Press Statement by Antrim county chairman Seamus McMullan

Antrim County Committee this evening appointed Davy Fitzgerald as Senior Hurling team Manager for a two year term, and he has an option of a third year.

Antrim county board chairperson Séamus McMullan said “we’re delighted to announce the appointment of Davy Fitzgerald.”

“Davy brings a wealth of experience to the role.  His vision, drive and determination is a perfect fit with the ambition of our playing panel.  We are confident, too, that Davy will bring the very best out of the emerging hurling talent that is present within our County.  We are committed to further developing our underage structures in Antrim and welcome Davy’s interest in contributing to that – that is an exciting prospect for our young hurlers and their clubs.  On behalf of the clubs of Antrim, we wish Davy the very best and look forward to working with him and his team.”

Davy’s hurling career (From Wikipedia)

Clare legend Davy Fitzgerald began his hurling career at club level with Sixmilebridge. He broke onto the club’s top adult team as a 17-year-old in 1989 and had his greatest success in 1996 when Sixmilebridge won the All-Ireland Club Championship. Fitzgerald’s club career ended in 2011, by which time he had also won two Munster Club Championship titles and six Clare Senior Championship titles.

At inter-county level, Fitzgerald was part of a Clare minor team that won the Munster Championship in 1989, before he later lined out with the Clare under-21 team. He joined the Clare senior team in 1990. From his debut, Fitzgerald was ever-present as a goalkeeper and made a combined total of 148 National League and Championship appearances in a career that ended with his last game in 2006. During that time he was part of two All-Ireland Championship-winning teams – in 1995 and 1997. Fitzgerald also secured three Munster Championship medals. He announced his retirement from inter-county hurling on 31 March 2008.

Fitzgerald won his first All-Star in 1995, before claiming a further two All-Stars in 2002 and 2005. He is currently Clare’s record championship appearer, having played in 60 championship games. At inter-provincial level, Fitzgerald was selected to play in seven championship campaigns with Munster and won Railway Cup medals in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 2005.

Even as a player, Fitzgerald became involved in team management and coaching at club level. After coaching every grade of Sixmilebridge team from juvenile to senior, he later had an unsuccessful tenure in charge of Nenagh Éire Óg. Fitzgerald subsequently became director of hurling at the Limerick Institute of Technology with whom he won two Fitzgibbon Cup titles.

Fitzgerald’s first managerial role at inter-county level was with Waterford in 2008. In his four seasons in charge he guided the team to a first All-Ireland final appearance in 45 years as well as the Munster Championship title in 2010. Fitzgerald later spent five seasons as manager of the Clare senior team who he guided to the All-Ireland title in 2013 and a first National League title in 38 years. After stepping down as Clare manager he took charge of the Wexford senior team, winning the Leinster Championship in 2019.

On 26 September 2019, Fitzgerald confirmed that he would be staying on with the Wexford senior hurlers for another two seasons. He had been linked to vacant Galway hurling managerial position but said that he never spoke to anyone other than the Wexford County Board.^[4] He announced his departure from Wexford on 30 July 2021, and began a second term as Deise manager in August 2022 where he remained until the end of last season.