*Davy Fitzgerald. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
DAVY FITZGERALD has stepped down as manager of the Waterford senior hurlers.
Sixmilebridge native Davy called time on his second stint in charge of Waterford when confirming on Tuesday night that he would not continue in the hotseat for 2025.
Of the eight Munster championship games played by Waterford in 2023 and 2024, they won two and did not emerge from the province in either campaign. They defeated Tipperary in the final round of the 2023 campaign while this season they defeated Cork but their second round draw with Tipp proved to be vital in stopping their progression from Munster as losses to Clare and Limerick followed.
Fitzgerald confirmed in a statement to The Irish Examiner that he would not be Waterford manager next year and opted against taking up the offer of a third season “after careful consideration”. He said, “I would like to sincerely thank the players for their efforts over the last two years. Just the tiniest of margins prevented us from making Munster’s top three this year and progressing to the 2024 All-Ireland championship. It’s my firm belief that the talent is there for Waterford to compete strongly at hurling’s highest level again.
“I’d like to express a massive thanks to Peter (Queally), Eoin (Kelly) and all of my backroom team as well as county chairman, Seán Michael O’Regan, secretary, Pat Flynn, and PRO, Richard Tobin, for their unstinting support during the last two years. And finally I want to wish all involved with Waterford GAA every success into the future”.
Among those involved in Davy’s backroom team were Fergie O’Loughlin of Clarecastle, Cratloe’s James Hickey and Kilkishen native Michael ‘Gazzy’ Collins.
Success had been experienced by Davy during his first stint with the Déise, he guided the county to win the Munster SHC title in 2010, they have not win the provincial title since while in 2008 he led them to reach the All-Ireland SHC for the first time in forty five years, they suffered a heavy defeat to Brian Cody’s Kilkenny on the day.
Since succeeding Justin McCarthy as Waterford manager in the middle of the 2008 championship, the two-time All-Ireland winning Clare goalkeeper has been an inter-county senior hurling manager for all but one of the subsequent seasons (2022). He manged his native Clare from 2012 to 2016 when the county won the All-Ireland SHC for the fourth time (2013) and were crowned National Hurling League champions in 2016.
From here, he took over as Wexford manager replacing Liam Dunne, he oversaw their Leinster SHC success in 2019, their first time winning this title since 2004. They were narrowly defeated by Liam Sheedy’s Tipperary in the All-Ireland semi-final of that year, they led by three points with ten minutes to play and had an extra player following the dismissal of John McGrath but suffered an agonising 1-20 3-28 defeat.
At Fitzgibbon Cup level, he managed LIT to win their first ever third level title in 2005 and they added a second win in 2007. In 2013, he was named RTÉ Sports Manager of the Year.
