AND SO THE latest chapter in Davy Fitzgerald’s colourful career has commenced.
Just days after announcing his departure as Cork camogie coach, his return for a second stint as Waterford senior hurling boss has been confirmed.
It’s Fitzgerald’s fourth job in senior inter-county management, following previous spells over Clare and Wexford. With a combined 14 seasons of management put down at the elite level of the game, he’s easily the most experienced boss on the circuit following Brian Cody’s retirement.
Despite various controversies that sometimes cloud his qualities, Fitzgerald has enjoyed great success in his previous jobs. He brought Waterford to the All-Ireland final and won a Munster title. He delivered All-Ireland and National League honours in Clare. With Wexford, they secured a first Leinster success in 15 years.
After his five years with the Model County concluded, he spoke about the toll the six-hour round trip from his Sixmilebridge home had taken. He hinted that he might take a “a year or two off” from inter-county management.
However, within a couple of months he was heavily linked with the vacant Galway job. After holding talks with Fitzgerald, the county board decided to appoint Henry Shefflin as Shane O’Neill’s replacement.
“I’m actually at peace,” said Fitzgerald shortly after the news was announced. “I’m very happy to wish Galway and Henry the very best of luck.”
He looked set for his first campaign outside of the inter-county bubble since 1988. It wasn’t long before he cropped up with a surprising move to camogie. When Matthew Twomey’s two-year term as Cork manager was confirmed, he revealed Fitzgerald was part of his backroom team.
The Clare native remained involved in hurling through media duties with The Sunday Game and his Irish Mirror column. Following Dublin’s heavy Leinster championship defeat to Kilkenny in May, Fitzgerald offered his view on the Sunday Game highlights show about ways the Sky Blues could drastically improve.
It appeared to some like a thinly-veiled pitch for the job.
Then the managerial merry-go-round started spinning. Colm Bonnar was “relieved of his duties” in Tipperary. Days later, they appointed Liam Cahill, which left a vacancy in Waterford.
Until the news broke this week, Fitzgerald wasn’t thought to be in the running to take over from Cahill. A series of local contenders, Derek McGrath, Stephen Molumphy, Fergal Hartley, James O’Connor and Darragh O’Sullivan, were all mooted as viable options.
From a Waterford perspective, it’s a sound appointment.
While Fitzgerald has his critics, he’s a highly experienced manager. An All-Ireland winner as a player and boss.
The Deise are genuine contenders for the Liam MacCarthy Cup. Following their run to the National Hurling League title in March, they were rated as the main threats to Limerick’s throne.
But their form fell off a cliff in the summer. An opening round Munster win over Tipperary and narrow defeat to Limerick, was followed by a six-point loss to Cork and 3-31 to 0-22 battering by Clare.
A season that promised so much, ended with a whimper.
In many ways, it’s a perfect fit.
Fitzgerald takes over a group that were beaten in the 2020 All-Ireland final. It’s a squad with the athletic profile suited to the short-passing, running game Fitzgerald likes to employ. In Tadhg De Burca, they have one of the best sweepers in the country.
He has always maintained this great Limerick team can be beaten. This group of players have the potential to be the team that takes John Kiely’s side down. For the moment, that potential remains untapped.
After Waterford’s Munster round-robin concluded with a heavy loss to Clare, Fitzgerald wrote: “I couldn’t believe how lethargic they all were around the field. I know Tadhg de Burca and Conor Prunty were missing but that’s no excuse for the lack of intensity and energy, the lack of bite in the tackle.
“After losing to Cork I expected Waterford to come out fighting.
“Instead, they have to be really embarrassed by that effort against a Clare team that only had five or six of their first team playing.
“I’m just finding it hard to figure out why we didn’t see that fighting spirit at any stage in the game after such a massive league campaign.
“Did they peak for the league and are now paying the price? It’s a real possibility.”
Reinstating that fighting spirit and tailoring their physical training so they peak in the summer will be two of this top priorities next year.
When the 2008 season started, Fitzgerald was still playing with Clare. After a fall-out with Tony Considine the year before saw him dropped, he returned to the Clare panel under new manager Mike McNamara.
