SHORTLY AFTER HENRY Shefflin confirmed that he was retiring from intercounty hurling, Monaghan footballer Conor McManus posted a tweet on his Twitter feed.
“Has there been a better player in the history of the GAA?” McManus asked. “I don’t think so.”
And there you have it. McManus believes that not only was Shefflin the greatest hurler of all time, but he was also the greatest GAA player ever.
Hurling, football, ladies football, camogie, handball, the lot. There was nobody better.
That’s some tribute from a footballer. Different code, same respect.
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It’s difficult to disagree when assessing the impact of the Kilkenny legend. Ten All-Ireland medals is the standout number from a remarkable career. It could have been 11 but for the cruciate knee ligament injury that saw him limp out of the 2010 final after just 12 minutes.
With John Tennyson effectively on one leg and Brian Hogan out injured, Tipperary still had to be at their best to see off the Cats. If Shefflin was fully fit, they might not have done so. Because, like all great players, Shefflin had the ability to inspire those around him to ever greater heights.
Last month’s All-Ireland senior club hurling semi-final was the last time this writer had the pleasure of watching Shefflin perform in the flesh. He hopes it won’t be the last time, either. Because you’d travel a long way to watch enduring talent.
It’s not unusual for club hurling fans in Tipperary and Kilkenny to travel across the border to check out the standard of fare on offer across the fence. And as a Tipperary man watching Shefflin in action for Ballyhale against Gort in Tullamore, it was impossible not to be moved, yet again.
After the final whistle had blown, I ventured onto the turf to pick up some post-match reaction. Colm Bonnar, Tipperary native and Ballyhale joint-manager, was effusive in his praise, insisting that Shefflin could go on for another season at intercounty level. Colin Fennelly described him as “unbelievable.”
And on that day, he was. It was vintage stuff from Shefflin as he popped over five points from play.
But any analysis of Shefflin requires looking beyond the massive scoring stats. His work-rate was phenomenal once again, as it always has been. Hooking, blocking, tracking back, tackling, putting in the hard yards.
“You look up to him your whole life and he’s supposed to be leading it onto us now but we’re still looking up to him, scoring from the sideline and stuff,” said Fennelly.
“I have never seen him as hungry for the game,” Bonnar added, as he explained how Shefflin had played in all five challenge matches prior to the All-Ireland club semi-final, while his Kilkenny team-mates were sunning themselves on a foreign holiday.
“Yes, he has great players around him, but he is winning his own ball, he is not looking to get a handy ball off anyone else,” Bonnar said.
And that sums up Shefflin in a nutshell. He wasn’t a ‘poster boy’ type of player. He was a grafter. And we’re conscious not to use the past tense too much in this piece because lest we forget, Shefflin will look to add a fourth All-Ireland club crown to his glittering collection next year.
When Ballyhale Shamrocks embarked on their 2014 club campaign, Shefflin was sited at corner forward. He had no issue with that. He was moved out to wing-forward and again, not a problem. Further switches saw Shefflin positioned at centre forward and then full-forward. Of course, there wasn’t a word of complaint. He just got on with it.
The reason we’ve focused in on Shefflin’s club for the vast majority of this piece is because that’s where it started, and will end, for him. He might be a national superstar but never thought himself above or superior to any of his clubmates. And that’s why they love him. Throughout his career, Shefflin remained grounded and while media attention naturally followed, he rarely, if ever, actively courted it.
And we agree with Bonnar. Shefflin could have gone on playing for Kilkenny but players are only truly happy when they’re playing and last year, he found himself on the outside looking in as the Cats claimed another All-Ireland crown.
But how valuable could Shefflin’s influence have been in the dressing room this year, particularly with Kilkenny also losing the services of JJ Delaney, Tommy Walsh and Brian Hogan to retirement? And with the fat in the fire, how useful would he have been coming off the bench again?
But Shefflin obviously feels that he’s done it all in the Kilkenny shirt and who could argue? He’s the only man in the history of the game to win 10 All-Ireland senior medals and that’s a record that could stand the test of time.
And we had it all from Shefflin. Great goals, stunning points, and just the one red card (later rescinded), when he was dismissed against Cork in 2013.
His penalty goal late on against Tipperary in the 2009 All-Ireland final was arguably his biggest score in black and amber but that second half display in the drawn 2012 decider with Galway should never be forgotten. Leadership and composure in the face of the most extreme pressure kept Kilkenny in a game they could have lost. Because that was Shefflin.
He wasn’t just the executioner when things were going well, as they were on many a big day. He was also the man that could drag his team out of a hole when they needed him most. And while eyes will naturally scan through the numbers of goals and points amassed during a remarkable career, don’t ignore the ones that really matter now. The hooks, blocks, tackles. The hard yards.
Shefflin’s greatest legacy is not his haul of medals. Rather, it’s his ability to face adversity head on, not only on the field of play, but off it too.
Has there ever been another player who has presented himself so immaculately year after year, having recovered from more than one career-threatening injury? Cruciate ligament injuries to both knees, a serious shoulder complaint and a chronic foot injury stalled Shefflin’s progress but never quenched his spirit.
Conor McManus, you could well be right.
