Brian Fenton (Dublin)
However Dublin’s season ended this year, retirements were inevitable but Fenton’s future wasn’t one that was the subject of speculation in the aftermath of their All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Galway.
Read more: Who’ll be in charge in 2025? We examine the managerial state of play in Ulster
Read more: GAA stars to watch: Six Ulster Club heroes who could make an impact on the county scene in 2025
But the towering midfielder concluded that 10 seasons in blue was enough and his departure leaves a gaping hole in the Dublin team, particularly as he was still at or near the peak of his powers.
Fenton had everything you would want in a modern midfielder and if the Teams of the Century/Millenium are revisited for the GAA’s 150th anniversary in 2034, he will have very compelling grounds for inclusion.
2 James McCarthy (Dublin)
Kept off the top spot by Fenton largely on the grounds that his long-time midfield partner was still at his zenith, while McCarthy’s career reached a natural conclusion after an injury-riddled 2024 that ended on a bum note for him and the team.
Paradoxically, his claims to be Dublin’s greatest, even ahead of Fenton, remain intact for his length of service, the job he did for the teams in a range of positions having been comfortable across the half-back line, in midfield and even at full-back when the occasion demanded it, not to mention his leadership and drive.
But there was an almost indefinable quality to McCarthy on top of all of that that made him an embodiment of one of the greatest teams in GAA history.
3 Chrissy McKaigue (Derry)
The Slaughtneil man didn’t win the ultimate accolade with Derry in the end, but there was enough success at the back end of his career as recompense for years of underachievement.
In 2019, McKaigue captained Derry to the Division Four title at 29 years of age, so to conclude his career having won a Division One title in his last season and a pair of Ulster titles before that was good going.
A versatile defender, McKaigue settled long-term in the full-back line and carved out a reputation as one of the best man-markers in the game, winning his only All Star in 2022.
4 Conor Sweeney (Tipperary)
Sweeney will be best remembered for captaining Tipperary to the 2020 Munster title on a remarkable weekend when the centenary of the Bloody Sunday atrocities at Croke Park was marked, but his retirement saw what was surely his greatest moment resurface on social media.
His equalising kick to force extra time against Limerick in the 2020 Munster semi-final, tight on the sideline in the Gaelic Grounds and on the wrong side for a left-footed kicker, encapsulated all of Sweeney’s talent and mental strength, paving the way for one of the best football stories of the 21st century to be written.
Also part of the Tipp team that reached the 2016 All-Ireland semi-final, he was on the Ireland International Rules squad in 2017 and won an All Star in 2020.
5 Stephen O’Brien (Kerry)
Came into the Kerry team in 2014 when they appeared to be flagging as remnants of their great team of the 2000s petered out, but helped to revitalise the side as they stormed to an unexpected All-Ireland that year.
Was generally a first choice selection on the half-forward line over the subsequent decade, though was very effective in the impact sub role in the run to last year’s All-Ireland final.
A hard-running wing-forward with a good eye for a score, he was desperately unlucky not to win an All Star in 2019 when the competition in the forward line was arguably never more intense.
6 Kevin Maguire (Westmeath)
A bulwark at full-back for Westmeath during one of the county’s more prosperous eras as they reached successive Leinster finals for the first time and won the Tailteann Cup, which Maguire captained them to during a four-year spell as skipper.
At his peak, Maguire was one of the best full-backs in the game, with former Mayo goalkeeper John Madden, now a Caulry clubmate, saying that he “started the first couple of years of his career keeping the likes of Bernard Brogan and the Gooch (Colm Cooper) scoreless in championship football. Maintained that standard all through and, for my money, was the pre-eminent full-back in the country over the last decade”.
He confirmed his retirement in August, 14 years after making his debut having captained them to the Division Three title this year, while they were very competitive once again in the All-Ireland series.
7 Robert Hennelly (Mayo)
Hennelly looked set to give it another go with Mayo this year and, indeed, was back in training with them earlier this month before deciding to call time on his inter-county career having been relegated to bench in recent seasons by Colm Reape.
A fine kicker in terms of distance and accuracy, the Breaffy man had an interesting duel with David Clarke for the Mayo No 1 jersey for much of his career and that he was often the first choice was no mean feat given Clarke’s status as one of the game’s best netminders over the past 20 years or so.
It’s unfortunate that Hennelly will always be associated with Mayo’s loss in the 2016 All-Ireland final replay to Dublin, but he went a long way towards compensating for that, particularly with his contribution when they finally dethroned the Dubs in 2021.
8 James Dolan (Westmeath)
A brilliant attacking wing-back whose exploits deserved a wider audience, Dolan called time on his Westmeath career at 34 having made close to 140 appearances for the county, with an impressive tally of 18 goals, well beyond the contribution of many forwards.
The 2022 Tailteann Cup win was probably the highlight, though he was part of the first Westmeath team to reach successive Leinster finals in 2015 and ‘16 as well helping them back up to Division Two this year.
9 Michael Quinn (Longford)
Quinn looked set for a long and fruitful AFL career after becoming the quickest Gaelic footballer to convert to Australian rules when making his full debut for Essendon in 2009.
However, he didn’t live up to that fast start and ultimately returned home in 2012, linking up with Longford and quickly earning an All Star nomination at half-back that year. Success with Longford was always likely to be scarce but he won three O’Byrne Cups and had a stint in Division Two with them while also representing Ireland in the International Rules series.
10 Darragh Foley (Carlow)
Announced his retirement last month after a 15-season career that saw him become Carlow’s all-time leading scorer, acknowledging that although there was nothing in the way of tangible success, “memories and friendships made that trump any silverware”.
He was a key player as Carlow experienced their best spell in modern times, competing strongly in the 2017 and ‘18 Championships and winning promotion from Division Four.
Honourable mentions: Paul Cribbin (Kildare), Adrian Spillane (Kerry),Killian O’Hanlon (Cork), John O’Rourke (Cork), Thomas Clancy (Cork), Tadhg O’Rourke (Roscommon), Eoin Carroll (Offaly), Kieran Lillis (Laois).
Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox