Kilkenny's James ‘Cha’ Fitzpatrick has announced his retirement from inter-county hurling.
The 26-year-old told RTÉ Sport: "2011 was a fantastic year for Kilkenny, but personally I wasn't rewarded for my efforts.
"It's been a wonderful eight years to be involved with Kilkenny hurling and I achieved every hurling goal and more.
"I’ll continue to enjoy my club hurling with Ballyhale Shamrocks and I will take this opportunity to achieve new goals that I set out for myself."
Fitzpatrick captained the All-Ireland winning Kilkenny team in 2008 and retires as the holder of five All-Ireland medals, three National League titles, three All-Stars and a Young Hurler of the Year Award.
