Denis Hurley’s poignant farewell to Munster shows how much the province meant to him

166 games, one Heineken Cup winners’ medal and two from Celtic League triumphs. Munster are going to miss Dennis Hurley.

On Saturday, after Munster had secured Champions Cup rugby for 2016/17, Anthony Foley bemoaned the fact that several key players had missed large tracts of the season with injury. The first name mentioned was captain Peter O’Mahony. The second was Denis Hurley.

Munster are in team in transition and, unfortunately, have been so for the past three years. So many legends have hung up their boots that there’s almost no room left on the rack.

Like a zombie, @Munsterrugby might look shagged but they keep coming at you https://t.co/JznPJajaT9

— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 7, 2016

‘Dinny’ would never consider himself a legend but he was Munster. Heart and soul. Through and through.

The Cork native made his debut for the province in the 2005/06 season that brought the first Heineken Cup success. He was 20, going on 21 and, two years on, would be starting fullback for Munster’s second European Cup success.

Injury did for Hurley’s season, this time around, after 12 appearances. His final outing was the 26-13 win over Stade Francais, in January. Too little too late for Munster but Hurley gave it his all.

There would be no farewell to the Munster faithful but the 31-year-old was at Thomond Park to see the top level European rugby secured again. After the game, accompanied by his young daughter Emie-Rose, Hurley said goodbye to his home for the past decade. On his Instagram page, Hurley wrote:

‘One last walk out. 

‘My wife nabbed this pic after the end of season game on Saturday. I had our baby girl in my arms to get a pic together on the pitch. A moment she will never remember but both of us will remember for many reasons. All the memories this pitch has given us over the years & it culminated in a quiet moment for us to savour as a family.

‘Happy to have played out my dreams here but now a new challenge awaits and we’re excited about what may lie ahead. Thanks for all the support over the years.’

https://www.instagram.com/p/BFMao7eQxx7/?taken-by=dinnyhurl

Emie-Rose will grow up to see her father as a different man – a man unencumbered by draining himself each and every day on training pitches and in grounds across Europe.

She will grow up, though, with a man that helped make Munster great.

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