Fergal Hartley

{{Infobox GAA player

| code= Hurling

| sport = Hurling

| image =

| name = Fergal Hartely

| irish = Fergal Ó hArtaile

| fullname = Fergal Hartely

| birth_date={{Birth date and age|df=yes|1972|2|4}}

| feet = 6

| inches = 1

| nickname = Fergie, Bird

| occupation = Recruitment firm owner

| county = Waterford

| province = Munster

| club = Ballygunner

| clposition = Half-back

| clubs = Ballygunner

| clyears =

| clapps(points) =

| clcounty = 8

| clprovince= 1

| clallireland =

| counties = Waterford

| icposition = Centre-back

| icyears = 1992–2006

| icapps(points) = 26 (0-00)

| icprovince = 1

| icallireland = 0

| allstars = 1

| nhl = 0

| clupdate =

| icupdate = 19:34, 8 October 2014

| birth_place=Ballygunner, County Waterford, Ireland

}}

Fergal Hartley (born 4 February 1972) is an Irish retired hurler who played as a centre-back for the Waterford senior team.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/where-are-they-now-29314024.html|title=Where are they now?|publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=8 October 2014|date=2 June 2013}}

Born in Ballygunner, County Waterford, Hartley first played competitive hurling during his schooling at De La Salle College. He arrived on the inter-county scene when he first linked up with the Waterford minor team, before later joining the under-21 side. He made his senior debut during the 1993 championship. Hartley went on to enjoy a lengthy career and won one Munster medal.

Hartley was a member of the Munster inter-provincial team on a number of occasions. At club level he is a one-time Munster medallist with Ballygunner. In addition to this Hartley has also won eight championship medals.

Throughout his career Hartley made 26 championship appearances for Waterford. After retiring from inter-county hurling in July 2003, he returned to inter-county activity for one more campaign in 2005.{{cite news|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/Waterford/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=41466|title=Hartley comes out of retirement|publisher=Hogan Stand website|accessdate=8 October 2014|date=18 January 2005}} Hartley retired for the second time on 10 January 2006.{{cite news|url=http://www.rte.ie/sport/gaa/hurling/2006/0110/200074-waterford/|title=Hartley retires for the second time|publisher=RTÉ Sport|accessdate=8 October 2014|date=10 January 2006}}

In retirement from playing Hartley became involved in team management and coaching. He spent two years as manager of the Waterford under-21 team, Hartley later took charge of the Ballygunner senior team.

Playing career

=Club=

Hartley played his club hurling with the Ballygunner club in Waterford and has enjoyed much success.

In 1992 Hartley won his first county club championship medal following a 1–12 to 2–7 defeat of Mount Sion. It was the club's first title in twenty-four years.

Ballygunner surrendered their club title the following year, but were back in the final again in 1995 to face Mount Sion. Hartley won his second championship medal that year following a draw and a replay. It was the first of three county final victories in-a-row for Ballygunner, defeating Lismore in 1996 and Passage in 1997.

Four club titles in-a-row proved beyond Ballygunner, however, the club bounced back in 1999 with Hartley winning a fifth county championship medal following a five-point defeat of old rivals Mount Sion.{{cite news|url=http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/1999/09/20/gaahead_271.htm |title=Free for all mars Deise final |publisher=Irish Examiner |accessdate=7 August 2012 |date=20 September 1999 |first=John |last=Murphy |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060207083329/http://archives.tcm.ie/irishexaminer/1999/09/20/gaahead_271.htm |archive-date= 7 February 2006 |df=dmy }}

After a defeat by Mount Sion in the championship decider in 2000, Hartley secured a sixth championship medal in 2001 when Ballygunner accounted for Lismore.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/ballygunner-crowned-kings-332856.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130217211311/http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/ballygunner-crowned-kings-332856.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 February 2013 |title=Ballygunner crowned kings |publisher=Irish Independent |accessdate=7 August 2012 |date=18 September 2001 |first=Vincent |last=Hogan }} He later claimed a Munster winners' medal after his club accounted for Blackrock in the provincial final.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/ballygunner-finally-scale-club-heights-322133.html|title=Ballygunner finally scale club heights|publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=7 August 2012|date=3 December 2001|first=Martin|last=Breheny}}

