As he prepares to send Wexford into battle in the New Year, former Clare manager Davy Fitzgerald has revealed that it didn’t take him long to make the decision that his time was up with the Banner County, while also referencing an agenda in his native county.
Fitzgerald was speaking at the launch of the 2017 Bord Na Móna GAA series where Wexford will be among the competing teams.
However, before the Slaneysiders came calling, the final chapter in his tenure with Clare still holds much interest. Davy's last game in charge was the defeat to Galway in this year's All-Ireland quarter-final - the end of week that also saw the 45-year-old rushed Dublin in the back of an ambulance for a minor heart procedure in St Vincent's Hospital.
Reflecting on what happened in the dressing room at Semple Stadium after Clare's championship had come to an end, Fitzgerald told RTÉ Sport: "If you were in the dressing room after the Galway game, you would have said that's the end of me. I more or less indicated to the boys that that could be more or less it. I thought five years was enough.
"I did say there was an agenda and Maybe down the line I will address that or maybe I won't"
"The players had their say and X amount wanted to stay on and x amount wanted a new voice.
"I could have decided to stay on and weather storm but in the end it didn't take me that long.
The question I asked them was 'do you want a new voice?' Certain players did and certain players didn't. It was easy to make up my mind in the end.
Davy Fitzgerald was at the launch representing Wexford, we're looking forward to the match between @OfficialWexGAA and @UCDGAA on Jan 8th pic.twitter.com/wGjBPDWLLt
— Bord na Móna (@BordnaMona) December 8, 2016
In his five years in charge of Clare, Fitzgerald guided the county to All-Ireland and Allianz League success, but despite winning that silverware, the former shot-stopper felt there was always an agenda again him from from certain quarters in Clare, but declined to go into specifics.
"I did say there was an agenda and Maybe down the line I will address that or maybe I won't - but it hasn't been an easy ride since 2013," he explained.
"Still a lot of people in Clare have been great to me. I'm a proud Clareman and my dream was to play for Clare. I got to do that. There will be people out there who won't like you - no matter who you are in sport.
"Normally there is a minority who are always heard and who think they know it all. That's just the way it is sometimes for Every other manager out there that has been in a job or is now out of a job, for every player that has played or hasn't played.
Despite recent health scares, Fitzgerald is ready for the Wexford assignment, alluding to the drug that is inter-county management and added: "I thought I was invincible that I could get over anything. The last few months have brought it home. You are only human.
"The other thing is - what do you do? Do I go home and put the legs up by the fire and chill out? I have just gone 44 and I don't think I'm built like that. I will always be involved at kicking away at something. That's just me. I'm very aware of my health. You have to live for today and enjoy life as much as possible."
