One of Galway’s best and favourite footballers for the past fifteen years, Declan Meehan announced his retirement on Tuesday night. He informed team manager Tomás Ó Flatharta of his decision at training in Loughgeorge.
Meehan had surgery on a shoulder injury recently and with a few months of rehab ahead he may have felt that he would have struggled to be right for the 2011 championship.
Meehan was one of the most popular footballers on the Galway panel with supporters, team-mates and numerous managers such as John O’Mahony, Peter Forde and Liam Sammon and he has enjoyed a glorious career since he made his debut under Bosco McDermott back in 1996.
The Caltra star won two all-Ireland medals with Galway in 1998 and 2001, and he was for a fair few years, one of the best wing-backs in the game. He also honoured with All-Stars for his brilliance in both 2000 and 2001.
His fitness levels were legendary within the game and his stamina and pace often found wing-forwards marking him, as he bombed forward, rather than the other way around. His commitment Galway’s cause over the past fifteen years has been exemplary.
Few will forget the glorious goal he scored against Kerry in the All-Ireland final of 2000.
He was also a crucial player for Caltra in their drive to All-ireland success in 2004 and his displays with his club that season were astonishingly good.
Meehan also won an All-Ireland colleges medal lining out at centre-back with St Jarlath’s college in 1994.
