This probably comes as a shock to many but according to Davy some Clare players were abusing alcohol and drugs before he arrived to manage the team.
"We brought in a code of discipline. From the mid-2000s, in Clare, my feeling was that Clare was a social team. I know some of them were even taking harder stuff than drink. I couldn't understand this. To me I play to win, and if you are doing stuff like that, you're wasting your time."
He said he and the team rooted out the problem during a three-hour meeting after he became manager.
"I questioned them and I said do we really need alcohol and do you need to take substances that will make you feel better. We teased it out, we spent three hours out in Bunratty teasing it out. We decided we were going to stand up and draw a line under it and say 'No'. We decided we were going to come to training and enjoy ourselves and were going to communicate with each other. We want to enjoy what we do."
Has Davy crossed the white line here..
That's a 'Sun' headline & non-story.
Is there any type of drug screening taking place at the minute within the GAA. I wouldn't be one bit surprised if there are lads out there taking some sort of performance enhancing drugs.
Quote from: Hereiam on March 05, 2014, 09:39:30 AM
Is there any type of drug screening taking place at the minute within the GAA. I wouldn't be one bit surprised if there are lads out there taking some sort of performance enhancing drugs.
Yes as far as I know they get tested after games and testers can turn up at training grounds. I heard a story a few years ago of one county player having to make a swift exit from the training field through some back fields, after enjoying 'recreational' drugs the previous weekend.
I'd say there is a few Clare hurlers a bit pissed off with Davys comments.
Quote from: Bingo on March 05, 2014, 09:46:08 AM
I'd say there is a few Clare hurlers a bit pissed off with Davys comments.
Nice loyalty there from Davy. He's really an enigma. So impressive in some senses, and such a gobdaw in others. Hard to argue with the results he's had, and you have to admire his drive and absolute balls out determination not to be held down. But his whole 'me versus the world' act does get old sometimes, and he does and says some mental stuff as well. This is typical of him. A really heartfelt speech, and an admirable message to youngsters, delivered in such a way that people are now talking about which young Clare lads were doing drugs before he came along.
Agree with AZ's sentiments exactly. My instant reaction was to wonder who was on the panel in 2011 and since got cut - which immediately once it crossed my mind, I realised was hugely unfair, since lads leave county panels all the time for a variety of reasons.
I take a different view on it.
If true and they were on drugs, they were wasting their time and not achieving to their best.
Off the drugs they won Liam. Not a bad message to get out there.
Quote from: Stall the Bailer on March 05, 2014, 09:56:21 AM
I take a different view on it.
If true and they were on drugs, they were wasting their time and not achieving to their best.
Off the drugs they won Liam. Not a bad message to get out there.
It's a great message. That's what I mean. He had a powerful message, but you have to believe he didn't ask the Clare lads would they mind if he shared it. Maybe he did and I'm doing him a disservice, but I'd have thought Davy would be one for 'Circle of Trust' type mantras.
That's true AZ and it could undermine him a bit in the changing room.
However if this is a big issue in the GAA nationwide??? It may be for the greater good if it makes players think twice about dabbling in drugs.
His comments about bullying were really moving. I hope that's what dominates the discussion. I doubt it though.
Quote from: deiseach on March 05, 2014, 10:04:27 AM
His comments about bullying were really moving. I hope that's what dominates the discussion. I doubt it though.
Thats very true, the headlines seem to be focused on the other. Where he was giving the talk the use of drink and other substances had alot of merit and should be put out there but you can't help feel that the message will be lost.
Typical hurling dragging down our great association again. :-[
You wouldn't get footballers going on like that.
The media are salivating over his comments and completely taking them out of context, but Davy should have enough cop-on to know that's what would happen. As part of a talk to students about drink, drugs, bullying and how sport can help to overcome those issues, he said "some lads were on harder stuff than drink".
Now there are headlines about a "drug problem" in Clare that Davy had to root out. That's a very different thing and very unfair on the Clare hurlers.
Clare is that far wesht that you'd never get access to anything harder than a bit of poitin or cheap vodka.
You have to admire Davy's honesty here.
very unfair on the previous manager . the Clear implication here is that he either ignored the problem or was to stupid to realize what was going on about him.
If you going to make such accusations of criminality you gotta provide proof. whereas this statement is little more than a ' they were party boys before i got here and Some were probaly taking recreational drugs like other lads their age '
not sure that would have got Davy his headlines though/
Nothing new here.
