Galway midfielder Joe Bergin has brought the curtain down on his 13-year inter-county career.

The 31-year-old Mountbellew/Moylough clubman played county minor for three years and county U21 for four years, culminating in him captaining Galway to an All-Ireland U21 title in 2002. By then, he already had an All-Ireland senior medal in his possession after starring in the Tribesmen's 2001 final victory over Meath. He also played in the 2000 All-Ireland final against Kerry, which Galway lost after a replay.

"They were glorious years and I was fortunate to experience so much so early in my career. Others had battled for years in their careers before they won anything," he said in The Irish Times.

The 2001 Young Footballer of the Year admitted that recent disappointments had taken their toll on him, and that he will now concentrate solely on his club career.

"The loss to Antrim (in this year's All-Ireland qualifiers) was a huge disappointment and I feel now is the time to go. I have been fortunate to have a long inter-county career and while the last few seasons have been disappointing, I was lucky enough to win a lot in the early years," he added.

It remains to be seen if fellow veteran Padraic Joyce - who also starred in the 2001 All-Ireland success - will follow Bergin into retirement or continue for another year. Tweet

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