Patsy Fitzgerald
The term Laogh aptly describes Patsy and his exploits
in the sporting fields of
While Patsy was no mean hurler himself, he never
attained the status if his father. He
played at midfield in 1956, when Glengoole captured their first Divisional
Junior title in
defeating Clonmore/Killea by a one
point margin and it was a crucial goal by man of the match Fitzgerald that led
to the victory.
At a time when there was a very close allegiance
between the GAA and athletics he really made his name. In 1946 the young Fitzgerald took the scene
by storm, when, as a wiry 17 year-old, he captured his first senior All
The foregoing is the
accreditation which was part of a presentation made to Patsy Fitzgerald by then GAA President
Nicky Brennan in 2008. It’s a nice
summary of the man’s achievements and his status in Tipperary Sporting
Folklore. Photograph
The Beginning
Patsy Fitzgerald from Poynstown, Glengoole is remembered as one of the best athletes
that
Midway through the race he was running alongside team mate, Patsy Carroll, and asked the more
experienced athlete would they be going any quicker. Carroll replied 'I can’t
anyhow, and they won’t go any quicker; can you' ? Patsy replied
“I can run faster” and he took off and
gradually reeled in the field to achieve an historic win by 200 yards, a great feat for a teenager. Imagine
his father's surprise that night when he tuned into Radio Eireann
to hear the race result and see how neighbour Tom Fitzgerald fared. However,
the announcer regaled the merits of the young Patsy and his dad found it
difficult to believe!
A correspondent under the pen-name 'Galteemore"
writing in the Clonmel Nationalist on April 13 th. 1946 acclaimed his achievement thus
“ Magnificent
Tipperary; These famous words came to our mind on seeing the blue clad
boys of Tiobraid Arann
sweep forward to victory in the senior All Ireland cross-country
championship at Mount Merrion, Dublin. They had
seven men in the first eight to finish the gruelling course, since the race the
bold facts of the race have been told and re-told throughout the country. There
were exciting scenes at the finish as the
Photograph
He then decided to change his allegiance from the NACA(I)
to the AAU and joined the recently affiliated Coolcroo
club. Patsy and the club made their debut in the AAU All Ireland in a snow covered
course
A long abiding memory Patsy has of that race was when the athletes came back to
tog in in nearby public house, Tom Healy (team
manager and Irish mile champion in 1941) had a number of pints of ‘Guinness’
waiting to quench their thirst. Although a non-drinker, Patsy could see Tom's
appreciation of their efforts.
During his career Patsy
Fitzgerald won 34 All Ireland gold medals individual and team He won several Co
Tipperary championship medals on track and cross country, AAU & NACA(I). He
won seven All Ireland Senior Cross Counrty titles including five in a row, On the track he did not race very much .
However when he did he was also successful winning Irish titles over 3 miles and 10 miles beating the best track athletes of that period in the process.
He represented
He was a member of teams that
consisted of such great Irish runners as his club mates Jerry Kiely, Paddy Fahey, Jimmy Sweeney, Tom Fitzgerald, John
Caesar, Larry Donnelly; Steve McCooke, (East Antrim),
John Joe Barry (Tipperary), Kevin Maguire (Donore
Hrs), Michael O'Connell (Clonliffe &
Clare), Charlie Owens and John Diamond (Co. Mayo.
INTERNATIONAL CROSS COUNTRY APPEARANCES WITH
1947: At Hippodrome de St.Cloud, Paris on
Sunday 30th March: 14.5 km.
1948: At Leighton Park,
1949: Baldoyle Racecourse,
1950: Hippodrome
1951: Caerleon Racecourse,
1952:
Olympic Prospect
In 1952 Patsy won the All
When his AAU days came to an end Patsy Fitzgerald
returned to the NACA and joined the Ballincurry club
winning county and All Ireland Senior cross country titles.
Athletics Training in the 1940’s
Speaking on training methods during the 1940's Patsy Fitzgerald remembers the
hard work of the period with farmers up early milking cows, working all day in
the gardens, ploughing and tilling with horses and the other farm chores before
mechanisation.. It was the age of compulsory tillage
in
Patsy Fitzgerald was one of the "natural" athletes of his era
and his training methods to-day would be considered inadequate and unorthodox but
for the
Patsy remembers, with fondness, his association with the Healy family of Coolcroo, and the influence they had on his running career.
Also he has fond memories of the famous Billy Morton of Clonliffe
Harriers and the inspiration behind the construction of Morton Stadium in
What If
Speaking to Patsy about his
career was an absolute pleasure. His
recall of the events of the time, including the people he came in contact with
is still crystal clear and the pleasure he got from the whole athletic
experience still shines through.
