A touch of class from Darragh Fitzgibbon
13:51, 20 Apr 2026Updated 14:05, 20 Apr 2026
The young fan injured in the celebrations(Image: GAA)
There was a mighty roar at the final whistle in Thurles yesterday after Cork triumphed over Tipperary in the first round of the Munster Senior Hurling Championship. Fans stormed the field, and as the Rebels celebrated, a young fan fell victim to a stray swipe of a hurley as he tried to join in.
The young supporter was accidentally struck by Cork captain Darragh Fitzgibbon as he embraced his teammate. Fitzgibbon didn’t notice the strike on the field, but the young lad was quickly seen to by a match official and Tipp’s Noel McGrath.
The incident was caught on camera, and when the Cork captain saw the clip, he reached out to his sponsors to find the fan. In a social media post this afternoon, Cavanaghs of Charleville said they’re looking to find him so that Fitzgibbon can meet him and present him with a signed Cork jersey for his troubles.
Anyone who can identify the unlucky fan has been asked to contact Cavanaghs, and the information will then be passed on to Fitzgibbon.
A company spokesperson said: “We are looking for the public’s help in tracking down this young boy who accidentally got caught up in the celebrations of Cork’s win yesterday over Tipp.
“Our Brand Ambassador, Darragh Fitzgibbon, reached out to us this morning asking for your help in identifying this boy, as Darragh would like to meet him and give him a signed Cork jersey. Please share this post and help us to identify who this boy is. Message us with any help. Thank you”
You can get in touch with Cavanaghs via their social media here.
It’s a touch of class from the Rebel captain after an important victory that saw the team face down the victors of last year’s All-Ireland final. It’ll serve as a major confidence boost heading into the All-Ireland campaign, particularly following the hard-fought defeat to Limeirck in the hurling league finals earlier this month.
Fitzgibbon recently spoke about how he’s drawn inspiration from Rory McIlroy’s Master’s triumph, commending the golfer’s grit and determination throughout the last decade of competition.
The Cork captain believes that if McIlroy can finally shake off an 11-year wait for Major glory, the Cork squad can do the same when it comes to claiming victory in an All-Ireland final, a prospect that has been tantalisingly close for several years now.
The Rebels skipper watched McIlroy’s Augusta rounds intently and said what stood out to him wasn’t the brilliance of his play, but the struggles he overcame.
He said: “I watched Rory closely when he ended that long wait to win,” said Fitzgibbon. “I found the way he won last year to be so admirable because you could see on his face everything he was going through.
“It was impressive the way he dealt with adversity. I’m no expert on golf but it was kind of like he was almost afraid to win at times – and then every time he was afraid of losing, he just dug so deep to force a comeback.”