Antrim boss Davy Fitzgerald has admitted that he didn’t think he would return to hurling management after leaving Waterford last July.
Fitzgerald said he was happy to take a break from the game last year, but shortly after, following talks with the Antrim County Board and seeing the untapped potential in Antrim hurling, he is now in charge of the team for a two-year term, with the option of a third.
Hurling management can be a full-on, energetic experience, and Fitzgerald exemplifies this on the sideline. It’s no wonder he decided to take time out and believed it might be the end of his management career. According to him this week: “I genuinely thought I wouldn’t be going back in,” said the Clare native via RTÉ Sport at the launch of the 12th season of Ireland’s Fittest Family.
Fitzgerald replaces Darren Gleeson in the role and will be tasked with emulating or bettering his predecessor’s record as the Saffrons' boss. Gleeson’s tenure saw Joe McDonagh Cup victories in 2020 and 2022, coupled with solid Liam MacCarthy showings in 2023 and 2024.
Former Wexford manager Davy Fitzgerald (Photo By Daire Brennan/Sportsfile via Getty Images)However, according to Fitzgerald, the reactions of people rather than winning cups and silverware are more important to him.
For now, that is most important to Fitzgerald, but ultimately getting to a super-competitive place in three or four years would also be an aspirational goal.
“The biggest thing I get out of the sport isn’t actually winning cups—it’s seeing the reactions of people. If you can make a difference, it’s unbelievable. I know everyone thinks I’m probably off my head, going up to Antrim and doing what I’m trying to do, "he added.
“I don’t know if I can make a difference, but imagine if you could do something in two or three years’ time. If you could get them to a place where we could get to a final, a quarter-final, or a semi-final—imagine if you could.”
Antrim plays their Allianz Hurling League Roinn 1B match on Saturday, 25 January, against Dublin at 17:15 in Páirc an Chrócaigh (Croke Park).
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