After the high of winning the provincial title Ballygunner went on to lose three club championship finals in succession. They broke this unenviable record at the fourth attempt with Hartley winning a seventh county championship medal following a 2–10 to 1–12 defeat of De La Salle.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/waterford-flynns-late-magic-keeps-gunners-firing-235978.html|title=Flynn's late magic keeps Gunners firing|publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=7 August 2012|date=17 October 2005}}

Ballygunner lost two further finals in succession before Hartley won his eight championship medal in 2009 following a one-point defeat of Lismore after a draw and a replay.{{cite news|url=http://munster.gaa.ie/2009/10/17/waterford_shc_final_replay/|title=Flynn fires Gunners to glory|publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=7 August 2012|date=17 October 2009}}

=Inter-County=

Hartley first came to prominence on the inter-county scene as a member of the Waterford under-21 teams. In 1992 he won a Munster medal in that grade before later lining out in the All-Ireland final.{{cite web|url=http://munster.gaa.ie/history/u21h_teams/|title=Under-21 Hurling|work=Munster GAA website|accessdate=7 August 2012}} Offaly provided the opposition on that occasion, however, the game ended in a draw. The replay saw Waterford take the title by 0–12 to 2–3 and Hartley collected an All-Ireland under-21 medal.

Flynn's performances at underage levels brought him to the attention of the senior selectors and he made his senior debut in the 1993 championship. It was a less than auspicious start to Hartley's hurling career as Waterford were defeated by the minnows of Kerry in the opening round of the Munster championship.{{cite web|url=http://www.the-kingdom.ie/news/snkfmhgb/ |title=Brick is the foundation for a Kerry victory |date=7 May 2003 |work=The Kingdom |accessdate=7 August 2012 |first=Kerry |last=O'Shea }}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} It was one of the lowest points in Waterford hurling.

In 1998 Hartley played in his first Munster final in the senior grade. Waterford held All-Ireland champions Clare to a draw in the Munster final, however, the Decies lost the replay. Hartley's side later faced Kilkenny in the All-Ireland semi-final in what would be the county's first appearance in Croke Park since 1963. Kilkenny won by a single point.

In 2002 Waterford emerged from the doldrums by reaching the Munster final once again. Hartley was captain as he collected his first Munster winners' medal as Waterford defeated reigning All-Ireland champions Tipperary by 2–23 to 3–12. It was their first provincial crown in thirty-nine years.{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/sport/hurling/waterford-wonders-whip-tipp-with-awesome-display-298042.html|title=Waterford wonders whip Tipp with awesome display|publisher=Irish Independent|accessdate=2 August 2012|date=1 July 2002|first=Martin|last=Breheny}} Waterford's hurling odyssey came to an end in the All-Ireland semi-final.

After surrendering the Munster title to Cork in 2003, Hartley decided to call time on his inter-county career.

In 2005 Hartley had a change of heart and decided to return to the Waterford team for one final season.{{cite news|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/Waterford/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=41466|title=Hartley comes out of retirement|publisher=Hogan Stand website|accessdate=26 November 2012|date=18 January 2005}} It was a disappointing year as Waterford crashed out of the early stages of the provincial championship in 2005 before facing a defeat by Cork in the All-Ireland series.

In January 2006 Hartley announced his retirement from inter-county hurling for the second time.{{cite news|url=http://www.hoganstand.com/Waterford/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=55191|title=Hartley says his final goodbye|publisher=Hogan Stand website|accessdate=26 November 2012|date=10 January 2006}}

=Inter-provincial=

Hartley also unsuccessfully lined out with Munster in the inter-provincial series of games.{{cite web|url=http://munster.gaa.ie/history/railway-cup-hurling/|title=Railway Cup Hurling|work=Munster GAA website|accessdate=7 August 2012}}