3 days ago
Meath GAA cult hero not quitting yet after incredible 22 year playing career
There has been a lot of water under the Meath GAA bridge since 2004 but one player has remained a constant throughout.
Mickey Burke turns 40 in September and finished another season in the green and gold last week with defeat to Donegal in a Christy RIng Cup clash.
Incredibly, it was the Longwood man's 22nd season in an inter-county career that has seen him play for Meath over 200 times in football and hurling.
Only Stephen Cluxton has featured for longer at the highest level but just like the Dublin goalkeeper, Burke has not committed to hanging up his boots just yet despite that early Championship exit.
Burke made his debut for Meath footballers under Sean Boylan in a team that featured All-Ireland winners like Graham Geraghty and Trevor Giles and balanced football and hurling for nine years before concentrating on the small ball game.
He was injured having broken his leg in the quarter-final for the infamous 2010 Leinster FInal win over Louth but has won Christy Ring Cup and Nicky Rackard Cup medals in a stellar career.
Burke represented Ireland in a Shinty International and has been both hurler and footballer of the year in Meath and has marked some of the game's great forwards like Bernard Brogan and Cillian O'Connor.
That 0-28 to 3-14 defeat to Donegal was expected to be Burke's final act in a Meath jersey but he hasn't ruled out returning next year for a 23rd season.
"I'm not going to make a decision today, there are probably lads out there thinking 'what is that eejit at, would he ever just give up'," Burke told the Meath Chronicle.
"At the end of the day, I'm not picking myself. Johnny (Greville) rang me in October and I got the pass from the missus to go back again. I love Meath and I love my county. You never know when your last game is going to be. I know that time is not on my side, but today is not the day to make a decision," said Burke.
"For a limited player coming from Longwood, I've given it everything. I'll go back to my club now and we'll have a think about it and we will see what Johnny thinks. If it is the end, I have had a great run of it."
"It's not in any way a physical thing. My numbers on the GPS and gym work are good. The reason I have to make a decision is just time.
"I'm busy with the pub work and the business and I have a little daughter now, so all these factors have to be considered. We will see what happens, I am not going to decide on emotion."
"I was very lucky to play for as long as I have. In football terms I was lucky to have played with my heroes like Darren Fay, Mark O'Reilly, Trevor Giles, Graham Geraghty, they were my heroes growing up so Sean Boylan asking me in initially to the football squad that is a memory that live with me always.
"They were my heroes as a young fella going to watch Meath in the mid to late 1990s. That's something I'm very proud of and I just like to do my club, my family, parish proud."
