After announcing his retirement, Walsh received acclaim from former colleagues and opponents. For example, Tipperary's All-Ireland-winning captain, Eoin Kelly, said of him: ""For me he was the best, that’s how I’d rate Tommy. He had everything — aggression, skill, courage, you name it. He had the will to influence the game, to make the ball go where he wanted it to go. He ticked all the boxes for me — the best, simple as that. I couldn’t give him any higher a compliment than that.""