FitzGerald: Cork star of the ’50s

Former Cork footballer Niall FitzGerald, who died last week, was a key member of the teams which lost the All-Ireland senior finals of 1956 and 1957 to Galway and Louth respectively and he also played in three losing Railway Cup finals with Munster.

A former Army Colonel, he won the first of two county championship medals in 1953 with Collins. The other came nine years later — with Macroom — in what was the last of their 10 title victories.

While he operated at midfield in the two finals, he was chiefly regarded as a leading centre-forward, also excelling at full-forward. He enjoyed a lengthy inter-county career with Cork at senior level, beginning in the early ’50s. His most successful season, in terms of medals won, was in 1956.