Darragh Fitzgibbon

Darragh Fitzgibbon (born 1 April 1997) is an Irish hurler who plays as a midfielder for club side Charleville, divisional side Avondhu, university side University College Cork and at inter-county level with the Cork senior hurling team.

Darragh Fitzgibbon

Personal information
Irish name	Darragh Mac Giobúin
Sport	Hurling
Position	Midfield
Born	(1997-04-01) 1 April 1997 (age 27) Charleville, County Cork, Ireland
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Nickname	Fitzy
Occupation	Primary school teacher
Club(s)*
Years	Club	Apps (scores)
2014-present 2016 2017-2018	Charleville → Avondhu → UCC	11 (2-95) 1 (0-00) 7 (1-25)
Club titles
Cork titles	0
Colleges(s)
Years	College
	University College Cork
College titles
Fitzgibbon titles	2
Inter-county(ies)**
Years	County	Apps (scores)
2017-present	Cork	39 (4-75)
Inter-county titles
Munster titles	2
All-Irelands	0
NHL	0
All Stars	1
* club appearances and scores correct as of 21:33, 6 June 2024. **Inter County team apps and scores correct as of 21:33, 7 July 2024.

Playing career

CBS Charleville

Fitzgibbon first came to prominence as a hurler with C.B.S. Charleville. Having played hurling in every grade during his time at the school, he usually lined out in the forwards on the senior team in the Harty Cup.^[1]

University College Cork

On 23 February 2019, Fitzgibbon lined out at left corner-forward for University College Cork when they faced Mary Immaculate College in the Fitzgibbon Cup final. He scored a point from play in the 2-21 to 0-13 victory.^[2]

Fitzgibbon played in a second successive Fitzgibbon Cup final on 12 February 2020. Lining out at midfield, he ended the game with a second successive winners' medal after scoring two points from play in the 0-18 to 2-11 defeat of the Institute of Technology, Carlow.^[3]

Charleville

Fitzgibbon joined the Charleville club at a young age and played in all grades at juvenile and underage levels. On 7 June 2014, he made his adult debut in a 0-20 to 0-14 defeat of Milford in the intermediate championship. Charleville subsequently reached the final, however, they lost to Fermoy by a single point.^[4] Charleville qualified for a second successive final in 2015, with Fitzgibbon scoring 1-09 and claiming a winners' medal in a 5-24 to 1-10 defeat of Dripsey.^[5]

After three years in the Premier Intermediate Championship, Charleville qualified for the 2018 final against Courcey Rovers. After an initial draw, Fitzgibbon collected a winners' medal in this grade after a 0-15 to 0-14 win in the replay.^[6]

Cork

Minor and under-21

Fitzgibbon first played for Cork at minor level in 2015, however, his sole season in the grade ended without success with a defeat by Limerick.^[7] On 23 June 2016, Fitzgibbon made his first appearance for the Cork under-21 hurling team in a seven-point defeat by Limerick.^[8] He also played in Cork's unsuccessful championship campaign in 2017. On 4 July 2018, Fitzgibbon won a Munster medal after leaving the field injured in Cork's 2-23 to 1-13 defeat of Tipperary in the final.^[9] On 26 August 2018, he scored a point in Cork's 3-13 to 1-16 All-Ireland final defeat by Tipperary in what was his last game in the grade.^[10] Fitzgibbon was later nominated for the Team of the Year.^[11]

Senior

Fitzgibbon made his senior debut for Cork on 11 February 2017 in a National League defeat of Clare, before making his first championship start later that season in a Munster Championship quarter-final against Tipperary.^[12][13] Fitzgibbon was a regular starter for Cork's subsequent championship games. On 9 July 2017, he won his first Munster medal following a 1-25 to 1-20 defeat of Clare in the final.^[14]

On 1 July 2018, Fitzgibbon won a second successive Munster medal following a 2-24 to 3-19 defeat of Clare in the final.^[15] At the end of the championship he was named on The Sunday Game Team of the Year.^[16] Fitzgibbon ended the season by winning an All-Star Award while he was also a Young Hurler of the Year nominee.^[17][18]

Fitzgibbon won his second All Star at the end of the 2024 season.^[19]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 8 September 2024.

