Shane Walsh says his proposed move to Kilmacud Crokes is “a see you soon as opposed to a goodbye.”
The Galway star has opened up on how difficult a decision it was to opt for a club transfer, having first contemplated a move last March after hip issues related to the 260 mile round trip from his Dublin base to training.
Walsh says he didn’t want a transfer to be a distraction so he kept the plan to himself until after Galway’s All-Ireland final defeat by Kerry, a game he excelled in, scoring nine points.
He met Kilkerrin-Clonberne club officials, the team manager and some players the following Friday night to tell them about his plans.
"People are probably sick of listening to me but I explained my reasons behind it,” he says. “In fairness to them, they were all understanding of it.
“They wished me the best and said they were disappointed to see me go. I’ll be back again. It’s a see you soon rather than a goodbye.”
Walsh says the subsequent media coverage and reaction on social media left him wondering why his laundry had to be aired in public.
The 29 year old said: “I learned my trade in the club. They knew what I was capable of so regardless of the spotlight on me after the (All-Ireland) final, the club probably had that spotlight on me since I was six or seven kicking a ball in the club.
“There was never going to be the perfect time or anything like that for it. Yeah, it’s not the best, even for me.
“The only thing I didn’t enjoy is you nearly have to air your laundry in public, and I don’t particularly enjoy that.
"The only people that should be knowing what I’m doing every single day of the week are mum and dad.
“They’re the ones that will ask you the most anyway.
“Outside of that then, the rest don’t need to know what Shane Walsh does.
“They can see me on the football field. They don’t see me when I’m training.
“They don’t see the work that goes on behind the scenes of every player that goes out there, so I don’t see why they need to know more stuff about me.
“But that’s out of my control. The things I could control were obviously switching off the phone and spending a bit of time with myself.”
Walsh says the most difficult part of the process was deciding what to do himself.
“Around March, it probably stemmed in my head, the injuries were starting to happen from the driving element with my hips,” he continued.
“I was starting to re-evaluate where I was at, and wondering how am I going to sustain this over the next couple of years.
“It’s not an easy decision to come to because you’re thinking about all the time you put in to your club, and all the time you spent down there.
“I am very grateful to everyone who put time in to me.
“Obviously I talked to my family and they would see more of the flak - if there was flak.
“But thankfully, I got a couple of lovely messages from people in the club who were very supportive of whatever happens down the line.
“I appreciate that the most because home is where the heart is. That meant the most.”
Walsh says it “wasn’t easy” keeping his decision to himself as Galway gathered momentum and the season wore on.
“When I went to the club at the time I did, the purpose behind it for me was to give them as much time coming into their first round of the championship so they could prepare,” he says.
“That was a bolt out of the blue for them and they had to take that hammerblow and pick themselves up.
“I thought that was the fairest thing to do. They won last weekend and I was delighted for the lads. Please God they will continue doing that.”
No objections have been made to the proposed transfer with the deadline now passed. Croke Park chiefs are currently examining the move.
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