He is quite happy with his
achievements and had no regrets. However
I got the impression that he wonders what he could have achieved had he really
put his mind to it and made an effort to achieve the Olympic qualifying time or
accepted the opportunity to go to the
After his athletic career he
got involved in flying, being the holder of a pilots licence He also spent some time
training greyhounds. His flying career,
which was purely a hobby, was with the Central Flying Group, Thurles. On the day of the official launch of the club
Minister Charlie Haughey was on hand to do the
honours. The whole thing went fine
including a lunch in Hayes Hotel with the Minister. The only thing missing was an aeroplane.
Press Coverage
The press of the time carried
such headlines as - "Fitzgerald and Coolcroo
show the way"; "Is Tipp Youth, Fitzgerald 'Another Barry'";
"Another Tipperary Victory - Barry Outshone By
Fitzgerald"; "Fitzgerald Takes All Ireland Cross-Country
Championship". On one occasion he
was photographed on the front page of The Irish Independent after an All
Below are
some of the press cutting.
Thirteen teams representing
twelve counties will contest the All-Ireland Junior Cross-Country Championship (NACA)
at Ballinasloe on Sunday when “another Barry” may
come to light
The man referred to is P.
Fitzgerald, who hails from the same
Tipperary are confident of
retaining the championship, but they will have their work cut out to do so, for
Galway, who will have the advantage of being on home ground. Clare,
The tussle for individual honours should be interesting,
though if P. Fitzgerald is as good as we are led to believe it will probably be a case of who
will be second. The
The race it timed to start at
The stations and teams are as
follows
No 1:- Monaghan. J. Curley, J. Gormley, M. Fitzsimons, P. Pritchard, A.Reid, M McNally
J. Todd, H McKenna. L. Todd, P. McKernan,
M. McKenna, M Curley.
Subs. N Todd and J Skinnader
No 2:-
No 3 Mayo J. Diomand, M Dunleary J. Nihill, M. McEllin, J Conboy, E Horan
P. Forde,
J Walsh, M Gibbons J. Slogan
No 4
No 5
Westmeath. C Brennan, J Leavy, P Jordan,
D Devine, T Gaye, J Flynn,
C Gorman, Lieut McGonigal, S Boylan, A Boylan, Pte
Walsh, Pte McGovern Subs.
Sgt Byrne, Pte
Carty. T Keogh
No 6
No 7
Meath. P Daly, P Maguire. M Monaghan, F Maguire, P Walsh,
J Swan, D Darby, W Byrne, P McGuinness, L
Daly, P Reid, P Monaghan, D Subs P
Kelly, P Crosbie, T
Regan
No 8 Limerick L Hurley, t
Cahill, M O’Brien, M Fitzgerald,
P Dineen,
M Burke, T McCann, J Brodrick, J Fitzgerald
No 9 Dublin P
McMahon, B Bell, J Corcoran,
J Butler, P Collery,
J Hayden, Cpl Keoghr
McLoone, P
Dwyer, P Molumby, W Worrell,
A Nulty,
Subs Sgt Ryan, P Farrell, L Monahan
No 10
Tipperary, P. Fitzgrald, T Fitzgerald,, D Kennedy, M Kelly, M
Cleary, P Leatham,
P Flaherty, P Sheedy, M Barrett, M Doheny
J. Caeser, M Moloney Subs T Treacy, W Sparrow
D Noonan
No 11 Clare, W Carey, J McGrath,
M O’Connell, P Cummins, B Nash,
M Murphy, C McInerney, K O’Gorman, J Collins, M Talty, J Rynne, J Halpin
No 12 Antrim. C McCavock, C
O’Hare, D Mulvenna, D McBride,
P McCabe, H Crilly, W Walsh,
G Coulter, W.G. Mckee J McCann, J Delaney,
P Walsh Subs J Rafferty,
H McKee, J McCann
No 13 Offaly A Dooley, P
Matthews, M Powell, T Murphy, M Parlow, J
Morrissey, G Warrell, T Bergin,
P Bannon,
P. O’Brien. T Brereton, J Mulrooney Subs, J
Dooley, J.J.Hayes
J Rogers
Fitzgerald Helps
Fitzgerald then became leader
and running beautifully, had a lead 150 yards entering the last lap. Adverse
weather conditions made the going difficult, the race being run in heavy snow
showers. Nevertheless. 98 of the 130 who competed from 13
counties finished the course,
Individual:-
1. P. Fitzgerald,
2. J. Dimond,
Mayo.
