TYRONE have been dealt another retirement blow with the news that Richie Donnelly has opted out for the incoming season.
The Trillick man’s decision comes just over a week out from the beginning of the Allianz League and is something of a surprise.
While recent seasons had been constantly disrupted by niggly injuries, Donnelly’s autumn form was the best of his career as he guided Trillick to a league and championship double in Tyrone.
In the absence of his brother Mattie and other key players, he stepped up along with Rory Brennan in particular and propelled them to within a whisker of an Ulster final, losing an epic semi-final to Scotstown after extra-time.
He didn’t start a game for Tyrone in 2023 however, making just seven substitute appearances and getting no game time in the All-Ireland quarter-final defeat by Kerry.
The former St Michael’s Enniskillen student made his debut off the bench against Limerick in the first round of the All-Ireland qualifiers in 2015.
He has gone on to make 71 appearances for the Red Hands at senior level, with 29 of those coming in the championship and another 29 in the League, scoring 2-53 in the process.
Donnelly was part of the 2021 All-Ireland winning panel, although he wasn’t in the matchday 26 for the final as he struggled to shake off the effects of Covid having contracted it the week before the Ulster final in the middle of a condensed championship.
He was named to start the 2018 final against Dublin but was replaced before throw-in by his clubmate Rory Brennan.
Donnelly came on in the second half but the game was already gone by then.
His brother Mattie has declared his intention to stay on despite spending the winter recuperating from another serious leg injury, while Peter Harte’s appearance in the McKenna Cup indicates there’s unlikely to be any more major surprises for Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher to deal with.
They lost Donnelly’s 2010 All-Ireland minor winning team-mate Niall Sludden to retirement in recent weeks.