'I deserved more action but that's the nature of the sport': Seamus Harnedy on final season with Cork hurlers

Seamus Harnedy is frustrated with the lack of starts for Cork this year. Pic: Eddie O'Hare

Seamus Harnedy has admitted he was frustrated with his lack of starts for Cork this past season.

Harnedy, who announced his inter-county retirement early last week, made his last start for Cork in the Division 1 final against Limerick in April.

The 36-year-old was the first substitute in the Munster SHC opening win over Tipperary and made further cameo appearances against Waterford and in the provincial final loss to Limerick.

He was also brought on in the All-Ireland quarter-final over Offaly but was not utilised in the semi-final defeat to Galway.

As the recently retired three-time All-Star says “goodbye” to SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh in Ireland colours in Saturday’s Hurling-Shinty International, he is adamant he wasn’t greedy in thinking he should have seen more action.

“I wouldn’t be selfish about minutes on the pitch, but last year was a tough time personally and I probably didn’t play as much as I thought I could.

“That’s part and parcel of sport. New management teams come in and have tough decisions to make. I know I’m older now, and that probably feeds into their thinking to some extent.

“But I’d never be selfish if I thought I was contributing in training, working hard enough, adding value and helping younger lads. I’d be very selfless in that regard “Last year, I travelled up in the car with Diarmuid Healy and Barry Walsh for most of the year. They were two lads in a similar position to me, and I’d do anything for them to try to make them 1% better.

“It wasn’t about me. I would have been the happiest man in the room if we’d got over the line last year, but it wasn’t to be. I leave with no regrets, although not getting over the line is probably one regret. You can’t control every outcome.”

Harnedy during the Munster final against Limerick. Pic: Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile

Weighing up the chances he received during his 15-year career, the 36-year-old is now more philosophical about how 2026 panned out. “Did I sometimes think I deserved a little bit more (action)? Yes, I did. But that’s the nature of sport. I’d received the benefit of the doubt so many times throughout my career, and perhaps my run was coming to an end.” 

Harnedy reveals he was considering stepping away from Cork in 2022 only for Pat Ryan to be appointed and convince him to stay around. “I picked up the injury, and after that defeat I was questioning whether I would go back. It depended to a large extent on who the county board appointed.

“When I heard it was Pat, that was a major plus. I’ll never forget taking a phone call from him in my kitchen. We spoke for less than 10 minutes, and I’d nearly made up my mind straight away.

“His positivity, his knowledge of Cork hurling, his understanding of how to set us up and the camaraderie he creates within his groups all made a huge impression on me. I knew it was the right decision to return.” 

Harnedy will miss the routine and discipline of inter-county hurling but something fellow retiree Shane O’Donnell said recently clicked with him. “He used the phrase ‘opportunity cost’, referring to the amount of time he was putting into it and what he was getting out of it. That resonated with me.

“As you get older, you have to put more time into getting your body right. You’re talking about travelling up and down the road four nights a week, gym sessions and probably three pitch sessions in a week when you’re not playing a game. Even when there is a match at the weekend, you’re getting together four times a week.

“The investment has been massive, probably more so than ever before. When I started in 2012 or 2013, I don’t think the time commitment was anything like it is now.” 

Reflecting on Nickie Quaid’s defining save from him in the 2018 All-Ireland semi-final, Harnedy said he learned with the help of performance coach Gary Keegan to use it as a positive.

“It’s brought up quite often especially in the context when you’re five or six points up, throw away the lead and Limerick go onto win the All-Ireland. It was tough at the time but it was something I used as a springboard. It was one moment in the game I couldn’t let it define me.”