Breakthrough in Fitzgerald saga

The stand-off between Clare hurling manager Tony Considine and goalkeeper Davy Fitzgerald has reached a breakthrough. Both men met fact-to-face on Tuesday night for the first time since falling out over training regimes last month, and while neither were formally commenting on the future at this stage it is understood agreement was reached, and that Fitzgerald would be returning to the panel in the near future.

Considine was last night finalising a 30-man panel for the National Hurling League campaign, which starts with Sunday's trip to Down. Fitzgerald's return, however, now looks imminent, with Tuesday's meeting coming at the behest of Clare County Board secretary Pat Fitzgerald, who was also in attendance.

Last week Fitzgerald's Sixmilebridge club had called on the board executive to sort out that particular conflict ahead of the league, which also helped bring matters to a head on Tuesday night.

Speaking on Clare FM yesterday, Considine declined to comment on the nature of their agreement: "There will be no comment on that at the moment - that's as far as that goes . . . everything is going really, really well. There is great commitment from everybody."

The apparent conflicts within Clare appeared to have deepened earlier in the week when team trainer Dave Mahedy stepped down, although he insisted his decision was for practical reasons regarding his commitments at University of Limerick.

Considine thus presses ahead with selectors Pat O'Connor, Ger Ward, Tim Crowe and Ciarán O'Neill, with Crowe expected to take over the physical preparations.

Elsewhere, the controversy surrounding Thomas Walsh from Carlow transferring to Wicklow took another twist yesterday, with confirmation he was still planning a move from his club, Fenagh, to Bray Emmets, and thus to Mick O'Dwyer's Wicklow county side.

One of the most impressive centrefielders over the past year, Walsh hasn't made himself available for Carlow in the National Football League this season because of rugby commitments with Bective Rangers in Dublin where he works. Carlow lost their opening two fixtures, to Clare and Offaly, and were hoping he would perhaps return for the latter stages of the league.

Instead he now looks bound for Wicklow, although Carlow County Board chairman Pat Deering last night appealed to the player to reconsider, adding that such transfers had serious implications for the GAA.