Ireland's Keith Earls, Conor Murray, Peter O'Mahony, Sean Cronin and Rory Best celebrate. Photo: ©INPHO/Billy Stickland, ©INPHO/Billy Stickland
Three of Ireland's most capped players, centurions Peter O'Mahony, Cian Healy and Conor Murray, will retire from international rugby at the end of the Six Nations.
Former Ireland captain O'Mahony and Healy, Ireland's most capped player, will also retire from professional rugby at the end of the season while Murray will leave Munster in July to play abroad, the Irish Rugby Football Union said.
"The three of us have done some very special things together but we're not done yet," Healy said ahead of their final home game against France on 8 March as Ireland seek to become the first side to win three successive titles outright.
All three players are five-time Six Nations champions, two-time Grand Slam winners and have earned over 100 caps for Ireland and played for the British and Irish Lions.
O'Mahony, Healy and Murray will hope to secure a sixth Six Nations title and third Grand Slam by helping Ireland win their final two matches against France and Italy.
O'Mahony, the 35-year-old battling flanker, won his 112th cap against Wales last week and captained Ireland to last year's title. He also skippered his native Munster for years and led the Lions in the opening test of their 2017 tour.
He is the nation's seventh most capped player, two places behind halfback Murray, 35, who made his debut for Ireland in 2011 and forged a key partnership with Johnny Sexton. He was picked for three successive Lions tours in 2013, 2017 and 2021.
Healy, 37, passed Brian O'Driscoll as the most capped Irishman last year and on top of his 136 caps, the loosehead prop has played a record 287 games for Leinster since making his debut for the province 18 years ago.
"Peter, Cian and Conor have each played a huge role in the success of Irish rugby over the course of their careers ... We are determined as a group to end their careers with Ireland on a high," interim Ireland coach Simon Easterby said in a statement.
-Reuters