By the time the year ended, he was on the sideline as Waterford manager for the All-Ireland final.
In between, he retired from playing on 31 March. By early June, he was a shock appointment as Waterford boss. Justin McCarthy resigned after losing the dressing room. Fitzgerald managed to rally a talented bunch of players, winning four games only for them to fall to a humbling defeat to Kilkenny.
In the intervening years, he’s had plenty of ups and downs. He’s older and wiser. He has undoubtedly improved as a manager.
The last time Waterford won a Munster title, Fitzgerald was a their manager. He brought them to four successive All-Ireland semi-finals during his reign. Jack O’Connor, Liam Sheedy and James Horan all returned to counties for second stints in recent years.
The first two delivered All-Ireland success on their returns, while Horan brought his native county to two finals.
A great deal of intrigue surrounds Fitzgerald’s return to the Deise hot-seat.
Make no mistake, he remains box office viewing.
If he can take Waterford to the holy grail, it would rival all his other achievements in the game. A fascinating season awaits.
- Originally published at 06.01
Thoughts and prayers with Waterford hurlers today . We dodged that bullet here in Galway recently. Davy back on the road again with his expenses , roughly 5 hour return journey from his Sixmilebridge home or 300 km at least 3 times a week . Good man Davy
@Finnster: if he delivers the holy grail, all expenses will be well worth it
@Finnster: Moving to 5 times,maybe have to buy him a lil houseen? Well fair play to him,he’s as cute….All codding and joking aside I wonder did they approach the recently available former Dublin manager,I think he would be a great fit and breath of fresh air there…what did Einstein say about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result…..Thoughts and prayers indeed.
@Stuart John Downie: very true . He will be a cult hero like John Mullane if he gets the job done
@Gerry Campbell: I thought fast Eddie or Fennessy would be a better option. Fennessy is closer to Waterford city than Kilkenny . Anyway best of luck to Davey and to the Waterford lads . I’d like to see them land Liam and all the joy it brings
@Gerry Campbell: didn’t he win them a munster title.. I’m sure if he delivered that again there are plenty of Waterford supporters who would be very happy?
@Seosamh O’ Loughlin: Since 2002 Waterford have won 4 Munster championships but never the big prize. While a Munster would be welcome victory in Croker on the big day would be the real deal.
@Finnster: so no other manager get expenses & travels ? Jealous are u
@Sheila McNulty: no , I say fair play to him
‘Genuine All-Ireland contenders after winning the league.’
Did he read that before printing it? When has winning the league ever been that important?
As for Davy, he is interested in one thing – Davy. He’s taking this job not to serve Waterford but to serve himself. Feeding the headlines & media circus any way he can will be his main objective while over Waterford.
@Tom Turnip: nasty man, good look to him Are u jealous
Good panel of players Waterford have. Davy might be the man to get them the all ireland they crave.
@James horgan: he can head to Cork after he’s got one for Waterford ! Famine down south now too, Cork are fast catching up on our terrible record of 28 years
@Finnster: haha…..he’s only just gone from there with the ladies sure! Fair ole famine alright….would be more optimistic than I have been in a good while under Pat Ryan now though I have to say. Cork to be beaten handy by Limerick in the round robin but to knock them out in a semi final then! Cork Galway final, with the usual outcome in a final involving those two teams! :)
@Finnster: I’d have him in cork no bother but cork don’t appoint outside the county. Saying that pat Ryan is goin in with a big reputation so it will be interesting to see how he gets on. Catching up on yer famine alright. 17 years and counting
@James horgan: I think Pat Ryan will get that team sorted , whether they can push on and win a Munster or All Ireland is hard to see in the short term with the green monster going from strength to strength
@Joe Kennedy: hopefully Pat does a job on them but the green monster is growing in power
@Finnster: diarmuid Byrne’s was the difference in the Munster and all Ireland finals,
They do have brilliant hurler’s to come back but a injury or lack of form for a few players might bring them back a little closer to everyone else.
I dont know Davy ; but i like his style ,he appears to be a great motivator , and as a limerick man … that is a super waterford team! Good luck to him!
He’s the big sam of hurling?
Gaa parasite