Davy: ‘You get a certain time in life to do things’
The hurling legend has a new bride and a new TV show — but won’t watch himself on screen, writes Donal Lynch
IT’S been a heady few weeks for hurling legend Davy Fitzgerald. Earlier this month, he got married to his longtime love, Sharon O’Loughlin, and in the same couple of weeks, he ended months of speculation by signing a new two-year contract to stay on as Wexford boss, as the Leinster champions begin their recovery from this year’s devastating one-point All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Tipperary.
The first decision was easy — he and Sharon are soulmates and she “grew up with a hurl in her hand” and understands his passion and dedication to the game.
The second was a little more difficult. “There was a few strands to it”, he tells the Sunday Independent. “Myself and another family member have been dealing with some health issues. I can’t share anything more about that just yet. I found it extremely hard. My health now… it’s okay. I feel good, you know.”
It was the Wexford supporters who ultimately helped him make up his mind. “The county board and the chairman have also been incredible to me.”
Despite the allencompassing commitment of the managerial role, and despite the rumours that many GAA managers are paid under the table, Davy says that all he gets for his time is expenses.
“One hundred per cent, it would be more equitable to pay me but I never saw it that way even when I was playing. I have my own bits and pieces of business and I could probably do with spending a bit more time on them but you know, you get a certain time in life to do these things like I am doing in hurling and it’s important to take them.”
And it might also be important to leverage his celebrity while his legend continues to grow. As well as his managerial career, Fitz has long had a few media strings to his bow and has taken part in a number of TV shows, including Ireland’s Fittest Family, which airs this week.
He enjoyed the filming, and says “the standard of fitness has definitely gone up, families are working harder on it”. He also says that the lessons he learned in hurling applied on the show. “I want training to be a happy place”, he says. “I think I’ve evolved and learned a lot. There will always be one or two that are a bit less fit, but we help them along.”
The perception of him as short-tempered and excitable — as famously satirised by Mario Rosenstock — is also wrong, he says. “I think there’s a lot more to me than what people see in public.”
Fitz has had his share of clashes with GAA pundits. Last year Joe Brolly rather pointedly said that ‘‘nobody craves the spotlight’’ more than Fitz and this month Fitz told the Clare Echo that he “feels sorry for Ger Loughnane”, adding “I don’t think he is up to scratch and I don’t think he has Clare interests at heart”.
So which one of them is more annoying? “Listen, some people will go to any level to get attention”, he says. “Me, I’m not going to be bothered by it any more.”
He was approached to get into politics a few years ago, but says that he rebuffed the offer. “I have no interest in it. There are things I’d love to see happen, such as more money put into our health system, but I don’t know how that would happen. I have no loyalties or leanings. Whoever represents the people the best is who I vote for.”
The hurling dynasty continues with his son Colm, who is on the Sixmilebridge Senior hurling panel. Davy says Colm suffers somewhat from the comparisons and expectations that come with making your name in a sport where your father is an icon.
“I’m tough on him because I want him to be the best he can be. He’s his own man and I’m extremely proud of him but in the hurling sense of things, he’s judged harshly at times.”
He says he’s excited to see the reaction to the new season of Ireland’s Fittest
Family and wants families to be able to sit down at home and watch it, but whatever he does, he won’t be looking at the scenes in which he features.
“That’s just the way I am. I can’t watch myself on TV. If I see an interview, I can’t listen to it, I can’t do it.” ‘Ireland’s Fittest Family’ returns to RTE One tonight at 6.30pm.
‘Listen, some people will go to any level to get attention’