The Clare hurlers have been linked to drugs since the Loughnane era!
A few fellas taking 'even harder stuff than drink' is not the most specific allegation ever.
I'd say he knows what he is doing, whether it is wise or not is another thing altogether.
But sticking to his actual point it appears like a good message to give - f*ck the bullies I'll win the All-Ireland and a few All-Stars to shut them up.
I don't think this will be a shock to many under the age of forty and definitely not to anybody under the age of thirty, and most certainly not to anybody who is dealing with young people on a daily basis. Drug use is a fact of everyday life in every wide place in the road in Ireland.
If your reaction is predicated on the faux horror of the sun/star etc, well that says more about people who read this nonsense than it does about Davy Fitz. I would applaud him for highlighting this in such a matter-of-fact way. The only Clare hurlers who'll may be pissed off are the ones who might have been taking colombian marching powder or whatever, and to be quite frank they should be grateful to Davy for getting them off that shit.
Quote from: Keyser soze on March 05, 2014, 11:42:56 AM
I don't think this will be a shock to many under the age of forty and definitely not to anybody under the age of thirty, and most certainly not to anybody who is dealing with young people on a daily basis. Drug use is a fact of everyday life in every wide place in the road in Ireland.
If your reaction is predicated on the faux horror of the sun/star etc, well that says more about people who read this nonsense than it does about Davy Fitz. I would applaud him for highlighting this in such a matter-of-fact way. The only Clare hurlers who'll may be pissed off are the ones who might have been taking colombian marching powder or whatever, and to be quite frank they should be grateful to Davy for getting them off that shit.
While I love a good pop at the dreaded meeja and their parasitical ways, Davy must know that the next question he is going to be asked is "what were they on?" Listening to a snippet of what he said this morning, there were two occasions where he said "alcohol and . . . stronger things", or words to that effect. I'm not inserting the hesitation in his voice. I'm going to predict that the next step is Davy angrily questioning why anyone would want to know the specifics and that it's none of their business, which will only be grist to the mill of the assembled hacks. It's a real pity that this is going to distract from the power of his comments on bullying.
Quote from: Premier Emperor on March 05, 2014, 11:13:21 AM
Nothing new here.
The Clare hurlers have been linked to drugs since the Loughnane era!
My auld fella, who's a bit cracked, always reckoned Meath were on drugs under Sean Boylan. "I'm telling ya, you watch them, he's definitely giving them something at half-time, how else would they finish so strong? Herbalist my arse."
Quote from: Asal Mor on March 05, 2014, 12:16:37 PM
My auld fella, who's a bit cracked, always reckoned Meath were on drugs under Sean Boylan. "I'm telling ya, you watch them, he's definitely giving them something at half-time, how else would they finish so strong? Herbalist my arse."
Is he from Cork? Your auld fella, not Sean Boylan.
Quote from: Asal Mor on March 05, 2014, 12:16:37 PM
Quote from: Premier Emperor on March 05, 2014, 11:13:21 AM
Nothing new here.
The Clare hurlers have been linked to drugs since the Loughnane era!
My auld fella, who's a bit cracked, always reckoned Meath were on drugs under Sean Boylan. "I'm telling ya, you watch them, he's definitely giving them something at half-time, how else would they finish so strong? Herbalist my arse."
And they've won nothing since drug testing came in.
Quote from: Croí na hÉireann on March 05, 2014, 12:20:32 PM
Quote from: Asal Mor on March 05, 2014, 12:16:37 PM
Quote from: Premier Emperor on March 05, 2014, 11:13:21 AM
Nothing new here.
The Clare hurlers have been linked to drugs since the Loughnane era!
My auld fella, who's a bit cracked, always reckoned Meath were on drugs under Sean Boylan. "I'm telling ya, you watch them, he's definitely giving them something at half-time, how else would they finish so strong? Herbalist my arse."
And they've won nothing since drug testing came in.
Kepak were giving the players the finest of beef to take home, Seany was providing de 'erb to keep the lads mellow;
(https://ksj.mit.edu/sites/default/files/imagecache/tracker_thumb/images/tracker/Marijuana.jpg)
Well we're probably on the same drugs as the Offaly hurlers for the last decade and a half.
Hey! What have Offaly got to do with this? No one from Offaly said a word! Well, actually I tell a lie, but he purports to be Westmeath.
Clare hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald has said he wasn't aware he was being recorded when he made comments last night about Clare's off-field activity.
