GIRVAN DEMPSEY INTERVIEW:GIRVAN DEMPSEY'S decision to retire from professional rugby at the end of the season will mark the culmination of an outstanding sporting career. Celebrated as a player, his qualities as a person will not be overlooked by those who played with and against him. Modest and articulate, he brought quiet, unfussy footballing intelligence to the pitch.

His career might be defined by his ability to swallow whole towering garryowens without a hiccup but with a strike-rate of just over one try every four matches for Leinster and Ireland it would be churlish to ignore those scoring exploits. Arguably his greatest playing quality was his positional sense, honed by countless hours of video analysis deciphering the facial tics and body language “tells” of hundreds of outhalves: very few found the corners on any pitch upon which he played.

The 34-year-old made his decision in a typically mature, thoughtful manner, consulting with wife Anne-Marie, family and taking into consideration possibly a desire to see a little more of his nine-month-old son, Peter.

He admitted: “It certainly was a tough decision and something I took my time over. I really felt that the end of this season was the right time to retire and move on to something else. It got to the stage where I am very happy with everything I have achieved in rugby and there are a lot of very young and exciting players coming up at Leinster and it is time for them to step up and take over the positions.”

The irony is that his appetite for the sport remains strong and that is why the next few weeks will be important to him, although he won’t personalise issues ahead of the team ethic.

“I felt this year was the year for Leinster. We had high ambitions to try and win a double and, unfortunately at the weekend, we came up against a Toulouse side that was very strong on the day.

“We now have a case of our destiny being in our own hands with this game against Edinburgh on Sunday in order to achieve that home semi-final in the Magners League. Everyone is still very driven and focused to try and win some silverware.”

The consensus in advice terms is to not rush into anything, take time out, and first embark on a family holiday during which he will consider a number of options that might incorporate his degree in business studies or one or two coaching avenues.

“I have been very fortunate to be involved with Leinster rugby for a long time. I started in 1996 and got my first cap for Ireland in 1998. I feel I have achieved nearly everything that I wanted to achieve in rugby and I have enjoyed every minute of it. I feel very honoured and privileged to be involved with some outstanding players on both fronts, won some great games and managed to get some silverware along the way.

“People said I was well capable of playing on longer but I just felt it was time for me. When you have a nine-month-old baby your perspective sort of changes: I’m not leaving the game with any serious injuries. I will still be able to run around at the weekend and enjoy life.”

Listening to the warm tributes paid to Dempsey by Shane Horgan and Alan Gaffney, snapshots from on and off the pitch, offer an inkling of how he will be missed. But what were Dempsey’s favourites? Try? “On the international front the day Ireland went over to Twickenham back in 2004 when we were supposedly on a hiding to nothing.

“England were world champions and nobody gave us a chance. We put in a massive performance and I was very fortunate to be on the end of a fantastic team effort in order to get a try in the corner. That will certainly be my favourite and will live long in the memory.

“As an occasion, that day in Croke Park in 2007 when England came to town, the build-up all week that went with the game. I was very proud of the way the Ireland team performed that day. We performed massively well and put on a big score. It was a fantastic day and a very emotional day.

“In terms of the best player I have played with, Brian O’Driscoll. It has been an absolute honour to have been on the pitch alongside him on many occasions: to see his drive and his ability as a rugby player, his skill levels, his leadership qualities, not in the sense of being vocal or shouting in a changing room but in his quiet words and his actions.

“His performance in last year’s Grand Slam was second to none. I thought it was incredible.”

For Dempsey, though, there is still some unfinished business. Now all Leinster have to do is provide him with the finale he deserves.

Girvan Dempsey

Age: 34

Club: Terenure College

Position: Fullback

Leinster Caps: 174

Leinster points: 32 tries, 8 penalties, 4 conversions, 1 drop goal

Ireland caps: 82

Ireland points: 95 (19 tries)

Ireland A cap: 1

Ireland Under-21 caps: 5

Leinster Under-21 caps: 8