It was a sad moment for hurling fans across the county when Richie Hogan, officially announced his retirement from the intercounty game.
The 35-year-old Kilkenny native leaves behind a remarkable legacy that includes numerous All-Ireland titles and individual awards, earning him a place in the pantheon of Kilkenny hurling greats.
See also: Kilkenny’s Richie Hogan retires from intercounty hurling
As if the retirement announcement wasn’t enough, news of a hamstring injury also casts a shadow over Danesfort’s upcoming battle in the Kilkenny club hurling championship. Last year’s intermediate champions find themselves in a precarious situation, facing the looming threat of relegation.
The club now faces a challenging predicament as they prepare to navigate the championship without their star player. The fate of Danesfort hangs in the balance, and their supporters are holding their collective breath as they hope for a miraculous recovery for Hogan.
Speaking to KCLR after a valiant display against Tullaroan at the weekend, Danesfort Goalie and brother of Richie, commented on the impact of his sibling’s absence from the club and county scene;
“Richie tore his hamstring last week there, so he’ll be out for a few weeks.”
“He announced his retirement there and he is a great servant, he lives for hurling.”
“He puts everything into it when he goes out in the field and training and in matches and is a massive leader, he was a massive loss today (against Tullaroan), but look, he’s going to be a loss to Kilkenny as well.”
Scoreline Extra #147 : Get all the reaction from this weekends games
The Kilkenny faithful will remember him as one of their most skillful players. As for Danesfort, they face an uphill battle without their talisman, but they will undoubtedly give it their all to secure their place in the Kilkenny senior ranks. O’Loughlins are up next in the league, however, the big focus will be on the confirmed relegation semi-final.
Get up to date with all the permutations with The Kilkenny Hurling Podcast.
Each week Robbie Dowling and former Blacks and Whites manager Eddie Scally cast their eye over all the action from the weekend’s senior, intermediate, and junior league and championship games as well as looking ahead to the next round of action.
