AFTER a winter that saw their side rocked by high-profile departures, Dublin fans can rest assured Ciarán Kilkenny had no intention of joining the exodus.Iconic midfielders Brian Fenton and James McCarthy both announced their retirements last November.Ciaran Kilkenny insisted he has no plans of leaving DublinBen McShane/SportsfilePictured is 2025 Aer Lingus College Football Classic ambassador Ciarán KilkennySeb Daly/SportsfilePaul Mannion and Jack McCaffrey also stepped away.
The signs suggest that Michael Fitzsimons and John Small have signed off too.But Kilkenny, 31, insisted: “I’m enjoying my football as much as ever and really loving it at the moment.”Kilkenny landed the first of his eight All-Ireland medals when Jim Gavin steered Dublin to a one-point win over Mayo in 2013.
The Castleknock star and veteran goalkeeper Stephen Cluxton are the last men standing from that triumph. And while Cluxton returned from a two-year hiatus in 2023, Kilkenny’s service has remained unbroken.Asked if he ever considered opting out, the primary school teacher said: “I suppose not really.
I love it. I love playing and I suppose it’s a privilege and an honour for me to have the responsibility now.“I always remember in my early days just respecting service to Dublin and service to the group and service to my team-mates.
“Just to be there, to contribute as much as I can as long as I’m adding value to Dublin and the team, I’ll be there because I love doing it.“I love bei.
