TWO MUNSTER SEASONS, still unbeaten after seven provincial games, one medal in his back pocket and the chance to collect a second on Sunday in Thurles.
It’s only just over 13 months since Darragh Fitzgibbon stepped into the Munster senior championship arena for the first time but the midfielder has made quite the impact for Cork.
After three wins on the bounce last summer in Munster, Cork avoided any losses in the novel round-robin series in 2018 and are back aiming to repeat last July’s feat in taking down Clare next Sunday.
After being pushed into the spotlight during an excellent opening campaign, he has sought to savour this season more.
“It’s all been a bit of a blur, really,” says Fitzgibbon.
“It all happened so fast I suppose. It was unexpected to get the call-up after minor. They showed their faith in us, they’ve instilled a lot of belief and confidence in us in the senior set-up.”
“Last year it all just went so fast. Being the first year you’re a bit nervous and you just want to go out, get on the ball and not make a mistake really. This year I’m just enjoying it a bit more, there’s a bit more freedom.
“I think the players are just encouraging us a bit more, to just get more involved, just have a bit more of a say I suppose.”
Fitzgibbon’s influence in Cork’s play has become more pronounced in recent weeks as they have negotiated their provincial hurdles.
He posted 0-3 in the opening day win over Clare and bagged 0-4 in the pulsating draw against Limerick. Ben O’Connor, his club manager at home in Charleville, and twin brother Jerry were natural players to admire when he was younger and Fitzgibbon’s dynamic style of midfield is similar to their exploits.
“When you’re living so close to them, it was all about them where I was from, with all the success they were having so. Being involved with the club set-up has been massive.
“They would have been players all of us would have looked up to when we were younger.”
Sunday is the start of an intense schedule for Fitzgibbon with another Munster final looming large next Wednesday night as Cork take on Tipperary in the Bord Gáis Energy Munster U21 hurling championship.
It was similar last week when he faced Waterford at U21 level just over 72 hours after taking them on in the senior grade.
“It is tough but it’s hugely enjoyable. As a player you want to be playing in as many matches as you can. It’s a new format, less training, more matches so I’m really enjoying it so far.
“On Wednesday I’ve a Munster final but you can’t really think about it because we’ve another one on Sunday, so it is difficult but it’s a good complaint as well.
“We just love playing matches and the performance has been enjoyable and the more matches the better.”
Fitzgibbon has his own personal cause fuelling his drive to shine in the U21 showdown. He starred in last July’s semi-final win over Waterford at that level but was shown a red card in injury-time and had to watch on for the subsequent final loss to Limerick.
“I felt disappointed last year, felt I maybe let the lads down. (it was) stupid to get sent-off and miss a Munster final. So to have another opportunity again this year and just delighted to be able to play again.”
He’ll train the focus on Sunday first of all. Cork attempt to land back-to-back Munster senior crowns since they last managed that in 2005-06. Clare are aiming to end a barren 20-year spell. The stakes are high.
“There’s been massive atmospheres at all the games. The Limerick fans are really good to travel, so are the Cork fans, and so are the Clare fans.
“There’s nothing going to be between Clare (and ourselves). They’ve improved a lot since Round 1, and we’re just ready to go really.”
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Just a few bounces of the ball between them on the day
Kerry scored more goals than points in the second half.
Two bloody Turkey shoots today.
So that’s Dublin Mayo and Kerry have beaten teams by over 25 points. can anyone ever remember a season such beatings were given out. People can say what you want but the gap is widening between the top counties.
I think Monaghan and Galway are getting close, and even cork would have faired better if they didn’t have a 6 day turn around against Kildare, tipp could grow into a team that could cause problems for bigger teams.
Mayo are not a top county. They have won nothing
They have won their last 5 provincials.
They’re in the top 3 at the moment regardless of silverware. If you think otherwise you don’t know much about football.
Cork had a 7 day turnaround.
