Tullow Tank Séan O'Brien is returning home to Leinster to take up his first coaching role.
O'Brien, 35, hung up his boots recently after a three-year stint away from his home province with London Irish.
He made 126 appearances for the Blues between 2009 and 2019. The former Leinster and Ireland back row, will replace Denis Leamy as the Blues' contact skills coach.
Leamy is returning to his native Munster as Graham Rowntree's new defence coach on a three year deal.
“I always said that you’d never know what the future holds and I’ve taken my time to work out what’s next for me," said O'Brien, who won four Heineken Cups with Leinster.
"While I have loved my time with London Irish and living in London, the time is right to move back home and this is a brilliant opportunity now to get back and to get back to work with Leinster Rugby.
“I’d like to thank Leo for the opportunity and it’s an exciting one. Building on the great work of Hugh Hogan and most recently Denis Leamy, I can’t wait to get stuck in.
“Working with players that I already know but there is also some real talent coming through and to be having my first coaching opportunity back home at Leinster, is pretty special.
"They’ve got a busy week ahead of them with Glasgow to come on Saturday and I’ll be a very keen supporter watching them to the end of the season.”
Leo Cullen hailed the return of the Carlow man, stating: "It is great to be able to welcome Seán back home to Leinster.
“On the rugby pitch, Seán at his best was virtually unplayable and he was an amazing contributor to Leinster, Ireland and the Lions.
"In a Leinster shirt, he played a key role in some of our greatest days on the European stage and we hope he can pass on some of his vast experience and winning mentality to our current squad.
“I know that Seán has always been a keen student of the game and has been heavily involved with coaching in Tullow RFC going back to his early playing days.
"We believe he has a very bright future in coaching and I think it’s a win-win for both sides to have him back here.
“In addition to his experience, Seán has always been a brilliant presence in the Leinster changing room and I think our group will be excited and energised by having him back involved.”
Meanwhile Leamy says he is re-joining Munster as defence coach to 'grow' in the profession and to be closer to home.
Leamy has been added to a new Reds coaching group that already includes Mike Prendergast and Andi Kyriacou.
The former Ireland back row joined Leinster an Elite Player Development Officer in 2019 and, since his appointment as Contact Skills coach last year, was lauded as influential from within the Blues' UCD base.
"Everyone at Leinster Rugby has really enjoyed having Denis in blue as we know it was a big move for him when he first joined as Elite Player Development Officer in 2019," said Cullen.
"Since then, he has gone on to work with the senior squad as contact skills coach and he has added hugely to the group from his many experiences in the game.
"We’re sorry to lose him but we all fully understand his decision to move back closer to family and the opportunity to progress his coaching career. We wish Denis and his family the very best for the future."
While grateful for the opportunity with Leinster, Grand Slam winner Leamy is happy to be going home to where he earned 144 caps at provincial level and won two Heineken Cups.
Before joining Leinster, Tipp man Leamy also spent time working as head coach of Cashel RFC as well as being part of Tipperary’s 2016 All-Ireland hurling backroom winning team.
And as an EPDO with Leinster, he worked with the sub-Academy and Academy players in the Ken Wall Centre of Excellence in Energia Park, as well as working with the Ireland U-20s as their Assistant Coach.
Leamy said: "It’s been a very enjoyable few years with Leinster Rugby and I’d like to thank the club for the opportunity to join, first as an EPDO and over the last while as a Contact Skills Coach.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working with players down in the Centre of Excellence and then up in UCD and trying to add to the environment and to the development of the players as best I can.
"I feel I have developed myself as a coach working with Leo and the rest of the coaching and backroom staff and this season in particular will live long in the memory.
"Finally, I’d like to thank the players, in particular, for a brilliant three years at Leinster.
"The opportunity to continue my coaching career and to join Munster Rugby and be closer to home, is an opportunity that I feel I have to take to grow as a coach and for family reasons and I look forward to working with Graham and the rest of the team there in due course."
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