Though the older members of Dublin's old guard were expected to step away from the panel before too long, the retirement this week of Brian Fenton came as a massive shock in Gaelic football spheres.
Just 31, Fenton has decided to retire from inter-county football after ten seasons in blue. The Raheny man won seven All-Irelands, six All-Stars, and was twice named Footballer of the Year across his career - a career in which he never once lost a Leinster Championship game.
There was a finality to Dublin's statement which suggests that their midfield talisman has no intention of any future U-turns.
With James McCarthy already gone, and question marks hanging over the futures of Stephen Cluxton and Michael Fitzsimsons, the Dublin panel looks set to lose a huge chunk of experience ahead of 2025.
One ex-Dub fears that Fenton's departure may hint at issues behind the scenes in the county.
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Dublin GAA: Philly McMahon reacts to Brian Fenton's shock retirement
14 September 2019; Tommy Walsh of Kerry in action against Philip McMahon, left and Brian Fenton of Dublin during the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championship Final Replay match between Dublin and Kerry at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Philly McMahon played alongside Brian Fenton in the great Dublin team of the 2010s, with the pair winning six All-Irelands together before McMahon's retirement in 2021. The 2015 final which won Fenton his first Celtic Cross was both McMahon's finest and most infamous hour in a Dublin shirt.
Reacting in the Irish News to Fenton's shock retirement this week, McMahon shared his fear that this bolt-from-the-blue announcement may have deeper implications.
He’s still young and I don’t see this as a retirement. I hope it’s a break.
I don’t know what’s going on, but for a fella of Brian Fenton’s status to leave at 31…something’s gone wrong there for him to say, 'I don’t want this any more.'
People might ask, 'Is it something in the set-up he’s not liking, or something that’s preventing him doing certain things in his life?'
Then again, maybe he’s had enough, he’s done it all...simple as that.
At the outset of his Dublin career, Brian Fenton said that he would be satisfied if he managed to play ten seasons in blue. Having achieved exactly that, perhaps he simply felt this was the best time to step away.
On the surface, this is just speculation from Philly McMahon. However, if more of the younger veterans in the Dublin squad were to step away, it could hint at deeper problems in the squad.
Whatever the reasoning, Dessie Farrell has a massive job ahead of him in replacing Brian Fenton for 2025 and beyond.
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