Maurice Fitzgerald (Gaelic footballer)

His father Ned was a Kerry footballer of note back in the late 1950s while his uncle, Séamus O’Connor, is the holder of a record ten South Kerry Senior Football Championship medals.

Fitzgerald was educated at the local national school and later attended Cahersiveen CBS.

It was here that his football talents were further developed and he won numerous county medals.

Fitzgerald later studied at University College, Cork, however, he also became a key member of the UCC football team.

His father, Ned Fitzgerald, was an All-Ireland medal winner with Kerry in 1955 before later captaining the side in 1957.

Fitzgerald's brother-in-law Colm O'Neill is a two-time All-Ireland medal winner with Cork, while his nephew, Shane O'Neill is a soccer player with Orlando City SC.

Fitzgerald played competitive Gaelic football during his schooling at Cahersiveen CBS and won several county championship medals in various grades.

Maurice Fitzgerald (born 1969) is an Irish Gaelic football selector and former player.

Fitzgerald was born near Cahersiveen, County Kerry in 1969.

He was born into a family that had a strong link to football in Kerry.

He later played with University College Cork, winning a Sigerson Cup medal in 1987.

By this stage Fitzgerald had become a regular member of the St Mary's club team, beginning a four-decade association with the team.

By this stage he had also joined the Kerry senior team, making his debut during the 1987-88 league.

His league and championship career at senior level with the Kery county team spanned fourteen seasons from 1988 to 2001.

Born in Cahersiveen, County Kerry, Fitzgerald was born into a strong Gaelic football family.

After being chosen on the Munster inter-provincial team for the first time in 1988, Fitzgerald was an automatic choice on the starting fifteen on a number of occasions.

He ended his career without a Railway Cup medal.

In 1988 he won a Sigerson Cup medal following an 0–8 to 0–5 defeat of University College, Galway in the inter-varsities series of games.

Fitzgerald subsequently joined the Kerry under-21 team, winning an All-Ireland medal in his final year on the team in 1990.

Over the course of the next fourteen seasons, Fitzgerald won two All-Ireland medals in 1997 and 2000.

He also won six Munster medals and one National Football League medal.

During his career, Fitzgerald won three All Star awards, was named Footballer of the Year in 1997 and was selected on a list of the 125 greatest Gaelic footballers of all time in a 2009 poll.

After scoring 12-205, Fitzgerald is the all-time third highest scorer for Kerry.

He is also the all-time top scorer in the Munster Championship.

In retirement from playing Fitzgerald became involved in team management and coaching.

He won numerous South Kerry championship titles before claiming a county intermediate championship medal in 2001.

He played his last game for Kerry in August 2001.

With divisional side South Kerry he won three successive county senior championship medals from 2004 to 2006.

Fitzgerald made his debut on the inter-county scene at the age of sixteen when he was added to the Kerry minor team.

He enjoyed two championship seasons with the minor team, however, he was a Munster runner-up on both occasions.

In 2004 South Kerry qualified for the final of the county football championship for the first time in twenty years.

Laune Rangers provided the opposition; however, the divisional side never looked troubled at any stage of the match.

At the full-time whistle victory went to South Kerry by 1–13 to 2–5 and Fitzgerald added a county winners' medal to his collection.

The following year South Kerry continued their domination of club football and reached the final of the county championship for the second year in succession.

As of 2009, Fitzgerald was working as a property auctioneer with Fitzgerald & O'Connor Ltd's Auctioneering firm, a family-run business established in 1979.

He is the uncle of Shane O'Neill.

He is heavily involved as a coach with the Coláiste na Sceilge senior team, while at club level he has served as manager of the St Mary's team, guiding them to an All-Ireland title in 2016.

Later that year Fitzgerald became a selector with the Kerry senior team.

In 2018 Fitzgerald was appointed principal of Coláiste na Sceilge in Caherciveen.

Fitzgerald played club football with his local club called St Mary's in Cahersiveen; however, it is with divisional side South Kerry that he had his greatest successes at club level.