Fitzgerald has revealed he had to drastically change Clare's approach when he first became manager in 2011.
His comments came during a speech he made at a physical health seminar at Limerick Institute of Technology yesterday.
Fitzgerald said: "From the mid-2000s, in Clare, my feeling was that Clare was a social team," he said.
"I know some of them were even taking harder stuff than drink" - Davy Fitzgerald
"I know some of them were even taking harder stuff than drink. I couldn't understand this.
"To me, I play to win, and if you are doing stuff like that, you're wasting your time."
He said that he and the team go to the bottom of the issue during a three-hour meeting after he became manager.
"I questioned them and I said 'do we really need alcohol and do you need to take substances that will make you feel better'.
"We teased it out, we spent three hours out in Bunratty teasing it out. We decided we were going to stand up and draw a line under it and say 'No'.
"We decided we were going to come to training and enjoy ourselves and were going to communicate with each other. We want to enjoy what we do."
Fitzgerald gave a wide ranging talk at LIT, lasting close to half an hour, where he also spoke about how he was bullied when he was a child and the importance sport can have on people's mental health.
GAA President Liam O'Neill has since said he has no reason to believe that a drink or drug culture exists in the modern game.
While I'd imagine the percentage of inter county players taking recreational drugs is smaller than within the general population I wouldn't be surprised to find it is a bit higher than many would guess. It's a fast of life now and I'm not sure it needs to be aired.
I think this was a comment from Davy that wasn't calculated and I don't think it serves any purpose, good or bad.
Quote from: orangeman on March 05, 2014, 02:57:08 PM
Clare hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald has said he wasn't aware he was being recorded when he made comments last night about Clare's off-field activity.
Fitzgerald has revealed he had to drastically change Clare's approach when he first became manager in 2011.
His comments came during a speech he made at a physical health seminar at Limerick Institute of Technology yesterday.
Fitzgerald said: "From the mid-2000s, in Clare, my feeling was that Clare was a social team," he said.
"I know some of them were even taking harder stuff than drink" - Davy Fitzgerald
"I know some of them were even taking harder stuff than drink. I couldn't understand this.
"To me, I play to win, and if you are doing stuff like that, you're wasting your time."
He said that he and the team go to the bottom of the issue during a three-hour meeting after he became manager.
"I questioned them and I said 'do we really need alcohol and do you need to take substances that will make you feel better'.
"We teased it out, we spent three hours out in Bunratty teasing it out. We decided we were going to stand up and draw a line under it and say 'No'.
"We decided we were going to come to training and enjoy ourselves and were going to communicate with each other. We want to enjoy what we do."
Fitzgerald gave a wide ranging talk at LIT, lasting close to half an hour, where he also spoke about how he was bullied when he was a child and the importance sport can have on people's mental health.
GAA President Liam O'Neill has since said he has no reason to believe that a drink or drug culture exists in the modern game.
Is Liam O'Neill mad? I suppose it depends on your definition of culture, but if he doesn't think a percentage of young lads are drinking or taking some form of recreational drug then he's off his game.
Quote from: deiseach on March 05, 2014, 12:18:02 PM
Quote from: Asal Mor on March 05, 2014, 12:16:37 PM
My auld fella, who's a bit cracked, always reckoned Meath were on drugs under Sean Boylan. "I'm telling ya, you watch them, he's definitely giving them something at half-time, how else would they finish so strong? Herbalist my arse."
Is he from Cork? Your auld fella, not Sean Boylan.
From Laois deiseach, which probably explains it.
Quote from: Asal Mor on March 05, 2014, 03:40:01 PM
Quote from: deiseach on March 05, 2014, 12:18:02 PM
Quote from: Asal Mor on March 05, 2014, 12:16:37 PM
My auld fella, who's a bit cracked, always reckoned Meath were on drugs under Sean Boylan. "I'm telling ya, you watch them, he's definitely giving them something at half-time, how else would they finish so strong? Herbalist my arse."
Is he from Cork? Your auld fella, not Sean Boylan.
From Laois deiseach, which probably explains it.
Probably. There was an awful lot of bad blood between Cork and Meath back in the day. It was poignant to read Martin O'Connell (http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/cork-v-meath-latest-chapter-in-an-old-rivalry-26438814.html) saying that few of the players on the late 80's teams were on speaking terms and it took the death of John Kerins to get people to disregard that crap. But the Laois thing with Meath...