Bit harsh. They’ve been at semi final or final stage nearly every year in recent history. As a Dub I think they could push us very hard if we meet towards end August
Time to split the county into two teams. It’s unfair for one county to have that level of resources and be that dominant. Oh wait, this isn’t an article about Dublin. My bad. I’ll come back later
Just abolish the sport and sell Croke Park to the FAI. GAA was always a poor concept. It’s just a rip-off of football and rugby.
Good one beano. See you in the Dublin thread :)
Rugby is a direct rip off of soccer
Time to take on board Jim McGuinness’s ideas about the championship reform?
It has to be done. Only 5 teams have a chance of reaching the semi-finals with the quality they have despite the fact they train at exactly the same intensity as players of other teams that haven’t got a chance. The GAA will turn into a borefest every year if something is not done.
The only team I would like to see challenge for the title is Monaghan. They’ve definitely been up and coming the last number of years.
Was just thinking the same. Teams just do not go out with self-belief. Once the bubble is burst the gap in ability is exposed hugely.
Monaghan are useless aswell…..barely got past kildare last year and hammered by the dubs. Donegal are way below par this year and still beat galway out the gate and werent far off a near 100% monaghan in the ulster final. Would be good to see but just cant see it…
Kildare have more than enough resources in terms of playing population etc to be putting up better shows than that.
Class Kerry team but Kildare just lost their heads after the first soft goal. Their blanket defence and counter attacking sapped Kildares confidence in the first half.
Go on the Kerry
At least Kerry and Dublin play proper football !!!!
Even though mayo have not won an All Ireland in the past few years they also play nice style of attacking football.
past few years ? more like 60 years ..although I would like to see mayo win if not Dublin.
And the production line rolls on!
Huge gulf opening up between the top 4 teams in the country and the rest of the counties. Dublin, Kerry, Donegal and Mayo are miles ahead. Time for a change or new ideas
Why do people insist on putting donegal in that top 4?
Romeo because Jimmy is winning matches!
Because they’ve been to the semi finals or finals for the last 4/5 years??
Maybe because Donegal have beaten the other 3 teams in the Top 4 over the last 3 years, not many other teams outside the Top 4 can say that!
And Monaghan.
Donegal have been in the spotlight more than any team this season. Quite right – class oozing through the team. Those goals yesterday were top drawer against a Galway team on a role.
Best player in the country too – MacNiallas or Murphy? Who to pick?
Truly awful championship rumbles on to an embarrassing conclusion. It’s basically a series of challenge matches to the semis now. Most counties are just pretending now. With rugby and soccer providing far more entertainment and an actual contest the GAA is a dying brand now. A decade more of this should do it IMO.
Oh please people have been saying the GAA is going to die out soon since Italia 90, and yet here it is. As if soccer is providing more of a contest, there’s only been 4 teams who have won the Premier league in the last 20 years, and as for rugby the world cup it’s usually confined to about 4/5 teams that can realistically win the competition there’s quite a few one sided New Zealand v Tonga style matches before you get to the business end of that tournament as well.
the GAA is not dyin and I would agree with Fiachras points about other sports. I think what people want to see is more competitive games throughout the season.
Fiachra29 what you so conveniently forgot to mention is that soccer and rugby are professional sports and while the trophies may end up at a small few clubs the entertainment value is light yrs ahead. I’m talking about an amateur organisation (GAA) that has allowed county boards to remain in power and it is power btw but have done absolutely nothing to grow the game. Kerry people aren’t genetically superior to Wicklow people but Kerry have 30 something all Ireland’s while Wicklow have never won a provincial title. Why is that fiachra? I’m watching another hammering taking place in croke park today the 4th in 4 this weekend. A year of hammerings but fiachra you hang in there by all means i prefer a bit of a contest.
