Retired Fitzgerald never targeted Ring’s record

RETIRED Clare goalkeeper Davy Fitzgerald last night insisted he was never intent on breaking Christy Ring’s record for championship appearances.

Fitzgerald announced his retirement from intercounty hurling on Monday night ending an 18 year career during which he won two All-Ireland SHC titles, three Munster crowns and three All-Stars.

The Sixmilebridge club man played 60 championship games for Clare — three short of Ring’s record — and many commentators felt he was driven to surpass the Cork legend. But Fitzgerald said: “They talk about Christy Ring’s record but listen, you can’t talk about me and Christy Ring in the same sentence. He’s an absolute legend of the game. That record never mattered to me, all that I cared about was playing for Clare. If it mattered to me I’d still be there fighting for my place just for selfish reasons. It doesn’t come into it, and never will.”

He added: “Hurling is something I feel I was brought up to do. It’s a passion that I had inside me and it’s something that will never die. It’s just been fantastic. It’s been a dream come true to play for Clare, number one. We had so many good years there, between supporters and great matches, it’s been great,” he told RTÉ News last night.

However he refused to be drawn on his controversial withdrawal from the Banner senior panel last year following a split with manager Tony Considine: “All I can say about last year is that I wouldn’t have the time or the energy to talk about anyone or anything. That’s gone, that’s history.”

Meanwhile former Clare manager Ger Loughnane has paid a glowing tribute to Fitzgerald and tipped him to manage the Banner in the future.

Loughnane admitted that news of Fitzgerald’s decision to step down from the Clare panel after 18 seasons had come as no surprise and he will remember the Sixmilebridge shot-stopper as a man who “brought a new dimension to goalkeeping”.

Current Galway manager Loughnane said: “The rumour that went around was that if the finger didn’t go right, he was going to retire. The form of Philip Brennan since he came into the team had something to do with that as well but nothing should take away from the career of Davy Fitzgerald.”

With Loughnane in charge, Clare captured Munster and All-Ireland titles in 1995 and 1997 with Fitzgerald making crucial contributions. The 36-year-old scored a vital penalty in the 1995 Munster final against Limerick and his crucial save denied Tipperary’s John Leahy a late winning goal in the 1997 All-Ireland decider.

Loughnane told Clare FM: “Davy continued what has been a tradition of great Clare goalkeepers and as well as being remembered for great saves, he will be equally remembered for the great goals he got. It’s unlikely that we will ever see his likes again.”

Loughnane insisted that Fitzgerald’s spat with Considine “doesn’t take one iota” from his career. “He was in an era of brilliant goalkeepers, along with Damien Fitzhenry, Donal Óg Cusack and Brendan Cummins and won three All Stars in that company.”

Division over training methods was one of the reasons put forward for Fitzgerald’s disagreement with Considine in 2007 but Loughnane confirmed: “Davy’s approach to training was like something I’ve never seen before. He devised his own, specialised training methods. He had cat-like reflexes and a determination not to be beaten, characteristics that made him so great in front of the crowd.”

Loughnane will best remember Fitzgerald for the 1995 Munster final goal but also his late equaliser against Tipperary in the 1999 provincial semi-final, which salvaged an unlikely replay. He has also tipped Fitzgerald to become a successful manager, adding: “He’s already started off with numerous clubs and is well known with Limerick IT. He is now manager with Nenagh in Tipperary and will make an equally big contribution with Clare.”