Quote from: deiseach on March 05, 2014, 03:54:42 PM
Probably. There was an awful lot of bad blood between Cork and Meath back in the day. It was poignant to read Martin O'Connell (http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/cork-v-meath-latest-chapter-in-an-old-rivalry-26438814.html) saying that few of the players on the late 80's teams were on speaking terms and it took the death of John Kerins to get people to disregard that crap. But the Laois thing with Meath...
It's nice that they get on well now. I wonder if the Galway / Tipp players of the same era are as friendly as that? Always seemed a spiteful rivalry too.
Quote from: orangeman on March 05, 2014, 02:57:08 PM
Clare hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald has said he wasn't aware he was being recorded when he made comments last night about Clare's off-field activity.
Jaysus Davy, that's lame.
Quote from: Asal Mor on March 05, 2014, 04:09:38 PM
Quote from: deiseach on March 05, 2014, 03:54:42 PM
Probably. There was an awful lot of bad blood between Cork and Meath back in the day. It was poignant to read Martin O'Connell (http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/cork-v-meath-latest-chapter-in-an-old-rivalry-26438814.html) saying that few of the players on the late 80's teams were on speaking terms and it took the death of John Kerins to get people to disregard that crap. But the Laois thing with Meath...
It's nice that they get on well now. I wonder if the Galway / Tipp players of the same era are as friendly as that? Always seemed a spiteful rivalry too.
They all participate in the John Denton Golf Classic each year.
I'm sure you've seen it but Finnerty spoke about Denton on Tony Keady's Laochra Gael. "People said he was either a sh!te ref or he was biased. He was both".
Quote from: deiseach on March 05, 2014, 04:10:27 PM
Quote from: Asal Mor on March 05, 2014, 04:09:38 PM
Quote from: deiseach on March 05, 2014, 03:54:42 PM
Probably. There was an awful lot of bad blood between Cork and Meath back in the day. It was poignant to read Martin O'Connell (http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-football/cork-v-meath-latest-chapter-in-an-old-rivalry-26438814.html) saying that few of the players on the late 80's teams were on speaking terms and it took the death of John Kerins to get people to disregard that crap. But the Laois thing with Meath...
It's nice that they get on well now. I wonder if the Galway / Tipp players of the same era are as friendly as that? Always seemed a spiteful rivalry too.
They all participate in the John Denton Golf Classic each year.
;D ;D ;D ;D
God that fella certainly made a game entertaining as long as you were a neutral fan. He would put Marty Duffy's circus in the shade come to thing of it ;).
Davy Fitzgerald was very foolish and naive to think he could have made these comments and them not to create headlines in the media. Even if he didn't think he was being recorded there were probably hundreds there at his speech and the bit about the substance abuse was always going to come out. It is also a smear on all Clare players from that era. He should know how the media works by now. If I was a Clare fan I wouldn't be too happy with him now.
There'll not be a word about it next week. It will pass. But FR Egan is impressed. I love the way Davy is being referred to as Mr. Fitzgerald.
A priest has applauded Clare hurling manager Davy Fitzgerald for highlighting the scourge of bullying in society, after the All-Ireland winning boss revealed yesterday that he had been severely bullied in school.
Mr Fitzgerald told students at a mental and physical health awareness seminar, that sport had saved him after he had became "low" when he was the victim of a sustained campaign of bullying while attending secondary school in Ennis, Co Clare.
He encouraged young people to have dreams and, if possible, to get involved in sport. He said sport would help "sharpen" their minds, boost their communication skills, and help them "focus" on leading a happy life.
Today, Rector of the Redemptorists Order in Limerick, Fr Adrian Egan praised Mr Fitzgerald for helping to bring the problem of bullying further out into the public arena.
He told local radio station Limerick's Live 95FM that high-profile personalities are in a position to break taboos about sensitive subjects.
"Because people, who are successful, especially in sport these days, (which) attracts a lot of attention, they become a role model (for young people). And when somebody breaks taboos on anything -- especially somebody that is well-known and respected -- about anything that people might have been anxious to speak (publicly) about in the past -- it's always good," Fr Egan said.
"It allows other people the freedom to open up and share their experiences as well, which they might otherwise not be able to do. So, somebody like Davy Fitz talking about been bullied -- and others who've done it as well -- absolutely, it's very important," Fr Egan added.
There'll not be a poppy harvested in Clare for a week!