A Cork GAA immortal, Ger Fitzgerald's legacy can't be quantified by counting medals

The haul with Midleton is even more impressive, especially considering the circumstances of that bunch of men’s incredible odyssey. At 19 years of age Fitzgerald hit 1-2 in the 1983 Cork County final as the Magpies defeated a four-in-a-row chasing St Finbarr’s side by 1-18 to 2-9. Not bad for a man who up until the previous year knew nothing other than life as a goalkeeper.

Three more county titles followed in 1986, 1987 and 1991. There was a Munster Club title in ’83 while in 1987/88 he hit 4-2 along the way as Midleton were crowned as the kings of Munster again and became the first Cork club other than the Barrs, Glen Rovers and Blackrock to win the All-Ireland Club title. Throw in an U21 county title and the fact that he managed Midleton to championship success in 2021 and you have quite the career.

However, to judge any journey on the medals or that statistics alone misses out on so much, it’s just too reductive. For instance, the games that immediately spring to mind when I think of Fitzgerald are the epic clashes with Tipperary in 1991. Barry’s Tea, Tipperary Water, Jim Cashman, Declan Ryan, lots and lots of goals. When John Fitzgibbon puts Ger Fitz in for Cork’s second goal, he’s little more than a blur to a nine-year old’s eyes in the Blackrock End, but I’ll never forget how the place shook afterwards. Ditto a few minutes later when Tomás Mulcahy helps him to repeat the trick.

Two weeks later in the Old Stand in Thurles I’d a much better view to see him flick the ball past Ken Hogan to put Cork in control of the replay. Tipp turned it around, but with the passage of time, the winning and losing of days like that seems to become less relevant. The memory only really flickers with moments, and landing 3-2 in a truly heavyweight clash speaks volumes of the man.

As does 1-2 in a county final at nineteen years of age. Fitzgerald didn’t have much of an underage career with Cork – he only has one appearance as an U21 in 1984 to his name – but that had as much to do with timing and positioning more than anything else. A shot in the dark saw him called out from his usual position in between the sticks to try and salvage a win for Midleton, two goals meant that his days as a number one were coming to an end. The story that tells is of a man who was willing to serve when called on, a man who just got on with it, whatever the challenge, whatever the outcome. That he captained both his club and county is a testament to that character.

The passage of time may have made us undervalue the significance of Fitzgerald’s achievements with Midleton. Before they made the breakthrough in ’83, the Barrs, the Glen and the Rockies had shared 22 of the previous 25 county championships between them. Only UCC and Avondhu had broken that hegemony, meaning that Sarsfields were the last club team to upset the apple cart in 1957, and before them it was Éire Óg in 1928. Fitzgearld and Midleton paved the way for all that has followed since.

1991 had to be Fitzgerald’s most memorable title. Not only was he captain, but by defeating the Glen, the Magpies had beaten all of the big three on Cork hurling’s biggest day. What made his club success with Midleton all the sweeter was that he shared the joy of three of his county titles and the All-Ireland club title with his father, Paddy, as manager. One would think that a county like Cork would have plenty of fathers and sons with All-Ireland senior medals, but Ger and Paddy are one of only four such hurling combinations.

He had borne the illness that has taken him from his family and friends far too early with immense courage, the type of courage that you hope you never have to find out about. He carried it all through Midleton’s 2021 county championship winning campaign. Not that you’d have known it when speaking to him. He always put his best side out.

As already mentioned, Ger Fitzgerald is one of the immortals of 1990, one of the 35 men who saw action in Croke Park on those glorious first and third Sundays in September 35 long years ago. With his passing, 31 now walk tall amongst us as Fitzgerald joins John Kerins of St Finbarr’s, Mick McCarthy of O’Donovan Rossa and Teddy McCarthy of Sarsfields and Glanmire in a sky full of stars. It all just feels like a moment ago, until it doesn’t.

Ar dheis Dé go raibh a Anam dílis.