WALTER WALSH was unsure about quitting Kilkenny until an unexpected moment of clarity.
The Cats stalwart retired from inter-county hurling last week at 33, and had no intention of doing so when the season began.
But a groin injury in their NHL win over Offaly in February hampered his progress.
He returned for the championship, but was largely used as an impact sub.
His 58th minute introduction in their 0-24 to 2-16 All-Ireland semi-final loss to Clare proved to be his last, even if he did not know it himself.
But as the weeks passed, Tullogher-Rosbercon’s intermediate championship quarter-final loss to Mooncoin made up his mind.
He said: “Even after the Clare match you’d be down for a couple of weeks. It’s probably not a good time to be thinking of your future in the aftermath of losing an All-Ireland semi-final.
“It probably only really hit home after the club game – we got beaten in the intermediate quarter-final. Coming off the field that day, it was just ‘that’s me finished with Kilkenny’.
“That was my thought when the final whistle went, which was strange because I wasn’t that clear-cut after the Clare game.
“Maybe I didn’t have a great game – that was the other side of it. That kind of made my mind up.
“My priority this year was just getting back on the field. I injured my groin, tore the tendon off the bone against Offaly, I’d say it was my second league match coming on.
“After that, it was 16 or 17 weeks of getting that right. My priority was just trying to get on the field to train and play – there wasn’t much more going on.
“‘Am I retiring or am I not?’ I was just grateful that I was able to get back and I didn’t need surgery. That was where my mind was.”
Walsh’s senior Cats career started with a bang.
He was parachuted into Brian Cody’s squad ahead of their All-Ireland quarter-final win over Limerick, and looked on from the bench as they drew an epic final with Galway.
The Friday night before the replay, the 21-year-old was named to start.
48 hours later he was named man of the match – firing 1-3 in a dream debut as the Cats won back to back crowns.
His name was up in lights as they demolished the Tribes 3-22 to 3-11, and Walsh feared he would never match the expectation he had just arrived with.
He said: “I was 21 at the time. You’d be kind of maybe thinking that you’d go out and get man of the match every day then – you try to do that, and obviously that’s impossible.
“Maybe in my earlier career I would have said that maybe there was some negativity in it, but it was a positive thing – the stuff of dreams really.
“I don’t think it’s any way negative now, looking back. But at the time, maybe I was thinking, ‘how do you reach those heights again?’
“And then you’re playing with Kilkenny and that was a seriously competitive team. Just to even get a starting place on that was a challenge and you wouldn’t want to look too far ahead of that.
“I think I was extremely lucky to have Brian Cody as the manager in terms of he’d keep you grounded. Like, I was 21 years of age, I was in college in Dublin. He was really good in that sense.
“I suppose I’d have a lot of my role models around that would keep you grounded and would be looking out for you as well. It was an extremely positive experience.”
Nerves were not an issue as he performed on the biggest stage with no baggage, and Cody’s big gamble came up trumps.
Walsh swam when he was thrown into the deep end, but his youthful innocence helped – even when defender Paul Murphy rang him the day before the game to lend his support.
EARLY CAREER
He said: “I was as shocked as everyone else, I’d never played. I’d only joined the panel for the quarter-final against Limerick in 2012 – I wasn’t even on the Leinster final panel. I joined it after that.
“I was playing Under-21 with Kilkenny at the time so I was in to make up the numbers in training. I was shocked. I didn’t think I’d be featuring in the game. To be starting then was mad.
“It worked out – we won the All-Ireland. I was young at the time. I actually think it would affect me more now if I was named to start in a match.
“Back then, sure I was 21. I’m easy-going enough as it is. I wasn’t overly nervous about it. I knew no different. It was a mad experience obviously, I had good lads around me.
“David Herity in particular was very good to me in my first year, in training and that. Paul Murphy actually rang me but I was told to not answer my phone on the Saturday.
“I didn’t have Paul Murphy’s number, sure I was only on the panel! I wasn’t particularly friendly with the older lads.
“The number ringing me – I only found out after that it was Paul Murphy ringing to see how I was, to offer a bit of support.
“I was terrified thinking it was the media or something so I didn’t answer my phone. I didn’t look at it for the day.
“Brian might have warned me not to be talking to anyone after the meeting. It was in the aftermath, during the celebrations, that Paul Murphy said to me he was ringing and I never answered.”
And Walsh always answered the call with his county on the field. He won three All-Irelands in his first four senior seasons with the Cats, but 2015 was their last title.
ALL STAR
He enjoyed an All-Star season in 2016, but Tipperary reigned supreme that summer – and Kilkenny are still waiting for glory.
No Leinster player made the All-Star selection this year as Clare conquered in the All-Ireland final against Cork.
Walsh watched hurling’s biggest day with envy, but backs the Cats to end their famine sooner rather than later as the clock ticks into a decade since their last Liam MacCarthy.
He said: “I think they’re capable. Kilkenny are always knocking on the door. In my first four years I won three All-Irelands but I have been in four All-Ireland finals since then as well, so we’re not far away.
“There are some talented players coming up. I’m teaching in Good Counsel College in New Ross and there’s talent coming in from Kilkenny there.
“St Kieran’s and Kilkenny CBS, there’s talent in the county. Yes, I think they’re capable of winning an All-Ireland soon.”
