Dick Fitzgerald (Gaelic footballer)
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Irish name | Ristéard Mac Gearailt | ||
| Sport | Gaelic football | ||
| Position | Right wing-back | ||
| Born | Gortnagowan, Sneem, Killarney, County Kerry | ||
| Nickname | Dickeen | ||
| Club(s) | |||
| Years | Club | Apps (scores) | |
1900s-1920s | Dr. Crokes | 58 | |
| Club titles | |||
| Kerry titles | 3 | ||
| Inter-county(ies) | |||
| Years | County | ||
1903-1923 | Kerry | ||
| Inter-county titles | |||
| Munster titles | 10 | ||
| All-Irelands | 5 | ||
Dick Fitzgerald (1882–1930) was an Irish sportsperson. He played Gaelic football with his local club Dr. Crokes in Killarney, and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1903 until 1923. Fitzgerald captained Kerry to back-to-back All-Ireland titles in 1913 and 1914
Dick was born at 15 College Street, Killarney on 2 October 1882.[1] After his early schooling at St. Brendan's College, Killarney he moved to Cork.[2] He learned much of his football at Presentation Brothers College, Cork and was helping the Nil Desperandum Club before he was eighteen.[3]
Playing career
Fitzgerald played with Kerry against Kildare in the 1903 All-Ireland final, winning the championship after three previous encounters.
In 1906, he visited the US and played for Kerry in the New York Championship, which they won. He also took part in the Croke Memorial, which pitted Kerry against Louth. This game went to a replay with Kerry winning it at Jones Road. It was the first time a four-figure sum was received for a match and with this money the G.A.A purchased Croke Park in Dublin.
Fitzgerald captained the two winning teams of 1913 and 1914 against Wexford but retired from the game after Kerry's defeat in 1915 against the same opposition.
After the Easter Rising he was held in detention at Frongoch internment camp in Wales. Whilst there, he organised Gaelic football matches.
