By Cian O'Connell

Lee Keegan has announced his retirement from inter-county football.

Widely regarded as one of Mayo's greatest ever players Keegan made 67 championship appearances for the green and red.

Keegan, who represented Mayo on 140 occasions, won seven Connacht SFC titles and an Allianz Football League crown. An influential figure for Westport, Keegan won a Mayo SFC in 2022 also.

“I have enjoyed every minute of my time with Mayo," Keegan said in a statement released by Mayo GAA on Monday morning.

"We had great days and some memorable victories. For me, it was always about wearing that Mayo jersey with pride every single day, and I was honoured to play alongside players who were of the same mind, and under managers who drove high standards on and off the pitch.

“But all good things must come to an end. The reality is that I have had to rely on a lot of people – most notably my wife Aoife – to give me the time and space to pursue my dream.

"Now that we have two young children, Lile and Rhea, I am keenly aware that I am no longer able to commit to inter-county football in the way I did over the past 11 years. I will continue to make myself available to Westport and look forward to building on last year’s historic success in the years ahead.

“I wish Mayo every success in 2023 and beyond. I will be cheering them on from the terraces. That’ll be an unusual experience for me, I’m sure, but such is the way of life.”

New Mayo manager Kevin McStay acknowledged Keegan's rich contribution on the inter-county stage.

“Lee has represented Mayo with great distinction," McStay says.

"He was indestructible and defiant: on the biggest days, he walked tall and proud. Lee embodied the resilience of Mayo. The example he set will continue to inspire Mayo for many years to come.”