Clare legend Tony Griffin's departure from the inter-county scene was abrupt and unexpected in 2009.
The Ballyea forward, an All-Star in 2006, had been a stalwart of the Banner side for the best part of a decade, after bursting onto the scene during Clare's run to the 2002 All-Ireland final.
Griffin is the subject of this week's episode of Laochra Gael, which aired on TG4 on Thursday night, and he opened up about the personal struggles which defined the latter half of his inter-county career.
15 January 2024; Former Clare hurler Tony Griffin attends the launch of TG4's award-winning Laochra Gael series at the Light House Cinema in Dublin as the Gaelic sport biography series returns for another season. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Midway through his time with Clare, Griffin's dad Jerome passed away of cancer, and he spoke poignantly about the impact his late father had on his hurling career.
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Clare legend Tony Griffin shares poignant memories of father on Laochra Gael
Tony Griffin's championship debut in 2002 was a memorable one even if it ended in defeat for Clare.
The then-21-year-old scored 0-06 from play as Clare narrowly lost out to Tipperary at Pairc Uí Chaoímh - but it was a touching moment with his father immediately after the game which stuck in Griffin's memory.
"My abiding memory is that, in the old Pairc Uí Chaoímh, the dressing rooms were tiny," Griffin says on this week's Laochra Gael, "Coming out, there was a throng of journalists there.
"I remember my father was over behind them, standing on the corner, as would be his way. He was quieter.
"He just smiled such a smile of satisfaction. I walked through the journalists and the first thing he said to me was, 'will I take your hurleys for you and your bag?'
"He was a good man.
Griffin's voice quivers as he tells the quietly moving story of the bond he shared with his father.
Just three years later, his dad would fall ill during the championship season. Jerome Griffin was diagnosed with cancer, and his son Tony says that he used his involvement with the Clare panel as a distraction from his father's illness.
Now a coach with the Kerry footballers, Griffin says he has used his experience from that 2005 season to help players suffering from similar issues:
"My father was diagnosed with cancer in '05. Mid-season, the diagnosis came through that he had a form of cancer called mesothelioma - it's asbestos exposure. He worked on buildings.
"He was in Galway and we completely didn't think that he was going to die. For some reason, we just thought, 'he's a strong man, he'll definitely be the one in a million not to die.'
"I've worked with players since whose parents are ill or dying, and I now know what it means to them. They don't have to be asked at training, 'are you okay?' They're actually coming not to answer that question. Going to training was a release for me that year."
In the mid-2000s, Griffin decided he needed a change of pace, and spent the off-season studying in Canada.
14 August 2005; Tony Griffin, Clare, in action against Kieran Murphy, Cork. Guinness All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Final, Cork v Clare, Croke Park, Dublin. Picture credit; Brian Lawless / SPORTSFILE
After Clare's heartbreaking one-point All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Cork, he returned to Canada for the first semester of the college year. It was on a trip back to Ireland that winter that he saw his father for the last time.
I came back in November to see him in hospital in Galway. I said to him, 'will I got back and do my exams?' and he said to go back and do them. He said to me, 'I'll be fine, I'll see you at Christmas.'
Early December, I was going out to sit an exam and my sister rang to say he had passed. That time was unbelievable, it was like a bad dream, but then it was another 12 or 15 hours before I could get a flight home.
It was a tragic loss for Griffin and his family. He says that the fact his relationship with his father was built on their shared love of hurling only made his loss all the harder to process.
Every child has a different relationship with their parents. Mine was built on hurling. When he was gone, hurling-wise, it was a huge void. I almost felt, coming home, 'I must tell daddy that now.' And then you'd realise he's not there to tell. I probably just shut everything down.
Speaking to Balls.ie earlier this week, Griffin revealed that he and his family had not spoken in depth about Jerome's passing in the 18 years since until the opportunity came for Tony to feature on Laochra Gael.
He said that the family were "all the better" for having had those conversations and that, having been abroad when his father passed, he found it touching to learn of his final moments from those who were in the room with him at the time.
His mother Maria says that the family quietly helped each other through that period together, even if they did not necessarily vocalise their feelings.
Griffin would go on to take a year out from his studies in the aftermath of his father's death and committed to training full-time with the Clare team in preparation for the 2006 season. It would pay off for the corner forward, as he was awarded an All-Star for his efforts after Clare once again reached the All-Ireland semi-final.
24 November 2006; Tony Griffin, Clare, is presented with his All-Star award by Carolan Lennon, Marketing Director, Vodafone Ireland, and Nickey Brennan, President of the GAA, at the 2006 Vodafone GAA All-Star Awards. Citywest Hotel, Dublin. Picture credit: Ray McManus / SPORTSFILE
That All-Star ceremony was an emotional one, with Griffin's father at the forefront of his mind as he went to accept his award:
I remember going up to get it and thinking, 'daddy would love this.'
They had a homecoming and I remember that night thanking people for coming - and that was the first time I actually broke down.
I said how much it would have meant to my father to see so many faces. Again, the cheer. It was great.
What the All-Star really meant was, many of the the people who were no longer alive in that room, knowing what it meant to them, this small place that they had always loved was now all of a sudden known and it mattered.
Tony Griffin would go on to cycle the width of Canada to raise funds for cancer charities, all in his father's memory.
There is no doubt that Jerome Griffin would have been immensely proud of all that his son Tony has achieved.
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