It was the handshake that launched a thousand tweets, but Joe Canning was unmoved.
Brian Cody's steely grip and cold stare into the eyes of his former player Henry Shefflin, seconds after Galway had beaten Kilkenny in a pulsating Leinster SHC clash, had camera men falling over each other.
Cue slow-motion replays, screen-grabs and pictures that hogged Monday's front pages as debate swirled about 'The Handshake'.
"What do people want?" Canning shrugged when asked about it at the launch of the Bord Gáis Energy GAA Legends Tour Series.
"Do they want the boys to be hugging and laughing and joking after what happened 30 seconds before it? In fairness, if I lost a game with a last-second free I'd be p****d off enough.
"I think people just read too much into that sort of stuff. It's a competitive sport and that’s all it is. It’s just a competitive streak in the two guys and they wouldn’t have won what they’ve won if they weren’t competitive and didn’t like losing. So that’s all it is.
"I’d take it with a pinch of salt. I’m sure they’re probably laughing at everyone talking about it now. I think it’s blown out of proportion and it is what it is. I much prefer to see the two guys like that rather than hugging and joking after the game."
The bond built up over all those years together in the Kilkenny trenches... not immediately apparent at full-time in Salthill #rtegaa pic.twitter.com/SyqhcxMFDR
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) May 1, 2022
Canning, of course, watches these battles as a supporter now, though the 33-year-old remains consumed by hurling as he juggles playing with Portumna - injuries permitting - with his role on the management team for the Galway minors.
Shefflin did try to convince the five-time All Star forward to stay on for another campaign, but Canning simply wasn't able.
"When he gets in your head, you'd love to work with him, but physically, I couldn't," he reflected.
"I'd say there were lads retired five or 10 years, and they'd say, 'Jeez, I'd love to be still playing and work under Henry Shefflin'. Obviously, I would have loved to work with him, but realistically, the body wasn't able for it - that's basically it.
"No matter who you are, you always want to work with the best hurler there ever was. We actually had conversations. I was talking to him a few weeks before he ever got announced as Galway manager or was even in the running for it. He knew my situation from then."
And that was that.
Joe - and Galway - moved on. He's dipped his toe back into club action, featuring in a couple of league matches, but Canning has too much on his plate to be shoegazing once the big championship days roll around; days such as Sunday's brilliant tussle with the Cats.
"No, not at all, not at all," he said when asked if retirement has left any sort of void.
"It wasn't planned in this way. I think being involved with the minors actually took that away because I am involved with them three, sometimes four days a week.
"I'd say if I didn't have the minors, maybe it might be a little bit different. It wasn't a thing where I said, 'Jesus, this would be a good thing to get involved with and I might not miss the seniors'. That wasn't the intention, but maybe it's kind of worked out that way."
"As long as Galway win, I'm happy enough."
He admits his magnificent career whizzed by in a carousel of highs, lows and in-betweens: "It kind of did go in the blink of an eye but there's some years there which you almost kind of forget about when we weren’t that successful.
"Around 2010, '11, '13, '14, it’s hard to think of who we played or anything like that in those years for some strange reason. It did go [fast] but that’s life, I always expected it to come at a certain stage.
"Even in the last couple of years with Covid and stuff, it’s even gone quicker.
"People always say that you should cherish every moment of it because it does go in the blink of an eye. That’s just life. You only get 10, maybe 12 years at the top level. That’s not long in the bigger scheme of things in a person’s life... it went quick all right."
Right now, Canning is more than happy to take his place in the stands and get behind his county.
Can they win the Liam MacCarthy?
"Why not? I'd love them to win an All-Ireland. I'm a Galway man first and foremost, so I'm hoping they do. Obviously, Limerick look very formidable and Waterford as well. Even Clare are going well at the moment.
"You've still Kilkenny, Wexford, Dublin to come in Leinster. Who knows about who will get out of Leinster even at this stage?
"I hear of people not dealing with retirement and stuff but in all honesty, I don't miss it so far. As I said, that may be because I’m involved with the minors. I don't even know if I’ll be with the minors next year. I said I’d get involved this year and try to help out as best I can and I’m enjoying it. I don’t look too far ahead in these kind of situations either.
"I’m fine going to the (senior) matches and watching the matches on TV. As long as Galway win, I’m happy enough."
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