‘Meath people are as passionate about their hurling as anywhere else’

THE same week, almost the same day, as it emerged Davy Fitzgerald was going to be the manager of the Waterford hurlers (including Rathmoylon man Jack Fagan) it also became clear Seoirse Bulfin would take the reins of the Meath seniors.

Bulfin was put forward by the Management Committee of the Co Board to replace Nick Weir and the decision rubber-stamped by club delegates on Monday night.

It was quite a coincidence that Fitzgerald and Bulfin should open up new chapters in their coaching careers at the same time considering they had worked so closely together in the past, the latter as coach, the former as manager. They were years together with a variety of teams including Limerick IT in the Fitzgibbon Cup, Clare (winning the All-Ireland in 2013), Waterford and Wexford, sharing ambitions and ideas.

Bulfin - who lectures on sports psychology and leadership psychology at Limerick IT - makes reference to Fitzgerald's tactical awareness, enthusiasm and passion for the game of hurling. He is, he says, very much "a players man." He adds that he has learned a lot from Fitzgerald but now as Meath manager Bulfin is striking out on his own on the inter-county front. Now HE is the boss with all the responsibility that brings.

Last year Bulfin, who is from Bruff in Limerick, served as coach/selector under previous manager Nick Weir. He is very familiar with the Royal County set-up, the players, the local hurling environment, the challenges, and what is required to take them to the next level. When he was asked would he be interested in becoming manager of the Royal County he didn't hesitate.

He says he greatly enjoyed working under Weir and was somewhat surprised at what he discovered. "In a county where one code is a small bit stronger than the other I was surprised to find there wasn't much difference between counties like Tipperary or Cork and Meath in terms of the structures.

"There are differences, but generally speaking the people involved in Meath are just as passionate about their hurling as anywhere else," he told the Meath Chronicle .

"In some ways they are more passionate, more protective of the game and when the opportunity was there to take over as manager, for me, it was a no-brainer.

"I always had an ambition to try my hand as a manager and after having spent six or seven months with the lads I had no hesitation in going for the Meath job. I was over the moon to be considered for the job, it was an easy decision to make."

There weren't many golden moments for Meath hurlers to savour in 2022. Relegated from the NHL Div 2A and the McDonagh Cup competition, shipping a couple of hefty defeats on the way, the team ran out of road. Next year the Royals will hope to land the lower-grade Ring Cup and Bulfin is determined to be ready for whatever challenges await.

He didn't consume much time putting his backroom together either - and he has made some noteworthy appointments. Steven Clynch and David Reilly are staying on as selectors but Ciaran Keogh, a Meathman, will come in as strength and conditioning coach.

Keogh was sought by Fitzgerald and Bulfin earlier in their partnership but it didn't happen. Keogh moved on and he has an impressive CV. He worked for two years with the Tipperary senior hurlers and was with Michael Fennelly when the Kilkenny man guided the fortunes of Offaly. He has also worked closely with a number of Olympians.

"Ciaran just eats and breaths that whole high performance culture and the fact that he is a Meathman is also important, he is very passionate about Meath hurling so when he got the opportunity he jumped. I was delighted because I know there were a number of other hurling and football counties looking for him."

Another interesting appointment is that of John Perry, a lecturer in sports and exercise psychology in the University of Limerick who worked with Bulfin on his PhD.

Perry has worked with a number of English soccer clubs as well as Real Madrid Academy, Major League baseball teams in addition to various professional golfers and various Olympians over the years.

"John worked with me at Cuala as well. I spoke to John and he has agreed to come on board with me in Meath and I'm delighted about that."

Bulfin talked about creating a style or, more appropriately, a variety of styles that Meath players can adopt when needed.

"It's very important in the modern game to have variety in the style of hurling you play and if a team is to have a style or a couple of styles it doesn't happen over night, it takes time to implement all that," he says.

Then there is the question of building a culture in a team - something that is clearly high on Bulfin's priorities.

"I suppose after 11 or 12 years working with players at MacCarthy Cup level you know it's not just about the hurling, it includes lifestyle, attending to the extra work you do yourself when you are not with the rest of the squad. I'm trying to bring that high performance culture and the most important thing for me is to have as many Meath people involved as possible."

Next Monday night (22nd August) Bulfin will speak to club delegates at Dunganny outlining his plans and the methods he will seek to introduce to make Meath better. The wheels are turning.