Cork's Darragh Fitzgibbon on facing down his Limerick cousin once again
'Richie's mam is a Cork woman so I'm sure she'll be shouting for Cork on Sunday rather than Limerick!'
Living in Charleville and teaching in Ballyhea, Darragh Fitzgibbon is right in the hotbed of the Cork-Limerick rivalry.
Indeed, the Cork midfielder was coy when asked to confirm rumours that his family home is actually in County Limerick.
“That’s up for debate!” he smiled.
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Regardless, there was never any doubt around where his allegiances would lie.
"From five years of age I was in school in Charleville and I played hurling with Charleville from that age. And all my buddies are from Charleville so it was always Cork."
But you’ll see plenty of green and white around the town this week too.
“I suppose it's a good rivalry but there's good banter in it too. I think if you arrive down in Charleville you'll see as much Limerick flags as you will Cork flags.
“We probably haven't given the Cork people as much opportunity to raise those flags as the Limerick people have in the last couple of seasons. But yeah, you definitely experience it.
“I'll be keeping the head down and keeping well out of their way.”
And the wider family is split across the two camps for this Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final. Though both of Fitzgibbon’s parents are Cork, his father’s sister, Marion, married into Limerick hurling stock in Paddy English from Doon and their son, Richie, is a long-time member of the Limerick panel and multi-All-Ireland winner.
“I think all our family on that side are really close, probably (moreso) when we were a lot younger because again, life gets busy.
“I suppose I live a busy lifestyle and Richie lives a busy lifestyle. We're both primary school teachers, both training with inter-county teams so you've got a lot in common. But yeah, look, the craic and the banter you have when Cork play Limerick is always really good.
“Richie's mam is a Cork woman so I'm sure she'll be shouting for Cork on Sunday rather than Limerick,” he laughed.
Naturally, contact between Fitzgibbon and his cousin is limited at times like this.
"I spoke to him after the match [Cork’s win over Limerick on May 11] as well but I suppose that's only kind of, 'Congratulations, well done' and that kind of craic.
“The last time I probably met him was at his mam's 70th birthday party over the Christmas period.
“Last year I was finishing off my degree and I had no hesitation in ringing Richie to ask a few questions about what to do here and what to do there. And he was more than willing to help."
Now in his eighth season with Cork all of a sudden, Fitzgibbon acknowledges that he’s become one of the more senior players and, at 27, is entering his peak years.
All the more reason to make the most of this weekend’s opportunity, which comes three years after his previous Croke Park appearance in the 2021 All-Ireland final mauling at the hands of Limerick.
“I think the players this year especially have really taken on a sense of leadership in terms of just leading the players and the younger players that are coming in.
“One of the things that we've been talking about recently is that especially for the younger guys and the guys in their first or second year in the panel that we're heading to Croke Park but you can't take that for granted.
“It's something that fellas as young fellas might think happens every year but as you see it doesn't happen every year.
“Even after the 2021 All-Ireland final, obviously it was a really disappointing day and we got absolutely outclassed by a really, really good side but you'd be saying, 'Right, we'll build on it and we'll try to get back again next year'.
“But it's been three years since we've been back in Croke Park so that's the message we're trying to get across to the younger group, that whatever role they’re playing, these opportunities don't come along very often and we have to take those opportunities when we get them.”
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