AFTER 18 years, Fermanagh hurler Mark Slevin has called time on his intercounty career. In the same week as his Coa clubmate Eoin Donnelly announced his retirement with the county, Slevin has also bowed out and he laughed when he was asked if there was something in the water down around Coa.
“Yeah, it’s such a coincidence. I don’t know what is going on!” he laughed.
“It can’t go on forever. It has to happen someday and I am quite happy with how it has happened.”
Slevin made his debut with Fermanagh hurlers when he was just 17 under Gerry Timmons in the 2003 National League and has had many highs and lows along the way.
“It’s a long time. A lot of miles on the clock. The body is giving in. I want to be able to finish with the club.” said Slevin, on his decision to call time.
“Winning or losing, I enjoyed playing for the county and I was proud to play for the county
“I had a good year last year in terms of winning the Lory Meagher. I kind of wanted to go out on a high in that sort of regard with the last game being in Croke Park, the last game scoring a point in Croke Park, winning an All-Ireland Lory Meagher Cup title. I am very content to finish on that high.”
The 35 year old has won two Lory Meagher Cups in 2021 and 2015, a National Hurling League Division 3B in 2016 and a Division 3 Shield in 2007. Looking back on almost two decades of county hurling, what really stands out for the former Fermanagh captain is the 2015 season.
“It was a very hard year. It was a very low moment for Fermanagh when we lost Shane [Mulholland] but in the same year we won the Lory Meagher for the first time. You have the lowest low in the same year as you have your highest high. That year will stick out for me one hundred percent. I’ll never forget that year.
“He (Shane) was a teammate and a friend. We would have met up outside of training as well. I am married to John Duffy’s sister and John would have been very close to Shane and we would have been in the same circles outside of hurling. It was one of those things that weren’t simple but at the same time, he helped us over the line that day.”
Fermanagh manager, Joe Baldwin, will have to plan without Slevin from here on in and the 35 year-old engineer says, the gaffer understands his situation.
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