3 P Leathem
4. J Cogan
5. A.
Dooley, Offaly.
6. J. Stevenson,
Time 21mins 59secs
Teams:-
1.
2
3
Coolcroo ”Ran Away" With A.A.U. Championship
Running barefoot, over a nine
miles snow-covered course, Coolcroo Athletic Club had
a runaway victory in the A.A.U. Senior Cross-Country Championship at Finglas,
Supplying the winner in the
person of Patsy Fitzgerald, and finishing seven men in the first twelve, Coolcroo completed a notable double, having won the Six
Counties A.A.A. Junior Championship at
FITZGERALD'S GREAT WIN
L. Donnelly (Coolcroo), K. Maguire (the ex-Army runner, now of Donore Harriers), P. Haughey,
also of Donore, and John Caesar (Coolcroo)
ran abreast throughout the major portion of the race, Patsy Fitzgerald being
content to remain behind. But he forged ahead with Maguire, entering the last
lap, and going up the "straight" they were neck and neck. It was only
in the last forty or fifty yards that Fitzgerald got his chest in front to, win
a great race. Fitzgerald ran well within
himself throughout the race He finished
very fresh in sharp contract to Maguire
Though Maguire was only two seconds behind he was well spent and
collapsed after crossing the line.
On Saturday, March 9th, Fitzprald will meet
PLACINGS AND TIMES
1—P.
Fitzgerald. Coolcroo- 54mins. 3secs
2—K.
Maguire, Donore-54 mins. 5 secs.
3—L. Donnelly, Coolcroo-54
min 6 sees.
4—P. Haughey, Donore-54 mins. 12 secs
5—T.
Fitzgerald, Cooloroo, 54 mins. 31 secs.
6—J.
Caesar, Coolcroo-54 mins. 33 secs.
7—J.Sweeney Coolcroo-55 mins. 23secs
8—L.
Fanning, Coolcroo-56 mins. 10 secs.
9—G. Smyth,
Donore-56 mins. 28 sees. '
10—W. B.
Powell, Dublin University-56 mins.30secs.
11—J. Crossan,
Civil Service-56 mins 46 secs.
12--D. Kennedy, Coolcroo-56 mins. 46 secs.
Team Placings
I—Coolcroo
(1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8)-30 points.
2—Donore
(2, 4, 9, 17, 19, 22) -73
3—Clonliffe
12, 13, 14, 15, 18, 20 -92
4—Civil Service 10, 16, 24, 26, 30, 32 -138
5—Clonliffe
“B” 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39 -216
Fitzgerald Takes Cross Country Championship
Former international runner,
Patsy Fitzgerald, of
His success, which was his second in the
championship, the other being scored in 1946 at Mount Merrion,
was most decisive , and once he shook off his county man, Sean Hayden, going
into the final, two and a quarter mile, lap he was never in danger of being
beaten.
His time of 43 minutes 35 seconds, for the 9
miles, speaks for his immaculate display, which was witnessed by one of the
largest attendances, at this event, for several years. It gave him a twenty seconds advantage,
without having to extend himself, over Hayden and was 5 minutes 6 seconds faster
than that returned by last year’s winner, Willie Morris of
Fitzgerald and Hayden led
The
All-Ireland junior champion Paddy Killeen of
Dublin, who was expected to be the real danger to Fitzgerald, had to be content
with sixth position, but did exceptionally well in this class field of tried
and tested runners. At 19 he is almost
certain to have his turn in the near future.
Kildare pair of individual entries, Andy Fitzsimons and Kelly set a
cracking pace and were the early leaders. Fitzgerald and
Next time round Fitzgerald and Hayden were
running side by side with
At the
bell Fitzgerald pulled slightly ahead of Hayden with Andy Monaghan, second two
years ago, now in third position and the
SENIOR 9 MILES
Individual Placings:- 1. P Fitzgerald
Team Placings 1
6, 7, 23,
27, 44, 49
156pts , 5 Clare 17, 25, 26, 29 30, 35
162pts Incomplete Wexford
MAGNIFICENT
(By GALTEEMORE)
A correspondent under the
pen-name 'Galteemore" writing in the Clonmel Nationalist on April 13 th. 1946 acclaimed the achievement of winning the
All Ireland thus ' Magnificent Tipperary; These famous words came
to our mind on seeing the blue clad boys of Tiobraid Arann sweep forward to victory in the senior All
Ireland cross-country championship at Mount Merrion,
Dublin. They had seven men in the first eight to finish the gruelling
course, since the race the bold facts of the race have been told and re-told
throughout the country. There were exciting scenes at the finish as the
Glengoole Ablaze
For Victors Homecoming
A Correspondent writes:-
Glengoole was ablaze to welcome Patsy
Fitzgerald home after his magnificent win, The car which brought Patsy and Tom
from Thurles was met outside the village by a large
crowd of men, women and children, young and old, and the two were carried
shoulder high through the village which was lit up by the fires on the
surrounding hills There were bonfires near the hall where a great welcome
awaited them. Patsy did certainly create a surprise by winning the National
Senior in such a convincing fashion. He
surely proved the dark horse of the trace by beating, and beating well, all
those fancied and likely to win He was considered far too young, by
the judges, for such a long distance race. His club mate Tom never doubted him
as a winner and must be congratulated on standing down to let Patsy bring
individual honours to
Coo1croo Show The
Way
C00LCROO A.C., winners of the
Junior Championship at
The Co. Tipperary Club
supplied the individual winner in P. Fitzgerald, who won the Junior
Championship at
Were it not .that Maguire and
Haughey (the ex-Army men,) who. last year were first
and second respectively when running under the colours of the Bro,wnstown (Co.
