Fergal Hartley
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Fergal Ó hArtaile | ||
| Sport | Hurling | ||
| Position | Centre Half Back | ||
| Nickname | Fergie, Bird | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | ||
1980s - | Ballygunner | ||
| Club titles | |||
| Waterford titles | 7 | ||
| Munster titles | 1 | ||
| Inter-county(ies) | |||
| Years | County | ||
1990s - 2005 | Waterford | ||
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 1 | ||
| All-Irelands | 0 | ||
| All Stars | 1 | ||
Fergal Hartley (born January, 1973) is an Irish hurler who plays with both Waterford and Ballygunner at club level. Hartley is considered one of the greatest centre-half backs of the modern game.
Playing career
Club
Fergal has seven senior county medals in 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2001. This last win was later converted into a Munster club hurling title were he was the AIB Man of the Match against Blackrock. Hartley won his seventh county championship title in 2005 however this time he was unable to convert it to a Munster medal despite being named the AIB Man of the Match again this time versus Newtownshandrum.
Inter-County
Fergal is generally known for playing at centre back although, later in his career, he reverted to full back at inter-county level. Fergal captained Waterford in 2002 and is remembered as the person who received the winning trophy when Waterford won the Munster Hurling final against Tipperary earning himself the right half-back berth on the Vodafone GAA All-Stars team of that season.
In the same year he was named 2002 AIB Munster Council Hurler of the Year.
Retirement
Fergal retired from inter-county hurling in the wake of the side's All-Ireland qualifier defeat to Wexford at Nowlan Park in July 2003. 2004 marked the start of a new era for Waterford hurling, it was the first Munster Senior Hurling campaign in thirteen years that one that the name of Fergal Hartley did not appear on the Waterford team sheet.
For the previous twelve years Fergal Hartley was not just one of Waterford’s best players but one of the games very best exponents. A wonderful player in every aspect of the word. Stylish, tough, majestic, a born leader, all the qualities of a great player.[1]
However, Fergal returned to play one last championship in 2005.
Fergal again retired at the end of 2005 despite claiming the man of the match award in December's Munster club final against Newtownshandrum. Fergal said at the time, " I'm 34 next month and apart from that, every fella has to know when it is time to call a halt, If I went back this year, I wouldn't have been guaranteed a game. I'm busy at work, I'm busy at home and very few fellas play at 34 years old.".[2]
Fergal still plays at club level with Ballygunner. However, due to recent injuries Fergal has reverted to a position on goal.