Stephen Bray retires from intercounty football

Navan O’Mahonys footballer Stephen Bray has retired from the Meath senior football team. News of the former Meath captain’s retirement broke today.

It was something that was probably on the cards as earlier this summer, the veteran Meath forward admitted that prolonging his inter-county career has required him to be 'very selfish' and put a significant strain on his family.

He told Paul Keane in the Irish Examiner at the start of the championship in June that he only agreed to return this year after getting a tailored training plan from manager Mick O’Dowd, and accepted that playing on has left his wife Muireann to 'carry the can' at home.

The 2007 All Star and former Royal County captain is aged 33, and is married with two children under the age of three.

'If I’m being honest, I am being very selfish,' Bray told Keane. 'I feel sorry for my wife. She’s been very understanding for the last 10 years. We’ve been married now for four years. She has to live a very singular life at times and now that we have two small kids, it’s certainly not easy. Anyone that has family would understand that it’s huge work, with your daily routine between work and trying to care for them, just trying to organise yourself. I just have to keep singing her praises.'

He said at the time that Meath is comprised of a young panel, but gaining crucial experience all the time and building towards a peak.

'By a long way, I’m the oldest,' said the Navan O’Mahonys man. 'I wouldn’t even classify myself as a leader in the sense that I feel I’ve got experience, but it’s more coming from a different group, if that makes sense. It’s those guys who are 24, 25, they’re the leaders of this team. Your Donal Keogan, your Graham Reilly, Bryan Menton, Paddy O’Rourke.

Bray made his senior championship debut in 2005 and won an Allstar two years later before helping Meath to win a Leinster title in 2010. He was the oldest member of Mick O’Dowd’s panel for this summer’s championship which ended with defeat to Tyrone in the qualifiers. He holds two senior championship medals with Navan O'Mahonys who are due out in the county SFC semi-finals this weekend.

Meath GAA posted: Stephen Bray one of Meath GAA finest forwards over the last decade has called time on his inter county career. Lets firstly thank the great Navan man and wish him every success in the future ... #stephenbraylegend.