Davy Fitzgerald: 'I’ve made mistakes. If I got another chance, I'd do things differently'

Davy Fitzgerald recently welcomed his first child with wife Sharon O’Loughlin. Here he reflects on his own childhood, his regrets, and shares his perils of wisdom for a life well lived

Davy Fitzgerald: The most important thing in life is the time we have and how we use it

I grew up in a two-bedroom, terraced house in Sixmilebridge with my mam, my dad, and my sister. It was probably the happiest I’ve ever been. I had the best playground ever — a factory 20 yards down the road where I could kick a ball around. That was all I needed. I loved it.

My earliest memory is going to my first ever Clare hurling game with my uncle. He put me up on his shoulders. It was Clare playing Cork in 1977 or 78. I was absolutely infatuated with the game of hurling from then on. [I remember] him bringing me to his farm and we’d get up at five or six in the morning milking the cows and delivering the milk inside in Limerick. I look back at those times and I smile.

I was born to be involved in sports — it’s my passion. Hurling is everything to me but I love all sports.

I would have been bullied a bit when I was in secondary school. I felt very alone — trying to figure out why it was happening. Maybe them lads just didn’t understand and they were trying to be funny — but it’s not a nice thing. It was probably two or three years of it. It was lonely. I’m lucky — it probably made me develop an attitude where I don’t take any BS from anyone. And I got through it.

I have a few [proud achievements]. Winning an All-Ireland with my club, and with Clare. Probably one of the happiest moments for me was winning the Munster final in 95 and having my dad come out on the field to me afterwards. He wouldn’t be a very emotional man but what he said to me that day, I’ll never forget — it will remain between him and me forever. It’s funny what sport brings out in people.

I think my greatest quality is I care about people a lot — if I can make people smile — if I can make a difference in someone, in someone’s life, I’d like to think I’m not too bad that way. Am I a perfect human being? Definitely not. I know that. I know I make mistakes, but I do genuinely care about people and you know what — the hurling and Ireland’s Fittest Family have allowed me to show that more.

Davy Fitzgerald with coaches Nina Carberry, Anna Geary and Donncha O’Callaghan on Ireland's Fittest Family

There are a few [people I turn to] — my family obviously — and my wife, Sharon. Fr Harry Bohan would be a massive [part of my life]. Harry is in his 80s now but he’s so with it, you could sit down with him and talk to him about anything — and I mean anything. Liam O’Dowd is a great friend of mine. He’s my reality check. When I’m picking teams, I will get a call at 11 o’clock at night and it’s one I’m really dreading. It’s probably Liam, and he’s going to tell me exactly what he thinks.

The life lesson I would like to pass on is the most important thing in life is the time we have and how we use it. I’ve made lots of money. I’ve lost lots of money — it doesn’t actually matter. You never know what’s going to happen. I think it’s very important that we appreciate and use time to the best of our ability and don’t undervalue it. Get off your backside and do stuff. Live your life. Don’t be afraid.

The greatest advice I have ever been given is to treat someone the way you’d like to be treated yourself.

I would like to be remembered as a person who cares, who would go out of his way to try and help someone. That he did love his family and you could see that a mile away. And thirdly, that he was the most competitive f*cker — that he would never give in until he had to.

There are times you make bad decisions. In the past, I might have been a bit selfish. I look back on things that I regret — that I definitely shouldn’t have done. But I think if every person is honest, they all have them [regrets] as well. I’ve made mistakes and if I got another chance, I would like to do things differently.

My greatest skill is getting people to believe in themselves more and to see the dream and try and achieve it. Most of the teams I win with are teams that haven’t done it and, man, when they do it, it’s the greatest kick ever.

What surprises me in life is people. 

A very close friend of mine one time said to me, “Davy is a loyal friend to you but he expects that loyalty back.” 

Sometimes that doesn’t happen. I get a bit hurt by it; it kind of surprises me and I don’t understand it. There’s so much going on in the world, sometimes we just need to take a step back and stop being selfish.

Would I make up with someone now that I fell out with 10 years ago? I did that a few years ago. I fell out with someone massively. We didn’t talk for 12 years. We met and it was the best thing I ever did. We get on famously now. He has his ideas. I have my ideas. We park them.

Are there fellas I’m out with now I would like not to be out with? There probably is and I got very bitter — but maybe someday we might [make up].

What scares me most in life is what’s going to happen to us at the very end. I’d like my family to be healthy. I just want them all to be okay. Money worries, I don’t give a sh*t about.

If I took a different fork in the road, I think it would have taken me to the business world. I’d love to work for myself. I never stop coming up come up with ideas, like Ireland’s Fittest Family. I have my own business interests, be it pubs or property.

• Hurling icon Davy Fitzgerald is pictured at the launch of Londis’ sponsorship of Ireland’s Fittest Family. Londis will sponsor RTÉ’s hit TV show for a fourth year in a row, which returns to our screens on Sunday, October 2, for a tenth season.