Fitzgerald won’t medal in Town business until final hurdle cleared
When Portlaoise saw off Meath champions Skryne in last December's Leinster decider, the skilful forward was busy exploring Queensland's Cape Tribulation, part of a honeymoon that took him from Hong Kong to Australia, New Zealand and the US.
The previous month, when The Town were playing their Leinster quarter-final against Rhode, he was in Madrid on his stag night.
Against that, it was his four quick-fire points against Kilmacud Crokes in the semi-final that dug Portlaoise out of the only real hole in their provincial campaign.
For that alone, as club secretary Vinny Dowling points out, the club will make sure he isn't the odd man out when the dust of the season has settled.
For now though, it's the furthest thing from his mind.
"I don't know if I get a Leinster medal," the 27-year old said.
"We haven't even got our county medals yet either, we get them at the end of the season. I suppose I'll find out then.
"The All-Ireland is all I'm thinking about. Winning a senior All-Ireland with your club would be massive. It would definitely be the pinnacle for me."
Fitzgerald's indifference to the silverware isn't that surprising he's lost out on medals in more agonising circumstancesprovincial campaign.
For that alone, as club secretary Vinny Dowling points out, the club will make sure he isn't the odd man out when the dust of the season has settled.
For now though, it's the furthest thing from his mind.
"I don't know if I get a Leinster medal," the 27-year old said.
"We haven't even got our county medals yet either, we get them at the end of the season. I suppose I'll find out then.
"The All-Ireland is all I'm thinking about. Winning a senior All-Ireland with your club would be massive. It would definitely be the pinnacle for me."
Fitzgerald's indifference to the silverware isn't that surprising he's lost out on medals in more agonising circumstances.
Ten years ago, in his first appearance at Croke Park, he scored a goal from a last-minute penalty to take the Leinster minor final with Westmeath to a replay, only to lose out to the eventual All-Ireland champions second time around.
Three years later, with his successors at minor level having delivered two All-Irelands and three Leinster titles, he finally got his hands on that elusive provincial title as captain of the county U21s. Kerry pipped them to the national title in the decider in Limerick.
So, when the 2003 and 2004 seasons finally swung round, Fitzgerald could enjoy them to the full.
Being captain of club and county at the time must have made it all the sweeter.
"Expectations weren't high in the club or the county at the time because in 2002, Laois had lost that disaster of a game to Meath in the qualifiers in Portlaoise and the club was struggling a little bit.
"Everybody was so low and then Portlaoise won the county when no one was really expecting it. St Joseph's were the favourites but we played our best game of the season in the final. Then to win Leinster in Micko's first year in charge in 2003 meant it was an amazing time for us."
And the club are surfing that wave of excitement.
"When we won the county in 2002 that was the furthest we dared to look," Fitzgerald admitted.
"No one gave us a chance of winning, and we were wondering would we ever win one again, so to even think about going and challenging for Leinster would have seemed almost cocky before the county final.
"Once we won that we did a fair bit of celebrating and felt like our job was done for the year.
"This year we set our sights that bit higher once we beat Joseph's in the county. Most of the team won their third county title this year and we knew that experience would stand to us."
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