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Dick Fitzgerald

Dick Fitzgerald
Personal information
Irish name Ristéard Mac Gearailt
Sport Gaelic football
Position Right wing-back
Born 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 October 2, 1882. After his early schooling at St. Brendan's College, Killarney he moved to Cork. He learned much of his football at Presentation Brothers College, Cork and was helping the Nil Desperandum Club before he was eighteen.

Fitzgerald played with Kerry against Kildare in the 1903 All-Ireland final, winning the championship after three previous encounters.

In 1906, he visited the USA 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.

He later wrote a book on Gaelic football entitled How to play Gaelic football which was the first of its kind in the organisation.

After retiring from play, he continued in the administrative side of the organisation. He became representative to the Central Council 1917, Kerry selector 1918, and delegate to Congress 1919. He served on the Munster Council from 1920 until his death. He was the first chairman of the East Kerry Board and also Chairman of Dr Crokes GAA Club. In 1929 he was appointed a special vice-chairman of the Kerry Selection Committee without a vote, in appreciation of his service to the county. Dick was also a member of Killarney Urban District Council from 1917 until his death.


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