In late 1964 Smyth dropped out of the Clare team. This was surprising as he was just as prolific as ever, scoring 16–27 for Clare in seven outings in 1963. His retirement from the inter-county scene at this stage was premature but he returned to play for the Clare intermediate team in 1966 before making a return to the Clare senior team in 1967. That year he lined out in his second ever Munster decider. A 4–12 to 2–6 defeat by Tipperary brought the curtain down on Smyth's inter-county career.