ALL-Ireland winner Steven McDonnell has announced that he will make a decision on his Armagh future after Christmas.
“I’m still undecided,” said the 33-year-old. “Looking forward to next year, Armagh and Tyrone in the Ulster SFC is very appealing. One thing I can guarantee is that I won’t be playing for Armagh for the first half of the National League.
“To be fair to Paddy O’Rourke and Paul Grimley, they said they’d work with me. There are a lot of things to consider. I don’t know how my body will be next year.
“My wife’s pregnant and is due in March. There are not too many inter-county footballers with four kids still playing at the age of 33 which I will be next year.
“I didn’t want to make my mind up pre-Christmas and then regret the decision. I will enjoy the next few months and will keep myself ticking over. I’ve a bit of an Achilles injury that I want to get cleared up too and this is probably my best chance to do that.”
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McGuigan’s Choice
BRIAN McGuigan has revealed he was left with no choice but to retire after a meeting with Tyrone boss Mickey Harte concerning his plans for next season.
“I wasn’t actually going to say I was retiring, “ McGuigan told the Irish News. “My wife is due to give birth again in March -- that will be our second child -- and I couldn’t commit before that.
“I told Mickey that I wasn’t happy about going back before March. When March comes I said if I felt fit enough to go back I would, but Mickey was saying we’ll be training hard in the wintertime and he didn’t want me to miss that.
“He said if I came back in March time, well, obviously they’d be doing something wrong if I was fit enough to come back in again at that stage. I suppose that made up my mind.”
Shefflin Injured
KILKENNY legend Henry Shefflin will be out of action for up to six month after surgery on a shoulder injury picked up on club duty with Ballyhale Shamrocks.
“Henry injured his shoulder against O’Loughlin Gaels in the county semifinal,” Ballyhale chairman Sean Reid explained to the Irish Examiner.
“He was able to play on that day, and he played against James Stephens in the final and the replay as well, but he’ll have to have an operation on it soon and he’s likely to miss out on at least six months as he recovers.
“That means we’ll be without him here in the club for the early part of the county championship, and Kilkenny look like they won’t have him at all for the National Hurling League, because even if he had the operation right now you’d be talking about May or maybe June before he’d be right.”
McKaigue Stays Put
DERRY footballer Chris McKaigue has turned down two offers to stay in Australia from Aussie Rules clubs and will concentrate on Gaelic football with the county team for next season’s Ulster championship bid.
“I’ve just turned 22 now so I think I am at the right age to play a bit,” McKaigue told the Irish Daily Star.
“I’ve a fair bit of experience under my belt and I’m out of the game a fair while. I’m excited about coming back and playing Gaelic football.”
Canavan’s Rules
NEW Fermanagh manager Peter Canavan has offered every player eligible for the side a fresh start after so many rows between players and management in recent years. “We will be starting with a clean slate on a lot of people,” Canavan told TV3.
“A lot of people would have said that I am mad going near that because things are not good there. I am going in holding no grudges against anybody. I want to see players committed, working hard and do whatever they can to play for their county.”
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Cha’s Loyalty
FORMER Kilkenny captain James “Cha” Fitzpatrick has denied stories that he will switch allegiances to Dublin after his recent retirement from the Cats squad.
“I am not going anywhere else. I will continue to play with my club Ballyhale Shamrocks, and that will be it,” Fitzpatrick told the Kilkenny People newspaper.
“I’ll continue to enjoy my club hurling with Ballyhale Shamrocks and I will take this opportunity to achieve new goals and targets that I set out for myself.”
Moran Quits
MANAGER Mickey Moran has been forced to quit the Leitrim job on medical advice after three years in the job.
A statement from the Leitrim County Board confirmed, “Leitrim GAA regrets that due to health reasons their senior football team manager, Mickey Moran has had to stand down from his position.
“Mickey was in his fourth year as manager. All in Leitrim GAA fraternity wish him a speedy return to full health.”
GAA Shorts
MAYO expect to have Andy Moran back for the National League campaign in the spring, just months after he broke his leg during a trial game for the Irish Compromise Rules team last September . . .
DUBLIN youngster Ciaran Kilkenny won’t make any decision on an offer to join Aussie Rules side Carlton Blues until after he sits his Leaving Certificate examination next June . . .
CLARE champions Crusheen and Cork side Na Piarsaigh must meet again on Sunday after they drew the Munster SHC club final in Thurles last weekend . . .
CARLOW midfielder Brendan Murphy and Cavan midfielder Seanie Johnston have both been linked with moves to Kildare but Murphy has denied the story . . . .
CROSSMAGLEN have won a ninth Ulster senior club football title after beating Down champions Burren by seven points in the provincial final on Sunday . . .
CORK’S Setanta O hAilpin has agreed a deal to stay in the Aussie Rules game with new side Greater Western Sydney Giants . . .
OFFALY’S Coolderry beat Wexford’s Oulart-the-Ballagh by four points in the Leinster senior club hurling final on Sunday . . .
MAYO star Conor Mortimer has completed his club transfer from Shrule/Glencorrib to Parnells in Dublin . . .
ARMAGH native Mattie Lennon is the new manager of the Monaghan hurlers.
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