For 16 of the past 17 years Davy Fitzgerald has faced into a pre-season as manager of an intercounty hurling team – even 2022, the odd year out, was spent as Cork’s camogie coach. This time around is probably more of a voyage into the unknown, into Ulster for the first time to take on Antrim hurlers.
It’s a round trip of about 800km and he acknowledges that it was a curious decision for someone who stepped down from the management of Waterford because of the demands. A long-standing friend from Antrim, who he prefers not to identify, prevailed on him to reconsider.
“Then this fella rings you, who’s been a big part of my life for a long time and has helped me for a long time – puts his story and his side of things and what he sees...like it’s very hard to say no.”
Every fortnight he plans to bring his wife Sharon and their son, 2½-year-old Daithi Óg, up north for training weekends to minimise the dislocation from family.
In Cyril Farrell’s resonant phrase hurling in Ulster is beset by the twin challenges of “history and geography”. Fitzgerald speaks about the geography and how hard it is to get other teams to travel vast distances for matches, to say nothing of the journeys they themselves must undertake to play league and championship. He agrees this is a factor in the counties dauntingly poor away record.
“It is not good and there is no point saying anything different. They are big beatings and we have got to stop that thing. When they are in Corrigan (Park, the home venue in Belfast), they are very competitive.
“The away form is a big thing. We have talked about that. We have tried to see over the last three to five years how competitive they have been away from home. And there have not been many so we are going to have to address that.”
What does he believe is their realistic ceiling?
“I can’t answer you that straight out but in a year’s time I will have a better (idea). Wherever I go I won’t try and bullshit. I have a fair idea and I know if I’m not the man to do it, as I’ve said, there’ll be no problem.”
To date he has concentrated on S+C, believing that fitness levels must improve but is also trying to devise a technical and tactical framework that will encourage decision-making and general awareness.
Can he say what sort of things he has in mind?
“No, because then I’d be telling you what I’m doing! But they know.”
It’s a short pre-season – he is several times insistent that Antrim have respected the official return to training on December 7th last, whatever about others – and in little over a week Antrim will be in Croke Park taking on Dublin in the restructured Division 1B.
He accepts he tried to talk management team member Neil McManus, who is playing exceptionally well for Cushendall, back on an on-field role. “We talked about it. We asked him. He had the option. He is part of my back room staff as head of performance and is doing an incredible job. He thought about it. He came back to me with his reasons. I gave him a push. When he came back to me with his reasons, it was a no.”
Although he understands the rationale behind suspending pre-season tournaments to protect player welfare, he makes pointed reference to a level playing pitch – “if we’re doing it, we have to 100 per cent do it”.
On the broader issue of player welfare he commends the work of the GAA’s Healthy Club initiative to promote wellbeing outside the playing environment and calls for further expansion of its remit.
“It’s bigger than hurling or football for me. Our kids need every bit of help that we can give them. Maybe certain things that teenagers will come across at 15, 16, 17, 18...That we maybe bring somebody in for a talk every now and again be it on alcohol, drugs, gambling to show them the pitfalls. I’m not saying we can change it but (create) awareness.”
• David Fitzgerald was speaking at the Londis launch of its sixth year as lead sponsor of Ireland’s Fittest Family
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