Former Waterford goalkeeper Stephen O'Keeffe had said that retirement was never an option as Ballygunner’s domination of the Déise County continued as they swatted Mount Sion aside to claim a 12th straight title on Sunday.
When O’Keeffe - who has 14 winning medals collected at this stage - lined out in his first county final back in 2009, Ballygunner trailed Mount Sion by 25 titles. The gap now is 11 and few would bet against it being reduced further in the coming years with four Munster titles and an All-Ireland win gathered by Ballygunner in that period also.
The side are now hunting down some of the longest club winning streaks in the game and are just one behind the famed Crossmaglen side that won 13 Armagh football titles in succession before Pearse Óg ended their run in 2009.
They have a long way to go to catch up with fellow Déise club Ballymacarbry though with their 42-year winning run in the Waterford Ladies Championship coming to an end at the hands of Comeragh Rangers last year.
Who knows? Maybe there could even be a Ballygunner v Ballygunner meeting in 2026 after they earned the option to field two teams in next year's SHC after their second string recently claimed the Premier Intermediate title. Add in Minor and Junior A titles and it's no wonder O'Keeffe finds it hard to walk away.
"My family are steeped in the club, it’s a part of me," O’Keeffe told RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland.
"Sometimes you be maybe temped to say 'is that enough for me’ and focus on the family and the job, at the same time with the family so steeped in the club it’s very hard to separate the two.
"If I was to step away my two brothers (Billy and Darragh) would still be here, my young son Fionn will probably be starting hurling in a year or two and my mother is involved with the ladies committee; it’s not as easy as they say to stop playing."
It’s Munster next for the side and a chance to make up for last year’s provincial final loss to Cork champions Sarsfields.
A quarter-final with the yet to be determined Limerick champions at the start of November awaits, and O’Keeffe said there will be no reduction in contact over the following weeks.
"It’s probably a cliché, but we’re a close-knit bunch," he said of one of the key reasons for their continued success.
"If we were to be beaten today (Sunday), you'd probably see a lot of the group in a coffee shop together or going out for a pint together over Christmas.
"We genuinely live in each other’s pockets, especially the younger lads, they’ve nothing else to be doing.
"That’s one thing, we’re a genuinely close bunch, we enjoy each other’s company and we love playing hurling together."
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