Team	Year	Cork IHC		Munster		All-Ireland		Total
		Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score
Charleville	2014	2	0-03	—		—		2	0-03
	2015	4	1-24	—		—		4	1-24
	Total	6	1-27	—		—		6	1-27
	Year	Cork PIHC		Munster		All-Ireland		Total
		Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score
	2016	3	1-15	—		—		3	1-15
	2017	4	0-24	—		—		4	0-24
	2018	6	2-27	2	0-15	2	0-16	10	2-58
	Total	13	3-66	2	0-15	2	0-16	17	3-97
	Year	Cork SHC		Munster		All-Ireland		Total
		Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score
	2019	2	0-30	—		—		2	0-30
	Total	2	0-30	—		—		2	0-30
	Year	Cork SAHC		Munster		All-Ireland		Total
		Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score
	2020	5	2-51	—		—		5	2-51
	Total	5	2-51	—		—		5	2-51
	Year	Cork PSHC		Munster		All-Ireland		Total
		Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score
	2021	4	2-35	—		—		4	2-35
	2022	4	0-25	—		—		4	0-25
	2023	1	0-05	—		—		1	0-05
	2024	3	0-17	—		—		3	0-17
	Total	12	2-82	—		—		12	2-82
Career total		38	8-256	2	0-15	2	0-16	42	8-287

Division

As of match played 1 September 2018.

Team	Year	Cork SHC
		Apps	Score
Avondhu	2016	1	0-00
University College Cork	2017	5	0-16
	2018	2	1-09
Career total		8	1-25

Inter-county

As of 7 July 2024.

Team	Year	National League			Munster		All-Ireland		Total
		Division	Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score	Apps	Score
Cork	2017	Division 1A	4	0-06	3	0-02	1	0-01	8	0-09
	2018		4	0-05	5	0-10	1	0-04	10	0-19
	2019		1	0-00	4	0-06	2	0-04	7	0-10
	2020		4	0-05	0	0-00	1	0-00	5	0-05
	2021		4	0-10	1	0-03	4	0-03	9	0-16
	2022		6	2-13	4	2-03	2	1-06	12	5-22
	2023		0	0-00	4	1-11	—		4	1-11
	2024		2	1-01	4	0-14	3	0-08	9	1-23
Career total			25	3-40	25	3-49	14	1-26	64	7-115

Honours

University College Cork

• Fitzgibbon Cup (2): 2019, 2020

Charleville

• Cork Senior A Hurling Championship (1): 2020
• Munster Intermediate Club Hurling Championship (1): 2018
• Cork Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship (1): 2018
• Cork Intermediate Hurling Championship (1): 2015
• Cork Under-21 B Football Championship (1) 2018
• North Cork Under-21 Hurling Championship (2) 2016, 2017

Cork

• Munster Senior Hurling Championship (2): 2017, 2018
• Munster Under-21 Hurling Championship (1): 2018

Awards

• GAA GPA All Stars Awards (2): 2018, 2024
• The Sunday Game Team of the Year (2): 2018, 2024

References

1. Hurley, Denis (15 October 2014). "Plan starts to come together for the AG". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
2. "Fitzgibbon Cup final: UCC in a different class". Hogan Stand. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
3. Farrell, Sinéad (12 February 2020). "14-man UCC come from 6 points down to win Fitzgibbon Cup final against IT Carlow". The 42. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
4. "Shanahan fires Fermoy to glory". Irish Examiner. 27 October 2014. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
5. Moynihan, Michael (26 October 2015). "Glory cruise for Charleville". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
6. O'Callaghan, Therese (30 October 2018). "Charleville back in the big time as Courceys held at bay". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
7. O'Callaghan, Therese (2 July 2015). "Limerick minors deliver late knockout to Cork". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
8. "All-Ireland holders Limerick overrun Cork U21s". Irish Examiner. 28 June 2016. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
9. Cormican, Eoghan (5 July 2018). "Cork outclass Tipperary on home soil to end 11-year Munster U21 hurling crown wait". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
10. "Injury time drama as late Tipperary goal secures All-Ireland U21 victory over Cork". Irish Independent. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
11. "Cork, Tipperary and Galway lead the way as U21 Team of the Year nominees released". Hogan Stand. 6 September 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2018.
12. "Kieran Kingston hands league debuts to five U21s in new-look Cork side". The 42. 10 February 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
13. Moran, Seán (22 May 2017). "Cork's youthful cast knocks Tipperary off the stage in dazzling show". Irish Times. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
14. "Cork victorious over Clare in Munster hurling final". Irish Examiner. 9 July 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
15. Clerkin, Malachy (1 July 2018). "Cork quietly collect another Munster title as Clare crumble". Irish Times. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
16. "Limerick rule in The Sunday Game team of the year". RTÉ Sport. 20 August 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
17. "All Star hurling nominees: 15 Limerick players in contention". Hogan Stand. 13 September 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
18. "Treaty lead the way with six hurling All-Stars". RTÉ Sport. 2 November 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
19. "Conroy and O'Donnell scoop Player of the Year awards". RTÉ News. 1 November 2024. Retrieved 2 November 2024.

External links

• Darragh Fitzgibbon profile Archived 21 August 2017 at the Wayback Machine at the Cork GAA website