Hurling & Camogie

Inter-county game is at breaking point for many players: ex-Antrim captain Simon McCrory

Antrim's Simon McCrory has retired from inter-county hurling due to pressures of time Picture: Colm O'Reilly
Antrim's Simon McCrory has retired from inter-county hurling due to pressures of time Picture: Colm O'Reilly Antrim's Simon McCrory has retired from inter-county hurling due to pressures of time Picture: Colm O'Reilly

AFTER 12 years of service former Antrim captain Simon McCrory has announced his retirement – and also expressed his concerns over the direction the inter-county game is going in.

The 32-year-old St John’s clubman revealed the amount of time he’s given over to playing inter-county hurling has had a detrimental impact on other parts of his life, including his mental health.

While not wanting to discourage any young player of aspiring to play for their county, McCrory feels the GAA needs to address the negative impact the many hours of training and preparation per week is having on players.

In a candid interview, McCrory discussed how aspects of his personal life suffered as a result of playing inter-county hurling and how he sought out the GPA’s mental health and counselling services.

“I do worry that we’re all just training, training, training because everybody’s doing it,” McCrory said, who is a full-time GAA coach with Gaelfast.

“So I do worry about the inter-county game because the demands being put on inter-county players are extreme. From my personal experience - and I’m not making excuses because I was the one that chose to play for Antrim, nobody put a gun to my head – but I did neglect a lot of areas of my life and I suffered for it.

“I’ve had a really difficult couple of years in my private life, but thankfully I’m coming out the other side of that now.

“Some players are absolutely brilliant at managing their lives in terms of work, education, relationships, family,” McCrory added.

“The demands in terms of training and being ready for matches, I just found life very difficult to manage and trying to find a happy medium, a balance.

“I just don’t know how some players do it. I see the top players in my own county and they seem to do it so well. I wasn’t able to do it well, so I needed help to support me in my life. Thank God I turned to the GPA to help me.”

Since making his debut in 2007, McCrory evolved into one of the most consistent defenders in Antrim and Ulster and was key to Antrim gaining promotion back to the top flight in 2017.