Waterford
Overview: Waterford city is notable, historically, for being the port through which King Henry V embarked on his conquest of Ireland. Like the fierce Viking warriors that built and occupied the city then, Waterford hurlers are reputed for their inability to win when it actually matters. They can decimate the fiercest of foes in exhibition matches and inconsequential league games, but pit them in a championship contest against the likes of lowly Limerick and they fall to pieces.
Nickname: The Deise (Day-Shu, emphasis on the Day)
It sounds like a nonsense word, but the Deise were a Nordic tribe that occupied the region in the pre-British era and built Waterford city. This is also why Waterford sometimes uses a Viking character as a mascot.
American Comparison: The pre-2004 Boston Red Sox; the Philadelphia Eagles. They’re good enough that they’re always contending for the highest championship, but they always fall short. An actual win would make grown men weep for the generations that passed on without seeing it happen.
Colors/Jerseys: White and Blue
Rivals: It goes without saying that the teams in Munster all consider themselves to be rivals. 140 odd years of inter-county competition will do that. In recent years, the Deise have beaten or been beaten by Clare, Limerick and Tipperary in pivotal matches, and there’s no lack of competitive will there. That said, any one of those teams would go hoarse screaming to see the others beat the hell out of Cork.
Waterford also has a bit of rivalry with perpetual Leinster whipping-boy Wexford, with whom they share a border. The root of this one seems to be primarily geographic, though it’s possible they’re harboring a sort “there can be only one” resentment against another “W” county (their feelings on Wicklow are unclear).
Sponsor: YOP (Yogurt)
Notable Players: Eoin Kelly: A former captain and the team’s leading scorer during the ill-fated 2008 All-Ireland Championship run, Kelly shares a name with an equally notable hurler in Tipperary. Articles written about matches between the two teams are an exercise in creative pronoun invention.
Dan Shanahan: He’s “Dan” to Waterford people, the last name entirely extraneous. Dan may be the best hurler in all of Ireland, and he’s been recognized as such on numerous occasions (he received three different “hurler of the year” awards in 2007). He’s a sensitive sort, we must conclude, because he’s whined that nasty fans have kept him from brining his kids to matches (though, see the photo and appreciate that this is only a real fear when they’re losing).
Coach Davy Fitzgerald: He presumably took the coaching gig after he got bored serving as the model for the leprechaun in the Lucky Charms commercials. On camera, the man appears to stand all of 5 foot 2, but he’s got a reputation as a no-nonsense coach who gets results. He steered the Deise to the All-Ireland championship during his first partial season in 2008, and he’s under intense scrutiny in 2009 to see if he can do it again (and, you know, win this time).
Stadium: Walsh Park, Waterford; Fraher Field, Dungarvan
Frequency of televised matches: Often
Relevant websites: www.upthedeise.com
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