WE ARE WELL into the GAA’s retirement season now and today another All-Ireland winning stalwart has left inter-county football.
Tyrone’s Conor Gormley, who played in the half-back line on their All-Ireland winning sides in 2003, 2005 and 2008, has followed Stephen O’Neill into retirement.
Gormley was part of Tyrone’s tigerish defence that helped revolutionise Gaelic football in the early 00′s and he won an Allstar in each of his All-Ireland winning seasons.
And while three Celtic Crosses are a great haul from his inter-county career, Gormley will probably be most remembered for his sensational late block to deny Steven McDonnell an almost certain goal in the ’03 final that likely would have won the game for Armagh.
And fittingly, the recipient of that great challenge paid his respect to one of Gaelic football’s stickiest defenders.
Was that the greatest block of all-time?