'The messages from the lads are the hard ones' - Seamus Kennedy opens up on Tipperary retirement
The three-time All-Ireland winner admits that walking away from the Tipperary dressing room has been an emotional experience after more than a decade representing the Premier County
Seamus Kennedy has admitted that telling his Tipperary teammates about his decision to retire from inter-county hurling has been one of the most difficult aspects of bringing his career to a close.
The Clonmel man announced his retirement from the Tipperary senior hurling panel last Tuesday, bringing the curtain down on a remarkable inter-county career that saw him win three All-Ireland senior hurling medals.
Speaking in an interview with Tipperary GAA, released on the county board's official app, Kennedy revealed that while he had made up his mind some time ago, publicly confirming the decision was far from straightforward.
"It's been a lot the last 24 hours. A lot of people reaching out, which has been very, very nice. But I'm at ease with my decision," he said.
"I knew my decision a while ago, but actually making it and coming out with it was difficult because of just how much it means and how much you've given to the thing over the years.
"But I think now that I've made my decision and it's out, I'm happy now and at ease."
Having shared dressing rooms with many of the same players since his underage days with Tipperary, Kennedy acknowledged that the personal relationships built over the years have made the decision particularly emotional.
Indeed, he revealed that he had yet to respond to several messages from former teammates following his announcement.
"I actually haven't put a message [in the players' WhatsApp group], but I have a good few messages from the lads, and I actually haven't got back to any of them yet because they are the hard ones, to be honest."
Kennedy explained that he had spoken privately to some of his closest teammates in the days leading up to the announcement.
"I spoke to a couple of lads that I've been soldiering with since I was a minor in 2010. I spoke to a couple of them last week, just to give them a heads-up.
"It's not easy because you're sharing dressing rooms with lads, and you go through the good, the bad, and everything, and the hard training together.
"You actually go through an awful lot more than just the games."
For Kennedy, the decision brings an end to a journey that began at underage level and developed into one of the most successful periods in recent Tipperary hurling history.
And while he leaves the inter-county scene with three All-Ireland medals to his name, it is clear that the friendships forged along the way will remain among his most treasured memories.