Definitely not dying. Prior to 2013 there were five seperate winners five years in a row, Tyrone, Kerry, Cork, Dublin, Donegal. As well as that, in the past say twenty five years we’ve had huge varies as to who wins with teams like Derry and Galway winning. They’re always changing too, Monaghan are stepping up to Donegal’s spot, who took Tyrone’s spot like Mayo took over from Cork. Dublin and Kerry seem to be the only two consistently good teams
Remember similar things being said about the GAA being dead when Kerry were winning all round them in the late 70′s early 80′s.
John there was nothing convenient about my not mentioning the fact that those sports are professional, I simply compared the GAA to those sports because I was replying to your comment in which you drew a comparison between the competitiveness in those sports.
And I wouldn’t say that soccer and rugby is lightyears ahead in terms of entertainment although today’s showing is poor, Cork v Kerry and Donegal v Monaghan played decent matches this year for example. There’s loads of of boring soccer and rugby matches being played every year, but there’s such a big volume of matches in those sports being played in comparison to GAA that it’s easier to sweep the crap games under the carpet. I remember last year switching on the Netherlands v Argentina in the world cup semi-final last year and being bored out of my mind watching it.
It’s a matter of debate as to whether the autonomy afforded to county boards is a good thing, but the success of teams like Donegal, Monaghan and Armagh out of nowhere in recent years shows it is possible if they get their act together. What do you want the GAA to do about poorly performing county boards? I don’t see FIFA interfering in the likes of Mexico or Russia massive countries with huge soccer playing populations that consistently under perform at major tournaments.
I do think a new championship format is needed to allow more competitive games I like the GPA proposals, but I completely disagree with your points that the GAA is dying and their sports are inherently less entertaining.
Fiachra 29 I want the top brass in the GAA to remove non performing county boards. Instead we have a merry go round of managers swapping teams year on year. You can’t deny that these massive beatings are now the rule rather than the exception.
I agree these heavy defeats are a problem. I don’t think they could just sack county board members it would be too controversial a possible solution would be possibly imposing a limit on the amount of time a person can sit on the county board, that way there would be a fresh board with new ideas every few years it might stop the rot happening within certain counties?
You say Kerry people are not genetically superior to Wicklow people….I’ll have to pull you on that one…
I’d say you have a strong wrist alright.
kerry just killedare
It’s hard to see how the same Kildare team destroyed Cork the last day. They looked very naive today against Kerry and there was no bite in them at all. Conceding seven goals in one half at this level must be a record. I hope they will somehow manage to come back the better for it.
Time to split Kerry in two!!
We will feel twice the pain :(
Why? Sure it’ll just be north Kerry vs south Kerry every September
Split into 4 then :)
That’s the semis sorted then Paul…
Your forgetting west Kerry
The Gooch was class as the game wore on. We were lucky last year but that was a performance that will put us up there with the favourites Dublin and Mayo.
kerry are the favourites now danny
tough game for them i see… jeebus!!
Jesus, some bandwagon merited for Kerry now.
Embarrassing to say the least. ..
Time for a change to the championship!!!!
It looks like kerrys all ireland to lose though in fairness dublin had to contend with an inept referee today who gave them four (yes four) free kicks in 70 minutes and farcically allowed that first goal. Dublin still panic too easily though. Kerry wouldn’t have shipped that amount of scores to fermanagh. A worried dub
I actually felt sick watching the Kerry game. It was worse than any of Dublin’s thrashings. Thank God Fermanagh gave the Dubs a good game today. It turned out the GAA were right to put Dublin vs Fermanagh second.
No contest – sad
No team has had a harder run to this stage than donegal
How did Kerry get there!! Kildare had less of a rest!! Why can’t they give both teams Ample rest!!! The refs and gaa bigwigs got there wish !! Kerry go marching on! I’m sick of the bias in this corrupt gaa.
Kildare didn’t get a rest because they went through the qualifier route after the Dubs hammered them in the Leinster Semi Final. It was the same for Kerry in 2009, and they won the AI that year!
It’s KK with the cups