Davy Fitzgerald fancied for Galway job after Henry Shefflin’s departure

The announcement that Shefflin had called time on his disappointing three-year stint came less than 24 hours after Fitzgerald had quit as Waterford manager.

The timing has fuelled inevitable speculation that the high-profile Clare coach could be in line for a dramatic switch, three years after being overlooked for the last Galway vacancy filled by Kilkenny legend Shefflin.

Some Galway observers are sceptical about Fitzgerald taking over now, given the backstory of 2021; but others aren’t ruling it out, citing the relative proximity to his Clare base.

One of his reasons for leaving Waterford after two seasons was the travel involved from west to south-east. “Waterford isn’t right beside you, it’s a nice journey, leaving early in the day. I have [two-year-old son] Dáithí Óg in my life now which is a lot different,” he told RTÉ.

The bookies have been quick to install Fitzgerald and current Dublin boss Micheál Donoghue as joint favourites to succeed Shefflin. Boylesports have priced the duo at 2/1, with Kenneth Burke next at 4/1 after leading St Thomas’ to All-Ireland club glory last January. Galway talisman-turned-pundit Joe Canning is a more distant 33/1. Donoghue ended Galway’s 29-year All-Ireland famine in 2017 but stepped down two years later.

There must be some doubt over whether he’d now return, given that he is two seasons into his original three-year Dublin term and indicated, after their recent quarter-final defeat to Cork, that his “plan” is to be back in 2025.

Wherever Galway GAA chiefs now turn, their most successful ever manager believes the new manager must be given time.

“The team has to be revitalised and refreshed, a bit of energy brought back into it,” Cyril Farrell told the Irish Independent.

“Unless they have their homework done, it’s not a rush job now. If they had him in by the [club] championship start it would be great, they could be looking at players.

“But it’s going to be a job for at least two or three years. It isn’t going to be a quick fix; this isn’t going to happen overnight. Like, I think whoever comes in needs three years. And whoever comes in, they have to back him fully,” added the three-time All-Ireland winner.

Galway have failed to land any championship silverware with their last two managers – Limerick’s Shane O’Neill and Shefflin – but Farrell doesn’t believe the board should be prescriptive on whether to ‘shop local’ or look for another outsider.

“I still think they’ll be looking for the best person,” he concluded.