Aaron Kernan has called time on his club career after 23-years of unbroken service to the Crossmaglen cause.
During his time with the Rangers, Kernan won 18 Armagh SFC titles, 8 Ulster’s and 3 All-Irelands medals.
He picked up two Club All-Star awards in 2018 and 2022 and was named Senior Club Player of the Year in 2018.
At county level, Kernan earned the 2005 Young Player of the Year gong. He also won an Ulster and an All-Ireland with Armagh at u-21 level in 2004.
Graduating to the senior setup, Kernan helped Armagh claimed three in a row of Ulster’s in 2004, 2005, 2006.
Kernan was also part of the first ever Armagh team to win a Division One NFL title in 2005 and helped them win their most recent Ulster title in 2008.
“I had my mind made up completely, that’s it,” said Kernan after Crossmaglen lost to Trillick last Saturday evening.
“To be fair I’m 40, I’ve just given everything. You’d love to change it but the hunger’s not there. I’ve given everything and it’s family and that’s it.”
The Rangers crashed out of Ulster at the hands of the Tyrone champions, failing to score in the second half.
“It’s just hard to put into words,” said the club and county legend. “The first half wasn’t hectic, but I thought at times we were in control.
“We never really got into our flow, nor did they. But it was basically the same as last year (vs Ballybay), a team gets a bit of a run on us and we just seem to lose our shape completely.
“We couldn’t stem the tide. We probably didn’t haemorrhage as many scores as last year, but we just didn’t look like troubling them at all.
“For 12 months you work hard, and it just doesn’t work out, it’s very hard to put context on it at the minute of why it happened or how it happened.”
