The camera was switched off and Joe Canning was clearly hurting when he appeared on a media call for Bord Gais Energy yesterday just afternoon.

Normally these sessions are an opportunity to get to know the players a little better, to provide copy for the fans to devour in their chosen media and to give a push to the promotion of a particular sponsor.

But today’s felt edgy.

Joe had been preceded on the call by Gearóid Hegarty of Limerick who was laughing and joking about his housemates and giving some great insight into his first time appearing at Croke Park and the help he had gotten to come to terms with the demands of a champion from team psychologist Caroline Currid.

It was clearly working as he was full of the joys of summer.

Joe though was despondent after Galway’s exit at the hands of Waterford on Saturday.

The fact that he had scored the points needed to become the all-time leading Championship goalscorer will be remembered long after the final score but that was little consolation.

When asked by Brian Barry of Sky Sports the inevitable question of his own plans, he dropped a bombshell not normally heard, seen or felt in these round table gatherings, that he was finished with the team and would not be returning.

Tiredness

It was a combination of mental and physical tiredness, the relentless hammering of injuries and the desire to go out on his own terms.

So ended one of the greatest hurling careers of all time.

It started with a bang when he scored 2-12 against Cork in an All Ireland Qualifier in his debut season of 2008. It ended on a personal tally down the years of a remarkable 27 goals and 486 points, two more than Henry Shefflin.

That he should have only won one Senior All Ireland, in 2017, is hard to credit, but he also has two minor titles, one at U21, five All-Stars, four AIB All Ireland Club titles and many more.

He told us he had decided that this was to be his final year regardless and while he would have liked a more auspicious ending, that this was it.

His easy way, good looks and sublime skill have made him a natural ambassador throughout his career. Deals with Red Bull, Bord Gais Energy and others have been long term and properly invested in. He has a number of business interests from the family hurley business to an interest in two restaurants in Limerick and Dublin, and he also puts in time as a consultant with Onside Sponsorship.

He has also been a very visible ambassador with Unicef, at times wearing his heart on his sleeve while travelling to Africa.

He has carried the weight of expectation that would only be matched by a Kerry footballer and has sometimes found that harder than he might have let on.

Pressure Cooker

Working in Dublin with Liberty Insurance for a number of years helped him escape the pressure cooker of living in the county and he now lives in Limerick.

He will though continue to hurl with his club Portumna and he will now be able to take time to reflect on a career like few others could ever imagine.

He has passed on the mantle to another generation as all the greats do in time.

Joe Canning was a pleasure to watch, and a privilege to know down the years. He deserves a bit of time now to himself.

 

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