Stephen O’Keeffe retires from intercounty hurling

Stephen O'Keeffe has retired from intercounty hurling. In an interview with TG4 after his club Ballygunner's eighth successive Waterford county title, a comprehensive defeat of Roanmore, the former All Star goalkeeper said, "that chapter is closed for me".

O’Keeffe had stepped away from Liam Cahill’s panel after the 2020 All-Ireland final defeat by Limerick and has now said that he won’t be back.

“In fairness,” he said, “the two lads, Shaun (O’Brien) and Billy (Nolan), are doing brilliant in there now so Jesus, there’d be no guarantees that even if I went back now that there’d be a place for me at this stage.

“I’ve given it a good nine or 10 years now and I think that chapter is finished for myself. (I’m) really enjoying playing with the brothers and some of the childhood friends in Ballygunner; it’s after giving me a real lease of life so I’m really enjoying it and I’m not ready to give it up just yet.”