Peter O'Mahony says it was important for him to retire before his form tailed off to the point where he was no longer selected by Ireland.

Last week, former Ireland skipper O'Mahony – alongside fellow stalwarts Cian Healy and Conor Murray – announced he would retire at the end of this year's Six Nations.

Ireland are chasing a second Grand Slam in the last three years, having won each of their first three games against England, Scotland and Wales.

O'Mahony, who was replaced as captain by Caelan Doris last November, has started two of Ireland's three games in this year's tournament.

Many expected him to step away after last year's competition, during which his selection by Andy Farrell was criticised, but he wanted to prove his worth before hanging up his boots.

"Whether I'm picked or not over the next number of weeks, I've trained really well in this campaign," O'Mahony said.

"I've competed, I've pushed guys, guys have pushed me, I haven't been out of place in our training.

"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."

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Simon Easterby has overseen Ireland's Six Nations campaign in an interim head coach role, with Farrell preparing the British & Irish Lions for their upcoming tour of Australia.

O'Mahony believes both men deserve credit for changing the atmosphere around the Ireland team to one that resembles that of a club side.

"It turned into a bit of a club as well, a club away from my club, the way the relationships went, the friends that I have up here," the Munster back row said.

"When I first started playing for Ireland, I didn't have the same feeling as now. It's turned into a bit of a club now."

Asked what he will miss most about representing his country, he said: "That period with the lads after, very few people get to feel that buzz. That's something I'll miss big time.

"When you're wrecked but you've put in a performance, you can have a beer and next week is still distant. That's what I'll miss."