London's Chris Farley is in the fairly unique position of knowing that his county career is over before he’s even played his final game.
Those sort of decisions are usually taken on the back of a championship exit, but Farley has three games minimum left with the Exiles in the Tailteann Cup over the coming weeks and then he’s checking out.
The Kerry native is heading back to Ireland and he’s not expecting a call from fellow Dromid Pearses man and current Kingdom boss Jack O’Connor - so that will be that.
It’s been a relatively short inter-county career for Farley having spent just two years in Michael Maher’s panel, but it’s been an experience he will cherish as he prepares to finish out his playing days with his club.
"I actually didn’t have aspirations of county football I took it season by season and ended up in London and got the call and I said 'you know you have to try it like'," he said.
The 30-year-old actually headed off to England to escape the rigours of football, but life has a way of working out differently than planned.
"I moved over to London to take a break from football and it’s after turning into the opposite, but once I got the call I said I couldn’t pass up the chance to play county football, especially with London because it is so different.
"You’re playing with lads from all over the country and you have the London born lads as well. I’m sure it’s the same with New York, there is something different about it."
"I was living in South Kerry, not much going on, you're staring at sheep every day of the week so I wanted to come over and live a bit of the life because there were no [Covid-19] restrictions in London at the time," he added.
"It was level five [Covid-19 restrictions] back home, so my thought process was to take a break from the football, but I got in with St Kiernan’s over there, that’s the local club, and we had a bit of success and then got a call from Michael Maher to get in with London. Winning, when you get a taste of that you don’t really want to stop then."
London’s loss will be Dromid’s gain. The player has experienced some great days with the Kingdom club, but there is plenty of regret too.
"We got to the semis in 2011 and played Derrytresk, it was a memorable game and made the papers for a few days afterwards because there was a bit of a scuffle.
"That was bitterly disappointing, we lost by a point and then they lost the final. I came on that day, I was only young and just breaking on the senior panel.
"Then in 2017 I captained Dromid to the Munster final and we lost to Knocknagree, and they went on to win it then. Tough defeats but you learn from them.
"That all played a part in me wanting to take a break, but when you are not injured you kind of want to enjoy it while you can because you never know what’s around the corner.
"There were years when I was playing for three teams - Dromid Pearses, South Kerry and then the two years I was in with the [Kerry] juniors. So you are being pulled and dragged all places."
For now though focus is on London and their Tailteann Cup opener in Offaly on Sunday.
It may be for a future he won’t be part of, but Farley believes the introduction of a round-robin format is essential for the progress of teams like London.
"Everyone is really rowing in behind it. Last year you had the first round and if you didn't get over that you were knocked out.
"It gives the whole team and panel a chance to make a shape for the first team and lads that mightn’t have got a chance to show what they can do. We are looking forward to it, it’s a great opportunity for everyone."
Follow Dublin v Louth and Armagh v Derry via our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app, watch live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player, or listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Sport.
Follow Waterford v Clare via our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app, listen to commentary on RTÉ Radio 1's Sunday Sport or watch highlights on The Saturday Game, from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
