Seán Óg: Time to move on.

SEAN Óg Ó hAilpín says he is coming to terms with the end of his 14-year Cork senior hurling career and that he has departed the inter-county game content with the contribution he has made.

Rebels boss Denis Walsh axed Ó’hAilpín from his squad for the 2011 season in October, a decision which provoked a strong reaction on Leeside but the 34 year-old is determined to move on and focus on other areas of his life.

“I think it’s no hidden secret now, I’m not going to be involved next year. Whether I agree with it or not, I just have to accept it and move on. Once I know in my own head that it wasn’t me that pulled the plug on it, I’ll move on. Look that was in October, it’s December now and life is moving on for Sean Óg.

“You’d look back and wonder did you make a contribution because it’s a team sport, it’s not an individual sport. And I’m happy enough that I did make a contribution. So I’ll walk away happy. I saw it as a job but it was a labour of love and I got great enjoyment out of it. The 14 years did go by fairly quickly. But if I had another 14 years, I’d do it all over again.

“I’ll look forward to the other parts of life that will probably open up for me now. I look forward to spending time with the people who have suffered because of my intercounty career. My girlfriend Siobhán has put up with a lot and stuck with me through thick and thin. For once this year we can plan a holiday and actually go away, and not have to think about bringing boots or runners to do a bit of training. As regards work as well, Ulster Bank have been great employers the last number of years, so I owe it to them now to get back to normality and start putting in the hours that are required there.”

Ó’hAilpín’s exit was swiftly followed by the departure of his younger brother Aisake, who has returned to Australia and linked up with Melbourne District League outfit Maribyrnong Park. Sean Óg, who was speaking yesterday in the Ambassador Hotel in Cork where he received the Northside City and District Sport Award for December, revealed that Aisake is relishing his second stint as an Australian Rules player.

“He’s flying it. It couldn’t be going better for him now. He’s in Australia, signed up with a Division 2 side. He’s working away. It was 30 degrees when I was talking to him now over the weekend and he was going to St Kilda beach. Look, he’s happy.”

The culmination of his inter-county playing days will free up more time for Sean Óg and he is now hoping to realise a cherished dream next summer of attending one of his brother Setanta’s AFL games in Melbourne.

“I always said that I wanted to see Setanta’s games live in the season but I never got to do that. It’s depending on club championship fixtures but if there’s a lull there in May, June and July, I’m going to head over for two to three weeks and watch him play in the MCG. I’d look forward to that because as hard as it’s been for me and Aisake here, it’s been 20 times harder for him out there not having anyone to support him. He has his team-mates and the management but when things aren’t going well, you want your family to confide in.”

Ó’hAilpín paid tribute to the players he has soldiered with since making his Cork senior hurling debut in 1996.

“The 14 years saw a lot of ups and downs. The upsides were winning titles and obviously there were low points. But, to be honest, you go beyond the winning and losing. What gives you the satisfaction is the people you share and enjoyed it with, and the characters you were with. Look I’ll never sit in a dressing-room again with the likes of Wayne Sherlock, Alan Browne, Brian Corcoran, Joe Deane, Diarmuid O’Sullivan and Donal Óg Cusack. There were many other players like that as well. Those guys are legends to me. I’ll look back on my career, and say ‘you were a lucky man to be sitting next to quality guys like that’. Those guys will do great for the rest of their lives, I know that. They did more than their duty of just playing the game. They treated the sport with the utmost respect.”

Ó’hAilpín will continue to line out for his club in 2011.

“I’ll still continue to play for Na Piarsaigh, who have probably suffered a small bit over the last few years because basically most of your energy is focused on the Cork setup. I’ll give full commitment to them now in hurling and football, and I’ll look forward to that.”