Luke Fitzgerald stepped away from rugby on Tuesday afternoon after sustaining a neck injury against Connacht while playing for Leinster in the Pro12 Final last month.
The 28-year-old Leinster star played 34 times for Ireland (the same amount as his father Des) and was part of the 2009 Lions squad that traveled to South Africa, appearing in the First Test against the Springboks in that series.
Fitzgerald made his debut for Ireland in 2006 against the Pacific Islanders, but it took two-and-a-half years and a further eight appearances before he scored his first try in green.
Then aged just 21, Fitzgerald starred in Ireland's Grand Slam campaign in 2009 and scored two tries against Italy in their opening game of the tournament.
His second was the work of some quick-thinking with Geordan Murphy, as Ireland scored a late try on the way to their first win of a historic campaign.
The encounter in Rome proved to be the only time Fitzgerald scored more than once in the same game when wearing green.
It took Fitzgerald over six years to score his third try for Ireland. During that period, the Wicklow native played 19 games for his country, as he battled a number of different injuries.
On two separate occasions, there was over a year's break between his appearances for Ireland. The longest such absence was between August 2011 and February 2013, when he finally made a long-awaited returned from injury.
Fitzgerald forced his way into Ireland's World Cup squad after impressing for Leinster last year. He scored his third try for Ireland in the warm-up game against Scotland in the Aviva Stadium.
His last appearance in green also brought his fourth and final international try. An early replacement for the injured Tommy Bowe, Fitzgerald was one of Ireland's best performers in the World Cup quarter-final loss to Argentina.
The first-half try brought Ireland back into the game against the Pumas, but the damage was already done earlier in the half by the South Americans.
Injury robbed Fitzgerald of his place in the Six Nations and South Africa-tour squads, as the Blackrock College star looked to be returning to his very best form, and bringing some much needed quick feet and improvisation to an Ireland side that had proved to be lacking a few ideas.
Infamously, his most well-known moment in Ireland colours came away from the field during the 2015 World Cup. We will always have memories of that swing...
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