Ger Fitzgerald, a two-time All-Ireland-winning hurler with Cork, has died aged 60 after an illness.
The corner-forward scored 11-22 in 21 championship games for the county - including 4-04 in three games when the Rebels claimed Liam MacCarthy in 1986 and 2-06 when they regained it in the double year of 1990.
Fitzgerald captained Cork to the 1992 Munster title, his third, and won the league in his final campaign the following year.
A son of 1966 All-Ireland winner Paddy Fitzgerald, Ger had been a goalkeeper with Midleton until minor level before a successful switch out the field, confirmed by him hitting 1-02 in the Cork SHC final against four-in-a-row chasers St Finbarr's in 1983.
That was the club's first county title in 67 years and Fitzgerald went on to win won three more Cork championships and a club All-Ireland crown (in 1987-88) with Paddy as manager.
Ger managed Midleton to the Seán Óg Murphy Cup himself in 2021 and also served as Under-21 bainisteoir and as a selector at inter-county level.
Fitzgerald's former club and county team-mate John Fenton, currently chairman of Midleton, expressed his sympathies to Fitzgerald's family and told RTÉ Sport: "He's a huge loss to the club and the GAA in Cork."
Former Cork team-mate Tomás Mulcahy, captain of the 1990 team, paid tribute, saying: "What a sad loss to his family and all the Cork Gaa community - May you rest in peace Ger."
Our club is extremely saddened to hear that our great friend and colleague Ger Fitzgerald has passed away.Ger was Midleton to the core, a great leader, on and off the field and we offer our sincere condolences to his wife Kathryn,his 3 daughters and all his Family. pic.twitter.com/gIpo7dfIzg
— Midleton GAA (@MidletonGaa) March 18, 2025
