‘Big Joe’ hangs up his boots

JOE SHERIDAN brought the curtain down on an eventful career when announcing his retirement after helping his club Seneschalstown preserve their senior status following victory over Dunshaughlin in a relegation semi-final on Friday night.

The 36-year-old lined out at full forward and scored a point in his side’s 2-18 to 2-9 victory. Older brother Damien was introduced as a sub late in the game and he also announced his retirement after the final whistle.

Sheridan will be forever remembered for that infamous goal in the controversial 2010 Leinster final to deny Louth a first provincial title in over 50 years.

He was a member of the Meath team that reached the All-Ireland minor final in 2002 when they lost heavily to Derry. He first joined the senior panel when Sean Boylan was in charge in 2004.

His first championship start came against Laois in a Leinster semi-final that year when he lined out at full forward and contributed six points as the Royals went down 1-13 to 0-9 points.

A prolific forward throughout his inter-county career, Sheridan won a NFL Division two title 2007 and a provincial medal 2010.

A winner of Meath SFC medals with his club in 2007 and 2009, Sheridan quit the inter-county scene briefly for work in Boston in 2012.

His inter-county career seemed to be at an end when Mick O’Dowd axed him from the squad in 2013. However he made a brief return under Andy McEntee in 1917 and was used as goalkeeping cover.

He famously met Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip when they visited Croke Park in 2011. in in