Blue blood
November 27, 2010Nick Fitzgerald may hail from Waterford, but since moving to the village of Kildalkey in 2002, he has immersed himself in the local GAA club. Speaking to Nick, you can tell how much the club means to him and how he along with so many others has played such a huge part in their recent success.
Kildalkey are a club that have seen plenty of bad times during their long history and it is fair to say that these have outweighed the good times and up until last year they just had one senior hurling championship title to their credit and that came way back in 1951 and even then it was won off the field.
However, in recent times there has been more of an emphasis placed on their underage structure and this has paid off in recent years as they have won the last two senior titles.
Having played with the St Molleran's club in Carrick-on-Suir at underage level, Nick first came to prominence as a 16-year-old when he was lining out for the club's hurling team.
"I played both codes all the way up at both club and county level, right up to minor level. When I think back, I don't know how I managed it, there is no way a player would be allowed do it these days and probably rightly so," said Nick.
Like so many other Irishmen of the era, a young Nick headed to London for work and stayed in the English capital for 13 years, but he was soon to pick up a hurl again and having lined out for a now defunct junior club, the Waterford native linked up with the famed Robert Emmetts but he didn't have the best of times success wise.
"I actually lost two senior finals with them, while I broke me leg during that time too, but I really enjoyed my hurling over there. I also played with London and we had some great laughs. When you're living away from home, you bond more with the lads you're with and it was just a great time, although I would have loved to have won a championship with them."
Eight years ago, Nick decided to make the big step of returning to home and having lived in Dublin for a short while, he and his wife Angela decided to settle in Kildalkey, a decision they have never regretted and Nick's hurling career was soon back on track!
"We had looked at a few places, but I suppose like everyone else when things were going well we had a budget to work too and found a nice place in Kildalkey. We're very happy here and the kids Evan, Conor and Amy love it.
"One of the first things I realised when I came around here was how passionate that people were about hurling and I have to say they are tremendous supporters. No matter how good or bad the team are doing they always come out in their droves to support us."
Nick admitted that he could always see the potential in the side, but knew they were just lacking something; that was until a certain Tipperary man was to change the history of the club.
"I can't speak highly enough of Pat. The players deserve huge credit for the effort they put in on the field, but it is Pat that has them that way. His enthusiasm and passion for the game is second to none. They way he is on the line during a championship match is the very same way he would be at training.
"When he was first with us in 2005, it took the players a while to buy into what he was actually trying to achieve, especially some of the older players, who wouldn't have seen his style of management before. I genuinely believe we would have won a championship before last year had he stayed with us in 2006, but he went to Armagh to train Keady and actually won a county and Ulster intermediate title there, which just shows the calibre of manager that he is.
"With all due respect to the other coaches in Meath, but I don't think any of them would come close to Pat, he is certainly in a league of his own."
Last year, Kildalkey ended 48 years of heartache for this proud club when captain Mairtin Doran lifted the Jubilee Cup to the delight of their long suffering supporters. Nick scored 1-1 in the final from full forward and as he had done throughout the campaign, he terrorised the Dunboyne defence as they couldn't cope with his physicality.
"They hype around the players and management team last year was unreal. People expected us to win, but that just added to the pressure. It was an amazing experience and was certainly the highlight of my career. Seeing the look of ecstatic on some of the older supporters faces made it all worthwhile, it was something special indeed."
Many of the cynics still felt that Kildalkey wouldn't have the 'bottle' to beat their old bogey teams like Trim and Kilmessan in the senior championship.
However, they dispelled that theory in emphatic style as the defended their title this year. "When I first came to Kildalkey, I was told all about the history of the likes of Trim and Kilmessan and credit to them they both have great tradition, but we don't fear anyone anymore.
"I thought the semi final was a very tough game for us this year. We were strong favourites against a young Trim team and credit to them; they pushed us all the way. In the final, we knew we were good enough to beat Kilmessan. Before the game, people were saying 'ah it will be tough against them' and I don't think many people gave us a chance to be honest.
"But these lads are a special bunch and that drove them on and made them even more determined to go out and win, which they did in style in my opinion," added Nick, who was selector this year.
Kildalkey never looked like losing this year's county final and from the throw in; they dominated proceedings, knocking Kilmessan out of their stride from early on. The fact that the average age of the side is 24 points to the fact that the 'village' have the potential to dominate the Meath senior hurling championship for a number of years to come.
"If the hunger and desire is there, I can't see any reason why we can't win a few more, especially with Pat at the helm. The work is been done at underage level and credit must go to Seamie Harmon and his dedicated team of workers that has been very important over the last few years.
"I would like to acknowledge the names of the people how have worked tirelessly for this club down through the years, people such as Pascal Carr, Paddy and Brian Reilly, Billy and Bridie Harmon, Maggie Masterson, Jim Carroll, Johnny McGurl and of course a special mention to former Kildalkey and Meath Hurling Board chairman Brendan Davis. Without these people, we wouldn't be the club we are today."
Kildalkey had high hopes of doing well in the Leinster intermediate club hurling championship and even though they faced Kilkenny outfit Dicksboro, Nick feels that having seen the city side in action, they didn't fear them.
"We went to see them play Bunclody of Wexford and to be honest we came away thinking that the best team lost on the day. Bunclody scored 0-19 and for any team to do that takes something special, but Dicksboro seem to have a knack of scoring goals as we found out!"
Kildalkey went into game playing into the wind in the first half and just trailed by a point at the break and midway through the second half there was nothing separating the sides, but Dicksboro took over in the final quarter to book their place in the final.
"It was a disappointing way to lose and I'm confident that if we were to play them again, there wouldn't be much between us. You couldn't blame any particular player for what happened it was just one of those things. At half time, we felt there was no need for a change in personnel as the lads were doing well, all we needed to do was tweak the team a little, but we were pleased with the way it was going."
Between playing and being involved in looking after teams, while running his own business, Nick admits that he has a busy schedule, but the help of a very understanding wife makes it all the more easier.
"Angela has been great. She is from Tipperary, but I have her almost converted to being a Waterford woman," he joked. "She understands the interest I have in the hurling and she is a keen supporter as well. I'm also fortunate to have three wonderful kids in Evan, Conor and Amy, who also have a very keen GAA interest."
As a proud Waterford man, Nick would love nothing more than see a Waterford man walk the steps of the Hogan Stand to collect the Liam McCarthy Cup, but he feels that it may be some time before that actually happens.
"I do think the gap could widen between Tipperary and Kilkenny and the rest of the counties. Hurling is dying, and more needs to be done to make it more competitive. It was great to see Tipperary win it this year, but more counties need to come up to the standard of them and Kilkenny and that won't happen over night."
In 2004, Nick set up his own company IIS Ltd. Based in Celbridge, Co Kildare, IIS Ltd are one of the most successful interior fit out companies in Ireland - their clients include multi nationals companies, government agencies and leading commercial interests and they carry out work all over the country.
"Whether it's a complete refit or you are starting with an empty shell, IIS Ltd can transform your space into a modern efficient workspace.
"Our services cover all elements of interior contracting from the installation of air conditioning, I.T. infrastructure, electric's, lighting, joinery and glazed partitions together with all finishes.
IIS Ltd will assume full responsibility for the project management and supervision of construction works including all aspects of health and safety."
Life is good for Nick Fitzgerald at the moment and the future of the Kildalkey GAA club is in safe hands and it would take a brave man to bet against the 'village' completing a coveted three-in-a-row.
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