Munster name Senior Schools Cup after late CEO Garrett Fitzgerald

Áine O’Donnell and daughter Megan pictured at CBC with the Garrett Fitzgerald Cup. Picture: Eddie O'Hare

The Munster Schools Senior Cup trophy has been named the Garrett Fitzgerald Cup, in tribute to the former CEO of the province.

Fitzgerald, who passed away in February 2020, was at the helm of Munster Rugby for 20 years and prior to that held numerous coaching roles across schools, club, and representative sides.

As a player he won a Munster Schools Senior Cup with Christian Brothers College, Cork in 1971 and later coached the school to a total of five Munster Senior Cup titles guiding teams during a highly successful period when claiming four successive Senior Cups from 1997 to 2000.

Christians remain the only school to hold this honour having previously achieved the feat in the 1970s.

Munster Rugby hosted Fitzgerlad's wife Áine O’Donnell and daughter Megan to attend an honorary event at the school recognising the four-in-a-row success and honouring Garrett by naming the cup after him.

“Having this historic cup named after Garrett is a lovely tribute to what he achieved and to remember what the schools’ game, and the grassroots game overall, meant to him," Áine said “He was a huge believer in young people and wanting them to reach their potential. Winning this cup recognises excellence and achieving one’s potential and having Garrett’s name associated with it is a huge honour.”

The competition has undergone a revamp in recent seasons with a round-robin phase before Christmas giving players the opportunity to play multiple games before the knock-out stage in the new year.

Fitzgerald's beloved CBC were the last team to win the cup outright in 2019, before sharing the title with arch-rivals Presentation Brothers College in 2020 when the Covid-19 pandemic meant the final had to be cancelled.