As one chapter closes, another begins for Walter Walsh following retirement

Despite announcing his retirement from inter-county hurling with Kilkenny, life is not going to get any quieter for Walter Walsh.

Just a couple of weeks after he announced his decision to end his playing days with Kilkenny, his wife gave birth to twins as he became a father for the first time.

As one chapter in his life closes, another opens, with new challenges for the former All-Ireland winner.

“It is busy, we were thrown in at the deep end with twins. It is all going great, it is brilliant, Charlie and Kate, a boy and a girl, they are doing great. They’re healthy, that is all you really want as a parent. Everything is going great.

“Vicki’s family distantly have twins as well. It’s mad all the things you’ve to get nowadays. It’s exciting times. Two of everything is great.”

While Walsh admitted he will miss his playing days with Kilkenny, he values the extra time he will have to be a father.

““It is important, family is massively important to everyone really. It is nice to have a bit more time to be around and help I suppose. Twins is busy. I am really enjoying fatherhood, so far it has been brilliant. I am learning an awful lot, I didn’t know a whole lot about babies or newborns or anything like that.

“It is the first grandchildren on Vicki’s side, my sister has two children but they live in Malaysia, so my experience with newborn children has been very, very low. I am just learning, and it is extremely enjoyable. It is a challenge, but it is great.”

On the pitch, Walsh could not have made a bigger impact on is debut for Kilkenny.

In the 2012 All-Ireland final, the Kilkenny forward made his debut, where he scored 1-3 and announced himself on the biggest stage to help the Cats win the Liam McCarthy.

The 33-year-old went on to win three All-Irelands, eight Leinster titles, and an all-star in 2016 and four National Leagues.

Looking back on his iconic debut, Walsh said it was a shock to everyone that he played that day.

“To make the debut in an All-Ireland final was mad really. Looking back it was a massive achievement, a great achievement, we won the All-Ireland. In my first four years we won three All-Irelands, you maybe think that is going to continue on for your whole career. That wasn’t the case, it just shows you how competitive the game is, and will continue to be.

“We played an U21 All-Ireland, I think it was the week after the first All-Ireland. I played on that team, Clare beat us in that game. I don’t remember much about the lead up, the training, I definitely didn’t think I was going to be starting or playing to be completely honest.

“I had never played before either. My focus just turned straight to the U21 All-Ireland, trying to win that.”

Since winning an All-Ireland in 2015, Kilkenny have not won another, something that would have been unimaginable at the time.

All-Ireland final defeats to Limerick in 2022 and 2023, they were defeated by eventual champions Clare in 2024. There was also final defeats to Tipperary in 2016 and 2019.

Walsh says those disappointments made him more grateful for the titles Kilkenny won.

“Oh, definitely. We got beaten in the next four All-Ireland finals after 2015. I suppose, initially I’d be thinking that it would have been great to have won another one, but then you have to be extremely grateful. All-Ireland medals, they’re really hard to win.

“I haven’t had a whole lot of time to reflect on my career and my hurling, but hopefully I look back on it more with gratitude and pride than saying ‘It would’ve been great if we won ‘16 or ’19, ’22 or ’23. I think time will tell with that.

“Every game is different but maybe 2019. I thought we were in a great place going into that All-Ireland and maybe that was one.
But then Tipperary were brilliant on the day. They beat us by a lot. I suppose you look back on those games that you lose the All-Ireland final and say ‘I could have done this differently’ or ‘If we did that’.

“But that’s sport. You can’t do anything about it now. Limerick beat us in two, Tipp beat us in two as well, and they were deserving winners on those days as well.”

Walsh hopes to continue playing as long as possible with his club, Tullogher Rosbercon for as long as possible.

Another new challenge he has taken up is a return to rugby with New Ross. Prior to his hurling days with Kilkenny, Wlash olayed rugby, and is enjoying his return to the sport.

“I was playing with south east Leinster teams. That was the highest level I played to at 14 or 15 years of age. It was starting to clash with hurling and I went with the hurling.

“Looking at me playing last Sunday, you’d think I made the right choice going with the hurling because the rugby wouldn’t have went too far. I loved rugby and I’ve been playing with New Ross since I was five, and I took a break for a couple of years. I enjoy it, it’s something completely different.”

Sourse: breakingnews.ie