Davy Fitzgerald says he wouldn’t have taken the job of Antrim senior hurling coach if it wasn’t for his wife Sharon’s support and encouragement.
The GAA legend is based in Clare with his family so taking on the Antrim gig was a big commitment. However, he makes it work so that he can spend plenty of time with family, too.
Davy shares two-year-old son Dáithí Og with Sharon and family is his biggest priority.
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He told RSVP Magazine: “I was 100% happy after I finished managing Waterford, I genuinely thought I was done. I wouldn’t be able to do it if it wasn’t for Sharon. She works four days a week and said she and Dáithí Óg would come up every second Friday or Sunday in the car with me. It’s a long trip, but they sometimes come with me and that’s a big plus.
“There are other times when I’m at home a lot. I’d have Dáithí Óg most mornings from about 8am to 11am, before he goes to the childminder, so I get a good bit of time with him. I try to make the most of my time with Sharon the nights where I don’t have training and we will do something together whenever we can.
“Going forward, I’d like to think in the next year or two, I’ll have even more time for Dáithí and family, that is my number one priority. My other son, Colm, might be 27, but I still need to spend time with him, and my mam and dad too.”
Davy is passionate about GAA and has been involved with hurling as both a player and coach. However, he doesn’t want to force his love of the sport onto Dáithí Óg if he shows no interest.
He said: “I’m not going to push him. Certainly I’ll be there for him, if that is what he wants to do but I’m not going to tell him he has to pick up a hurley. Whatever he wants in life, I’m going to support him 110%.”
He may be young, but Dáithí Óg is already showing an interest in farming and loves being outdoors.
Davy added: “Sharon has him outdoors all of the time, she is pushing him to be out and about doing stuff. We have two donkeys at home and he’s constantly out feeding them at the moment. He loves being out in the open, and I love that about him.
“He seems to have a big love for machinery and farming. If that’s what he wants to head towards, that’s great. Once he’s happy, I’m happy.
“He can’t stay out long enough. I’m so lucky Sharon thinks the same as I do and is always getting him out and about. It’s great.”
The final of Ireland’s Fittest Family airs this weekend and Davy is constantly impressed by and grateful for the show’s popularity.
Explaining why it’s so successful, he told us: “The biggest and best thing about it is that so many families sit down to watch it together, no matter what generation they are from. We’ve had contestants aged from 14 up until their 60s. There is a massive age gap and that appeals to families watching.
“You can cheer on for your favourite family and get a laugh out of it, too. I personally get great fulfilment out of working on it. I always think people used to just know me from hurling but Fittest Family is a big part of that now, too.”
Fans of the show see how competitive things can get between Davy and his fellow coaches Anna Geary, Donncha O’Callaghan and Sonia O’Sullivan.
The Clare man says this competitiveness is fully real and never edited for the cameras.
“I can tell you now we all want to win,” he laughs.
“Do we get on with each other when there is down time? We do. But when it’s on, it’s on. I’m not making that up. When the competition is on, we all want to win.
“I think that is just in our nature as sportspeople. When you look at Sonia and what she has achieved in her career – that didn’t just happen overnight and you don’t lose that streak. Donncha is the same. Anna is one of the most competitive people I have ever come across. Throw myself into that mix and I can say for certain we are not just putting that on for RTE. It is game on.”
Former coach Nina Carberry left the show to pursue a career in politics and now works as an MEP in Brussels. Davy has been approached to enter politics in the past but doesn’t see it happening for him.
He said: “I remember once or twice being talked to about it, but I’m too busy to even think about that at the moment. Nina will do an incredible job in politics, she’s that type of person and I know she will excel in that because I know how driven she is and it is something she has an interest in.
“For me personally, there are so many other things I want to do between sports, business and personal life. I’m flat to the mat so I don’t see anything with politics happening any time soon.”
Read the full interview with Davy in this month's issue of RSVP Magazine, on shelves nationwide now.
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