Darragh Fitzgibbon to captain Cork hurlers for 2026

Darragh Fitzgibbon has been appointed as captain of the Cork senior hurling team for the coming season.

With the Rebels due to begin their Allianz Hurling League campaign on Sunday week, new manager Ben O’Connor has chosen Fitzgibbon to succeed Robert Downey as skipper.

Mark Coleman – who served as captain in 2022, Kieran Kingston’s last year in charge – will be vice-captain.

Fitzgibbon, who will be 29 in April, came to prominence as part of a group of youngsters given a chance by Kingston in 2017 as Cork won the Munster SHC – it was the first of three provincial medals, as the title was retained in 2018 and the Rebels regained it last June. The 2018 season also saw him win the Munster U21HC title with Cork.

In November, Fitzgibbon won his third PwC GAA/GPA All-Star Award, having also been selected in 2018 and 2024. In the wake of the retirement of Patrick Horgan, the primary school teacher’s tally is the joint-highest in the current Cork squad, along with Séamus Harnedy. Across 47 championships outings for Cork, he has scored 4-93.

With his club, he was central to victories in the Cork IHC in 2015, the Premier IHC in 2018 – under the guidance of O’Connor – and the first edition of the newly created SAHC in 2020, while he helped UCC to the college’s two most recent Fitzgibbon Cup victories, in 2019 and 2020.

Cork’s defence of the league title begins with a home clash against Waterford at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday, January 25. Early next week, O’Connor and his management team are due to trim their current panel of 47 players down to 36, having assessed their options during the Canon O’Brien Cup game against UCC and Co-op SuperStores Munster Hurling clashes with Limerick and Clare, a loss and a win respectively.