Ray Cosgrove retires.

[Sky Blue]

Ray Cosgrove is retiring from the inter-county scene.

A great Dub but its probably the right decision at this stage. Some great memories of him in the sky blue. Who will ever forget his performances in 2002?
Hopefully he'll carry on a club level. Too many of the top players retire completely too young.

[Louth Exile]

I think I would be echoing the sentiments of most of us in Louth when I say..... Damn, Damn, Damn   
I was hoping that Pillar might given him a run on the Louth game, it would have given our lads a great boost

Its a wonder he lasted on the panel this long and Navan was an embarassment for him. He hasn't fired in a long time.

However, he can look back on 2002 with a lot of pride though, he really lite up the championship that summer. Hopefully he will keep going at club level.

[Mickey Linden]

Whatever happened Cossie? He was on fire in the 2002 season but was a big disappointment after that. Was he unlucky with injuries or did he just go off the boil?

[thebandit]

The Chesney Hawkes of Gaelic Football.

[Gnevin]

Whatever happened Cossie? He was on fire in the 2002 season but was a big disappointment after that. Was he unlucky with injuries or did he just go off the boil?

I think missing that free in 2002 had a big effect on him .

[thejuice]

2002 was a hell of a season by any players standards. He'll always be remembered for that. And well, who couldnt feel for him or his team for that matter when that ball hit the post against Armagh in the semi-final.

[Gnevin]

Ray Cosgrove is retiring from the inter-county scene.

A great Dub but its probably the right decision at this stage. Some great memories of him in the sky blue. Who will ever forget his performances in 2002?
Hopefully he'll carry on a club level. Too many of the top players retire completely too young.

He's 31 been in the senior panel since 96 , first senior start in 99.  He's not that young

He had some super days in blue,too few really but they ones we got where a joy

[stephenite]

One season wonder - but what a season that was - very nice fella off the pitch. Anyone remember him in the James Bond get up for some magazine shoot?

[feetofflames]

But for one extra coat of paint or a little grease on the Hill goals in 2002, Young Cosgrove could have been Irelands greatest ever sporting hero.  Theres a book on the shelves  called What If? and it delas with the opposites of history ie, if hitler had won the war etc....That lick of paint on the hill 16 goals  is one of those stories.  I have heard of men not just from dublin who used to climb the posts in the dead of night with a bucket of goose fat to grease down the post in the hope that they prevent the next what if or what might have been!!!!  

[heffo]

Ray Cosgrove is retiring from the inter-county scene.

A great Dub but its probably the right decision at this stage. Some great memories of him in the sky blue. Who will ever forget his performances in 2002?
Hopefully he'll carry on a club level. Too many of the top players retire completely too young.

He's 31 been in the senior panel since 96 , first senior start in 99.  He's not that young

He had some super days in blue,too few really but they ones we got where a joy

He didn't start in '99 - he was brought on as a sub and taken off (Leinster final)

Wasn't on the panel until Lyons first year and his first start for Dublin in Championship was against Meath in 2002.

Great servant to Dublin - he had a good year in 2003 by anyones standards - still scoring 3/4 from play, but Dublin struggled in 2004 and he never reached the same heights again.

[mattockranger]

is there someting more sinister behind this retirement.......there has to be|!!

surely after training the whole winter, battling in the league and O'Byrne cup up to your eyeballs in muck and shite
then when the ground is just hardening championship just around the corner
sunny big days in croker ahead the dublin panel without a couple of key forwards for the early rounds playing louth in the first round

wat sort of player walks off at that stage seems very foolish especially when dublin could win an All-ireland
sickest man in september will be ray who missed out on winning an all-ireland medal on the subs bench or not its worth persevering with..........
Maybe he knows something we don't know...or an internal row with pillar
Obviously from behind the scenes, maybe he knows things aren't right and the all-ireland is not coming to Dublin...

[Gnevin]

is there someting more sinister behind this retirement.......there has to be|!!

surely after training the whole winter, battling in the league and O'Byrne cup up to your eyeballs in muck and shite
then when the ground is just hardening championship just around the corner
sunny big days in croker ahead the dublin panel without a couple of key forwards for the early rounds playing louth in the first round

wat sort of player walks off at that stage seems very foolish especially when dublin could win an All-ireland
sickest man in september will be ray who missed out on winning an all-ireland medal on the subs bench or not its worth persevering with..........
Maybe he knows something we don't know...or an internal row with pillar
Obviously from behind the scenes, maybe he knows things aren't right and the all-ireland is not coming to Dublin...

Being  put on and then taken off against Westmeath gave a very clear indication of what pillar though of him , 10th or 11th choice forward

Obviously from behind the scenes, maybe he knows things aren't right and the all-ireland is not coming to Dublin...

If you made these huge leaps on a motor bike you'd be famous 

[EugeneGeraghty]

One season wonder. Average footballer, goodbye. Wouldn't get this amount of praise if he retired from another county. Most other counties are happy to see dead wood cut away

[bennydorano]

2002 was a hell of a season by any players standards. He'll always be remembered for that. And well, who couldnt feel for him or his team for that matter when that ball hit the post against Armagh in the semi-final.

I'm sure you were heartbroken alright juice.

[Jinxy]

Best of luck to him. Great goal poacher in 2002 and had a good season in 2003 too (played very well against Armagh I think). Didn't do much since then. Being brought on and taken off again in Navan must have been hard to take.