Former Ireland captain Peter O’Mahony says he wanted to retire before falling out of the national selection reckoning.

The Munster back row has started two of Ireland’s three games in this year’s Six Nations but, along with fellow long-serving players Cian Healy and Conor Murray, confirmed on Thursday that he would step away from the side at the end of this championship.

The 35-year-old was named Ireland skipper last year but was succeeded in the role by Caelan Doris in November. There had been speculation that the 2024 Six Nations would be O’Mahony’s swansong but ultimately, he decided to play on for another year.

While some critics last season suggested his status as captain was contributing to his continued selection, he has remained a key figure in recent weeks despite others officially leading the team.

“Whether I’m picked or not over the next number of weeks, I’ve trained really well in this campaign. I’ve competed, I’ve pushed guys, guys have pushed me, I haven’t been out of place in our training,” he said.

“That was the test for me – are you going to be good enough next year to compete with these guys? If that was the last one last week, it was the right call.

“I don’t want to get to the point where I’m maybe not selected or not picked for a squad. I didn’t want that to happen.”