Dylan Moran calls time on his boxing career

Waterford's Dylan Moran has announced his retirement from professional boxing.

'The Real Deal' took to the ring at Windsor Stadium in Belfast last Saturday week, losing out to Tyrone McKenna in the seventh round.

Moran's storied boxing career took him to all corners of the world, beginning in May 2017.

He fought in Ireland, the UK, Mexico, the US, Austria, Germany, and Spain across the course of an eight-year professional career - winning 19 of his 23 professional bouts.

In a statement in the past week, Moran said: " Since turning professional many years ago, I have lived the absolute dream had some years of my life that I’m very grateful for all because of boxing. All of that being said, with time, everything changes.

“I knew in the build-up to this I wasn’t going to box again afterwards, and that love that got me out of bed in the morning was gone. After spending the last two nights in the hospital, worried sick, it confirmed that for me."

"Things are really good for me at the moment - an amazing girl came into my life last year, which is single-handedly the best thing to ever happen to me. She’s made me become civilised, I guess. I want to be a good dad, a good partner, and so on. To be those things, I’ve got to be healthy. I’ve some great people around me and some great opportunities - essentially, I don’t need boxing anymore."

"I’m not going to start a list of thank yous because there is too many but to anyone who has been involved or helped me in anyway over the years right down to the people wishing me well on the streets - one last thank you, and to my mother the woman behind it all, and the reason I am the man I am today - thank you."

"I’ll always be around the game and look forward to many years of coaching and helping the young guns. To any young fighters reading this - enjoy every day, it's over in the blink of an eye."