AS 2025 dawned a new way of life was beginning for Paul Flanagan, as for the first time in his adult life he would not be part of a Clare panel.
Intercounty hurling is all consuming nowadays, demanding of time and mental and physical energy, and now that his involvement is over for Flanagan he notices the changing of relationships with people he shared so much with. “I was saying to somebody recently that the big thing that you do notice is the connection with guys you would have been spending time with four or five times a week, that has changed. You’ve got to be conscious of that and maybe fill it in different ways and take on different challenges. I’d be conscious of that and I had been chipping away at different things, which has helped over the last couple of months. But it’s still a big change, but it’s something you have to accept.”
Captain of the Clare minor side that reached the All Ireland final in 2010, he would win under 21 All Irelands and was part of the Liam McCarthy winning panels of 2013 and 2024.
Having been an intercounty hurler from his teens to the age of 32, many of his closest friends were fixtures in the Clare dressing room. “There are guys there that you could count on at any stage of your life to give a shout to or talk to about anything. Very tight, and I think that reflects what Brian has built over the last few years. Guys are really close together, enjoy each others company. There are guys I’ll rely on over the next few years, just close friends you can talk to.”
Not being a resident of that dressing room any more does change things, but the relationships will remain strong, he says. “It changes the dynamic of it a little bit, when you meet now you have a little bit more to catch up on. Intercounty set ups are pretty close knit and pretty tight and some of the reference points you had when you were in the squad might have changed a little bit, in terms of the conversations you are having and that kind of thing. Ah look, I’d put fierce value on those relationships and being able to be there for guys, to chat things out, meet guys for coffee and keep up that regularity of contact as well, that’s important.
“My life has totally changed, but I like it in that you have that autonomy to decide what you want to do. But that connection and that sense of purpose as a group, it’s a really fulfilling thing, a really deep thing, that you’re all driving on together on a Tuesday night on a Friday night, despite conditions, despite everything, trying to get better as a unit. It’s something that’s massively purposeful. That’s a change.”
Crucially, he says he has no regrets at all about retiring, and doesn’t miss the involvement. “I was asking myself a couple of days ago do I miss it and I’d have to say, honestly, no. At the moment I’m enjoying the change of scene, I’m enjoying the change of purpose, the change of routine, being able to decide what I want to do and when I can do it is great. At the same time, the buzz of being in an intercounty match and the buzz of being in front of a full house in Croke Park or Thurles, that’s a really hard thing to replace in anyone’s life. I’m not missing the January evenings, but maybe as the year goes on you might feel that itch a bit more. But no, I’m really happy, really content with the decision.”
In any event it’s not like Flanagan is looking for something to do. A teacher at Ard Scoil Rís in Limerick, he will still be hurling with Ballyea, analysing matches for TG4 and he is now running his own business, working as a mental skills and performance coach.
“People ask me the question, what do you actually do? What’ s involved in it? I work as a mental performance coach, so I work with a number of teams and individuals. I work with Kerry GAA underage, with their minors and their senior hurlers. I’m working with Munster rugby, with their national talent squad, so there would be guys coming through in fifth year and sixth year of school and going into first year in college. Munster would be supporting those guys on their pathway with the province. I’d be supporting those guys in a one to one capacity and through workshops. The latest role that I have is with the Clare senior footballers. Peter Keane talked to me earlier on in the year and I was really interested to learn from someone like him with that expertise of management, so I’m supporing the Clare senior footballers this year and I’m really enjoying the challenge of being in that environment and trying to help those guys. They’re superb fellas.”
What does he help people with? “There are things like lifestyle management, time management, right through to mental skills of dealing with pressure on big days when they want to perform. To be honest with you its different for everyone, everyone has their own set of skills and things they are strong at and things they want to improve on.”
He says the expertise he can offer has been gleamed from a mix of formal education and life experience. “I took a year full time to go back and study in UL, I studied for a Masters in Mental Health and Mental Skills. That was one avenue. The second avenue was trying to learn from others and trying to pick up little nuggets as I went through my own career and past my own career. Things that would help, diving into podcasts on my way into work in Limerick was one way, trying to learn from other coaches also. I had Paul Kinnerk in my teaching practice and as a coach with Clare. Different coaches I’ve had throughout my intercounty career, different nuggets you pick up from different set ups. There’s an awful lot wrapped up in it. In the last few years I was lucky enough that there were superb sports psychologists involved with Clare, and you pick up and learn from them. Every day is a school day and it has been fulfilling.”
Are there common themes that he comes across? “Very much for underage a lot of it can be about developing confidence and trying to develop the confidence for that person to be able to back themselves, particularly when they want to go and do something that they’re very passionate about. That’s a common thread that comes through. Very often we might put certain barriers in front of ourselves and we let nerves take over or things that we can’t control at all take over, we worry about selection or worry about trying to not make mistakes, which is nearly against the way our brain operates, we want to tell our brains things that we want to happen and build it in that way. They would be common threads for younger people.
” For those in their twenties and thirties it’s a bit more of a balancing act, you’re trying to create enough energy to be the best version of yourself at the weekend, being clever with managing time and their lifestyle and the different pressures that come from work and relationships and so on.”
As an Irish teacher he was a perfect fit when TG4 were considering analysts some years ago, and now that he is retired he will be doing a bit more with them. “There are a couple of Clare games coming which I’m sure will be a strange experience. At the same time I’m looking forward to it, TG4 are absolutely brilliant to work for, they’re just top class at what they do. They work on a smaller budget to other TV stations and what they produce is fantastic. I love sitting into the car on a Sunday or a Saturday afternoon and going working with those guys. The way they promote the Irish language is brilliant as well.”
As well as teaching, running his business and analysing games for TG4 he is coaching at Ard Scoil Rís.
There is certainly a lot on the plate of the recently retired Ballyea star. Does he feel he has particularly high energy levels? “There’s probably something in me that enjoys really challenging myself to see what I can take on. At times I have to know that sometimes less is more. It can be a challenge with running a business, trying to balance everything together and that what you do is of high quality, that you’re getting back to people on time, organising finances, everything in between. I’m learning about that side of things. Generally I’d be quite positive and want to take on challenges. I always find that the more experiences you have the better you become and the more capacity you have.”
*Those interested can contact him regarding performance queries on paulflanaganperformance@gmail.com
Owen Ryan has been a journalist with the Clare Champion since 2007, having previously worked with a number of other publications in Limerick, Cork and Galway. His first book will be published in December 2024.