Malcolm O'Kelly retires

LEINSTER lock Malcolm O'Kelly has announced that he will hang up his boots at the end of the season.

The 35-year-old, who has 186 provincial appearances to his name, has been included in the 30-man squad for this weekend's Magners League semi-final against Munster at the RDS.

O'Kelly won the first of his 92 caps for Ireland against New Zealand in 1997 and featured in the 1999, 2003 and 2007 World Cups. He also toured Australia with the British and Irish Lions in 2001 before a groin injury robbed him of his place on the 2005 trip to New Zealand.

During his Test career, he became Ireland's most capped player at the time when he won his 70th cap in Ireland's game against Scotland in 2005, surpassing Mike Gibson, and he scored Ireland's first try in the match, giving them a lead they never relinquished.

O'Kelly helped his country to Triple Crown success in 2004 and 2006, but missed out on the following year's whitewash of the other home nations, and was part of the squad that ended the 61-year wait for a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2009.

On the club front, he helped Leinster to Heineken Cup glory last season as well as their Magners League successes of 2002 and 2008.

O'Kelly follows in the footsteps of team-mate Girvan Dempsey, with the full-back also set to retire at the end of the current campaign.

O'Kelly's fellow lock, Leo Cullen, has been ruled out of Saturday's clash with a shoulder injury, but Jonny Sexton, Gordon D'Arcy and Shaun Berne are all included.