As we all know, Davy Fitzgerald took a lot of stick this year. It now turns out that he wasn't the only Fitzgerald to get a truckload of stick delivered to him in 2013. His father Pat Fitzgerald, the Clare county board chairman, got a great deal of stick for appointing his son to the position. Fitzgerald has declared himself "taken aback" by the allegations of nepotism.
"I came in for a share of criticism, being accused of nepotism, matching the cronyism that has dogged the Irish political system over the years. But such an assertion couldn't have been further from the truth -- Davy's appointment was based on his coaching pedigree.
"I was subjected to a lot of stick, but I stuck to my guns and I think I've been fully vindicated. It wasn't a case of giving a job to my son. It was a case of giving the job to a man who deserved to have a crack at it. He had a proven track-record and was entitled to take his chances.
"I want to nail once and for all the perception that he is getting preferential treatment as regards team preparations. Not true, it has never been the case. People know me as a fair and honest man. Those attitudes came into play with the appointment."
