Front-row view of Tony Kelly gave Paul Flanagan a perfect mind map

Life after Clare hurling has seen Ballyea defender Flanagan run a mental skills and performance coaching business.

Sat, 29 Nov, 2025 - 07:05

Paddy Butler

It’s been little over a year now since Paul Flanagan stepped away from the Clare inter-county hurling panel. Describing his time representing the county as “the honour of my life,” his journey with the hurlers had reached a natural conclusion following a second All-Ireland success in 2024. Many supporters would have imagined that Flanagan might have eased into a world post Clare at a gradual pace, but to say he has slowed down since his inter-county retirement would be an enormous untruth.

Between balancing a day job teaching P.E and Irish in Ard Scoil Rís Limerick, with running his own mental skills and performance coaching business, alongside commentary work for TG4, he’s managing to fit more into a week than most. Flanagan can pinpoint the moment his interest in the mental side of performance took off back in 2018. A member of the Clare backroom team gifted him a book on golf that left a lasting impression.