Five weeks later and there’s not one minute of any day when Henry Shefflin questions his decision. He may long to be back hurling when summer comes, but he’s already so comfortable in retirement that he doesn’t once wonder was it the wrong time to go there.
“I can answer that one, straight off, with a ‘no’, not one moment,” said Shefflin when asked if he’d any lingering doubts about that decision to call time of his career. “I’m sure during the summer I’ll probably think, that when the big matches are on, ‘I’d love to be out there . . .’
“But I don’t think ‘should I have stayed?’That’s not in my mentality. I’m very comfortable with the decision. And every so often, we’d mention it at home, and the conversation was ‘you were right to go, it was the right time’. That, honestly, has popped up in conversation, every so often. And it was the right time. There’s no doubt about that.”
A novelty
Yet Shefflin also says he’s still overwhelmed by all the tributes that have come his way since that announcement in Langton’s Hotel on March 25th.
He’s still tipping away at some training, and intends playing on with Ballyhale Shamrocks for a while yet, but he certainly doesn’t miss the commitment of having to be at training four or five nights a week.
“At the moment it is still a bit of a novelty, that bit of freedom” he said, speaking in Croke Park at the announcement of Kellogg’s renewed sponsorship deal with GAA Cúl Camps. “I have been busy with my family life, my work, and I suppose the big difference I have found so far is just the intensity levels that you’re no longer at. I’m not belting out the door, like I normally was, or going to the gym or whatever. And if you feel a bit tired you can say ‘I feel tired today. So there is a freshness there, from not having to go out and play games and perform.
“I’ve planned a holiday, for the summer, and that is very much a big thing on the agenda. Otherwise it’s been calm enough, just enjoying family life more than anything else.”
Despite their narrow escape from relegation to Division 1B, he still believes Kilkenny are primed for another crack at the All-Ireland.
“They’re champions, so they are still the team to beat. It will be very interesting to see what way it goes. Getting to a Leinster final will be very important this year for Kilkenny . . to avoid the qualifiers. But there is definitely an opportunity for somebody else. Kilkenny are a team in transition . . . .”
Experienced players
“Although I think if they’d been relegated there’d have been a lot of things said. Like some of the experienced players were injured, or the Ballyhale lads weren’t playing. When you put them back into the mix it’s a different situation. . . But I don’t think it would have been anything detrimental or anything like that. They ended up with two very good performances obviously against Clare in both games.”
“And I think not having the experienced players around like the Ballyhale lads, Michael and TJ, Richie Power and Eoin Larkin, to the younger players it was probably more difficult on those who had never played before or might never have been part of the panel. That was obviously a challenge for them, Brian Cody and the management.”
Shefflin also has full confidence in new Kilkenny captain, Joey Holden, now likely to succeed JJ Delaney in the full back role. “Joey, as we say has ‘good stuff’ in him . . he can grow into that role and is someone who definitely fits that bill.”
