Rugby coach recruited for hurlers

New Meath hurling manager Cillian Farrell has recruited one of the country's top rugby coaches David Fagan as he seeks to improve the Royal County's standing in the small-ball game. Farrell feels that Meath players need to acquire a high standard of fitness and as part of that objective he has added Fagan to his backroom team for the coming year. Fagan is from Dublin and works as a full-time strength and conditioning coach with the IRFU and has extensive experience getting Ireland's top rugby players such as Brian O'Driscoll, Ronan O'Gara and Tommy Bowe into top condition. Now his skills will be utilised to help the Meath hurlers. As well as training Ireland, Fagan has also worked with the Leinster rugby squad and Farrell feels his skills will be important in getting the Meath players ready for the challenges that lie ahead in 2011. Meath will play Louth or Roscommon in the quarter-final of the Kehoe Cup on Sunday 23rd January. “Dave had given the Meath players a weights programme which has gone pretty well. In fairness to Dave we've had 28 or 29 guys in the gym, obviously conducting their own programme. We won't be going on the pitch until the first week of the new year,†Farrell told the Meath Chronicle. “The players who didn't play in recent years, for one reason or another, anyone who was invited onto the panel has accepted our offer, there have being no opt outs,†he added. The new Meath manager who is taking on his first job at inter-county level has known Fagan for a number of years. When he was appointed manager last autumn Farrell didn't waste any time in putting together his backroom team. Also on board as selectors are Kilmessan's Martin Curran and Dave Gaughan from Drumee. Farrell, who is a manager in a company that deals with oil spillages and hazardous waste, will be familiar with Meath hurling having coached Na Fianna for three years. He will also be able to dip into a deep reservoir of experience from his inter-county days with his native Offaly. From Edenderry, Farrell played both senior hurling and football for the Faithful County. He was part of the Offaly hurling panel in 1998 when Michael 'Babs' Keating stepped down as manager in highly controversial circumstances. Keating had compared the players to “sheep running around in a heap†following the Leinster final defeat by Kilkenny. In the furore that ensued Keating resigned, Michael Bond took over and Offaly went on to win the McCarthy Cup exacting revenge on Kilkenny in the final, 2-16 to 1-13. Farrell was among the substitutes for the final while another Offaly player who featured in that game was Michael Duignan who also went on to manage the Meath hurlers. Ironically, Farrell made both his senior inter-county hurling and football championship debuts against Meath. He was on the Offaly side that defeated Meath in a Leinster SHC clash in the late 1990s, He was also a member of the Faithful County side that overcame the then reigning All-Ireland champions Meath in a Leinster SFC tie in 2000.