From the old mill wall to Croke Park

Clare manager, All-Ireland winning goalkeeper, but to the people of Sixmilebridge, Davy Fitzgerald will be forever known as that youngster out at the mill wall.

Standing tall opposite Gleeson’s pub, the old mills form a central branch of the village landscape, presenting the ideal venue for Fitzy to develop his hurling.

Morning, noon and night, rain, hail or snow, he was to be found bouncing a sliotar off the mill wall.

It was his life.

Club chairman Paddy Meehan jokes that sightings of the Clare manager around these parts will be rare this week, but 20 years ago if you wanted to get hold of young Fitzgerald, you needed only look in one place.

“It is famous that people knew him as the young lad who would be below on the street with a hurl in his hand,” he laughs.

“He would be down below at the mill, that was his permanent residence. The family were living around there before they moved out the country.

“He was always out hitting the ball of the wall since a very young age. He’d be known and famous for that, having a hurley and ball and honing his skills of the mill wall.

“Even at a young age his life was totally centred around hurling. He was unique like that. Nobody around here spent as much time as a young lad with a hurl in their hand.”

As Davy moved on in years and up the ranks of Clare hurling, he vacated his old haunt in favour of the newly constructed ball alley at the club’s GAA grounds.

Even at the height of Clare’s success in the 90s, Davy was to be found battling that wall on a daily basis.

“Davy would prepare for a challenge match the same way as an All-Ireland final,” claims grounds man John Corbett. “Davy had to be the best everyday he went out.”

“For him, there was no distinction between club and county,” added Meehan.

One particular story sums up Fitzgerald.

Sixmilebridge had reached the Clare SHC semi-final in 2011, but in advancing to the last four, goalkeeper Derek Fahy had broken a bone just beneath his eye and was ruled out for the clash with Cratloe.

The reserve custodian was just back from his travels abroad and was not deemed fit for selection.

Then manager Christy Chaplin had only one avenue open to him and was in no hesitation to exhaust it. Fitzgerald had stepped away from the club scene two years earlier, but jumped at Chaplin’s request to return between the sticks. Two weeks was all he had to prepare. Not a second was wasted.

“He lived here at the pitch for those two weeks,” said Meehan. “He wasn’t going to let the village down. He trained on his own, he trained with the team, he did everything he possibly could to be right.”

During his time away, the wearing of the helmet had become compulsory and so the protective gear was purchased, the hurdle crossed.

“Well he wore that helmet for the fortnight straight. On top of that he made it clear from the outset that if they won and Fahy was fit for the final, he would play no part. He was happy to sit in the stand.”

Niall Gilligan recalls the display against Cratloe: “I remember Conor McGrath burst through and unleashed this rocket of an effort and somehow Davy got to it. For a man who had been away for two years, it was incredible. We got to the final and Davy was content to let Derek Fahy back between the sticks. It says so much about who he is.”

Corbett added: “After that he went back into retirement, but if anything was to happen to Derek Fahy, he would step back in again, no problem.”

The groundsman hasn’t managed to get his hands on a ticket for Sunday just yet, but his Isuzu Meridian jeep tells you just how seriously he takes his hurling.

Four flags stick out at either end, giving it that presidential appearance, not to mention the strip of bunting along the back and the ‘Up the Banner’ sticker plastered along the front.

“We might as well enjoy these times while we can. They don’t come around too often.”

Corbett acknowledges there will be no Sixmilebridge man among Sunday’s starting 15, but in almost every other department, there’s is a central involvement.

County secretary Pat Fitzgerald, Davy’s father, will look after the substitution slips, local GP Dr Padraic Quinn serves as team doctor, while, Derek Fahy, Jamie Shanahan and Séadna Morey will take residence on the bench — the latter regularly sprung throughout the championship.

“Sure we have the main man and that is enough,” smiled Corbett.