*Páidi Fitzpatrick. Photograph: Gerard O’Neill
WHETHER or not you believe in omens, there’s no denying that Clare’s All-Ireland winning exploits also seem to stir something special in Sixmilebridge.
After all, their greatest year of Munster and All-Ireland glory mirrored Clare’s indelible breakthrough in 1995 while Davy Fitzgerald’s Banner surge through the backdoor in 2013 was also accentuated by his club’s county senior success. Consequently it’s hardly a coincidence that Brian Lohan’s thrilling summer success has also rejuvenated Sixmilebridge’s charges ahead of Sunday’s latest county final against Feakle.
Defensive anchor Paidi Fitzpatrick doesn’t pay much heed to such piseogs but freely admits that only for Clare’s extended summer in 2013, Sixmilebridge’s remarkable senior dominance of five titles in eight years from 2013-2020 may not have gotten off the ground at all.
“2013 was remarkable as nobody saw it coming in that we had been knocking at the door in 2010 and ’11 but had gone badly in ’12 and Clarecastle beat us in the first round of ’13. We actually won very few Clare Cup games either that year so things weren’t going great in the earlier part of that year. However the whole season took on a whole new life of its own with Clare as there were 20 weeks between our first round and second round so by the time the championship eventually came around again, we had gotten ourselves into a much healthier position.
“Injuries had cleared up while we hadn’t a huge amount of lads that were drained coming off Clare’s campaign so we were relatively fresh whereas others had almost a spine of Clare players. Because of the nature of the All-Ireland championship and the replay in the final, it just took off so much so by the time we lost the Munster Club Final, we had approximately seven or eight matches played in eight or nine weeks.
“As it was week-on-week, there wasn’t time to think about it even but still winning it was one of the most special feelings I’ve ever had. All because it’s your dream growing up and once you get there I suppose there’s just that realisation that you’ve reached the top of that mountain”.
Fitzpatrick and Co. have been camped at the summit regularly ever since, having previously forged an unbreakable bond from underage. “I suppose we’re close in age and there were real friendships on and off the field growing up but I think that breakthrough in 2013 there were even stronger bonds forged than ever before.
“It’s hard to detail exactly why there has been such longevity with this group so I suppose it’s a combination of factors really. First and foremost this is a great club, we’ve also had some great set-ups and multiple managers in that time that have all kept it to a very high quality.
“That made it very appealing each year and then there was the standard set within the playing group that saw players buy in and want to play and win for each other.
“It’s not a chore to go training with your friends and then there’s the competitiveness side of things as we all seem to have that desire to keep coming back and wanting to win again. In addition the club championship in Clare has been so open over that period that unlike other counties, it has been far from predictable so there hasn’t been a dominant club and everyone feels that they can win it so that brings a freshness and an added appeal too”.
So having exited at the group stages in 2023, was there still an self-belief that this group could reach that peak again?
“We did have the belief because even though the year ended disappointingly, the two teams that came out of our group ended up in the county final last year. We can have no complaints about new scoring difference rules etc because at the end of the day, we only won one out of three matches so whilst we didn’t see that scenario unfolding, equally you have to take responsibility for that. Things have worked in our favour this year with injuries and breaks but while it’s great to be back in a final, we’ve nothing won yet and will be facing another huge test on Sunday.
“I mean you can see from Feakle’s results how impressive they’ve been. Their quarter-final result alone against a Crusheen side that we had a right battle with in the group was so clinical as they made short work of them.
“All the quarter-finals were tight bar that one so that would really make you sit up and take notice. This is a team that has been boosted by youth just as we have but their core have been building for a while and they have the backbone of the St Joseph’s Tulla team that won the Harty Cup a few years back so it comes as no surprise to us to be facing them now in a final.”
Between Paidi and his older brother Stiofan who is currently joint-manager, the Fitzpatrick family have been involved in all seven senior titles for Sixmilebridge since the turn of the millennium, with their father PJ cited as the biggest influence in both sons’ hurling exploits.
“I suppose you don’t realise fully how hugely influential he has been until you get older. It has been in a number of different aspects from education to coaching, things that you definitely don’t appreciate at a young age. The extent of coaching over the years with club and county has been so impressive and he has also instilled those core principles of work ethic and trying to get the best out of yourself.
“Every day you go out on the field, you represent yourself and your team so being a good team-mate and a good club person are also things that are very much instilled in us so yes he’s had a massive influence and continues still to be”.
Is that something this generation of ‘Bridge players are also hoping to impart? “Definitely. Look, no more that Clare this year and the attention that an All-Ireland win has given to the county, that has given a new lease of life to hurling around the place. I remember growing up watching those ‘Bridge and Clare teams in the 90’s and that’s what really sparked my love of hurling so it would be great to do that for the next generation especially in such a changing village”.
