SHANE Walsh says he needed a break from football to get the best out of himself in 2023.
The Galway All Star jetted out to Australia with his girlfriend, Rachel Molloy in late January.
Walsh returned home five weeks’ later and came on in the recent Division 1 win over Monaghan.
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The 29 year old says he wasn’t “mentally prepared to go that soon,” after helping Kilmacud Crokes to an All-Ireland club title with all the resulting fallout.
Walsh also had to deal with the circus which surrounded his club transfer from Kilkerrin-Clonberne to Kilmacud, as well as Galway’s All-Ireland final defeat by Kerry, in a tumultuous year.
“When I met him (Joyce) before Christmas I kind of outlined where I was at - my own space,” Walsh told the BBC Social podcast.
“Obviously from a team perspective, Padraic wanted me to be around and tailor it another way.
“Just mentally I suppose I wasn’t prepared to go again that soon. You were looking at the calendar, a week later and you were playing Mayo.
“As much and all as I’d love to be playing those games, you have to be ready to apply yourself and your application has to be spot on.
“I felt I probably wasn’t in a space to be ready for that. Probably divided opinions on it in a way.
“But I just said it was going to be better for me and better for the group that when I come back I am a positive influence on the group and drive things on from where we are at.”
Walsh reckons the fact he has never drank alcohol helped in facilitating his break away from the game.
“It probably gives me a bit more leniency when I am away,” he says.
“They are not going saying, ‘He is going to be doing the dog on it,’ or anything like that.
“It’s just a case of whether I am eating a few desserts. That’s always the slagging in the dressing room.
"I don't drink at all. I never have. There's no particular reason. When I was younger I said I am not going to make that decision that young.
“I know when you are younger and there are youth discos going on and people are sliding in bottles here, there and everywhere, it just never interested me.
“I just said I would make my decision up as I go along. I'm still making that decision as I go along.
“I'm not set in stone for life. If I do want one in time, I'll have one.
“At this moment in time in my life I am not pushed on it. At the same time, I wouldn’t lose any time for anyone that does.”
Walsh did a fitness test before he left for Australia and had to undergo one when he got back.
If he beat the time, which he did, and trained well the week of the Monaghan game he’d be in consideration for selection.
He came into the fray after 40 minutes at Salthill and was immediately welcomed back by two Monaghan defenders.
“If the lads are at a certain level, I just can’t be expecting to waltz back in and rock up, train and be picked for a game,” he says.
“That’s not the way Padraic works. He always said it - if you are training Tuesday night and train well, you have a chance of playing.
“Obviously I had a step to make before even getting that far.
“It was a tough week to put down but when you are in that mindframe it doesn’t matter what you do, you just love doing what you do.”
Walsh continued: “I am kind of grateful for Padraic and the lads. They have been soldiering and it’s not easy.
“I know what the January and December months are like and to be back now you kind of appreciate more what the lads are doing.
"The biggest thing that stands out with Padraic is that he was a player himself and he understands a lot where players are at.
“I always say he is fair and if there is ever stuff going on, he’s very good in those kind of scenarios.
“He’s obviously still thinking about the group in that scenario. There’s standards there that he’s put into the group.
“You are bending it a small bit but at the same time, for me, to get the best out of myself with Galway this year I need the break.
“In fairness to him, I hold my hands up, he was good in that way.
“He looked after me when I was going away. There was always that thing in the back of your mind that I owe it to him to be back in good shape and be ready to go.”
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