Kildare) Club, finished amongst the Coolcroo team,
the latter might have scored the minimum number of points.
As it was, their total of 30 points would have beaten a team composed of
all the other clubs in the race.
Although the snow did not
fall during the race, the ground was well covered, and the nine miles proved a
very severe test.
INDIVIDUAL
PLACINGS.
I. P.
Fitzgerald (Coolcroo), 54 mins.
3 secs
2. K.
Maguire (Donore), 54 mins. 5 Sees.
3 Donnelly (Coolcroo), 54 mins. 6 secs.
4 P. Haughey (Donore),
54 mins 12 sees.
5 T. Fitzgerald (Coolcroo), 54 mins. 31 sees.
6 J. Caesar (Coolcroo), 54 mins. 38
secs.
7 J. Sweeney (Coolcroo), 55 mins 23 secs
8 J. Fanning (Coolcroo),
56 mins. 10 secs.
9 G. Smyth (Donore), 56' mins. 28
10 W. B. Powell (
11 J. Crossan (Civil, Service), 56 mins 45 secs
12 D. Kennedy (Coolcroo), 56mins. 46 secs.
TEAM
PLACINGS.
1 Coolcroo- 1, 3, 5, 6, 7,
8 30pts
2 Donore-2, 4, 9, 17, 19, 22 73 points.
3 Clonliffe-12, 13, q4, 15, 18, 20 92 points
Tipp. Youth's
Double
P Fitzgerald (Gortnahoe) a 17year old youth won the Co. Tipperary junior
cross-country title. at Coolquill
from a field of 100. He had won the novice title three weeks previously. M.
Kelly (Coolquill) was second, and M. Clery (Moneygall). third.
Team placings-
1, Coolquill (63 pts.)
2. Moneygall
(65);
3, Tobberadora
(123)
4, Ballincurry
(164);
5, Nenagh (282).
Patsy Fitzgerald
At a function in Thurles, Mr Michael Guinan,
Chairman of Tipperary B.L.E. made a presentation to Patsy Fitzgerald, Gortnahoe, who was chosen Tipperary Athlete of the Past for
1983. In making the presentation, Mr Guinan said that Patsy Fitzgerald's- was truly a fairytale
story. He added:
It was 1946 in Gortnahoe that he ran his first cross country race — the
county novice. He duly won it and followed that with a win in the junior — a
fine performance but nothing extraordinary. Next, he traveled
to
The following year, he joined
the Healys of Coolcroo who
were then competing with the A.A.U. He won the All-Ireland junior in
Patsy Fitzgerald Honoured
At the recent Tipperary Co.
Board BLE/BLOE: dinner, Patsy Fitzgerald was honoured as the "Tipperary
Athlete of the Past." The national president of BLE,
Rev. Fr. O'Donnell. travelled all the way from
Patsy’s list of achievements
was so outstanding that they were almost incredible. At the age of 17 he won
the All-Ireland youths, novice and senior cross-country titles all in the one year.
For the next ten years he won the All-Ireland cross-country title on a regular
basis as well as many track titles. He also represented
Our congratulations, then, to
Patsy on this great and well deserved honour
Acknowledgments
Our thanks to Jimmy Fogarty, Two Mile Borris & to Moycarkey Coolcroo Athletic Club for the provision of lots of
material
To Patsy Fitzgerald and his
wife Eileen for
their co operation and for making memorabilia available.
Compiled by Jerry Lyons For
Queries and comments to info@tipperaryathletics.com