Garrett Fitzgerald: The man who sent many a Munster fan on their epic crusades

In one of the few conversations about his funeral arrangements, Garrett had told Áine that he didn’t want a blow-in giving his eulogy, and that it had better be funny. She did him proud on both counts, writes Michael Moynihan.

The priest on the altar was sharp in his description: it was a day with a rugby feel to it.

Not just in the obvious way, either. Those arriving at St Joseph’s SMA Church in Wilton were there to remember Garrett Fitzgerald, the former Munster Rugby CEO, but the inquisitive wind and occasional shower were redolent of other days. Days when a full-back’s mettle might be tested early on with towering kick, maybe, or reminiscent of a country venue with the underfoot conditions getting softer with every passing minute.