New Cork captain Darragh Fitzgibbon ready to lead by example

In terms of leading by example, new Cork hurling captain Darragh Fitzgibbon certainly ticks the right boxes.

An All-Star hurler in each of the past two seasons – even if he admits that those awards offered little consolation after All-Ireland final defeats – the fact that he is about to begin his tenth season in red shows his consistency.

While not canvassing for the role under new manager Ben O’Connor, he certainly wasn’t going to turn it down.

“It wasn't something you really think about or you're expecting,” he says.

“I think training's been so hard as well that, kind of just didn't really think about it, but obviously it's a privilege to be able to be asked and to be asked by a man like Ben O'Connor as well, something you can't turn down.”

As for style of leadership, setting high standards goes a long way.

“I suppose you just have to read the room really,” Fitzgibbon says “and, first and foremost you have to lead on the pitch, you have the responsibility and you have to look after the players on the pitch.

“They have to follow your example, but like no bother having a chat with the lads or anything like that.”

A championship debutant as Kieran Kingston went with youth in 2017, Fitzgibbon has been a fixture in the team since. He turns 29 in April – not old by any means, but it imbues him with a sense of appreciating what he has.

“I think we're all eager to get going,” he says.

“We know what's in store, like how big the challenge is. I suppose as the years go on, you start to appreciate it more, do you know, probably the latter stages of it now, probably have more years done than more years left, so you want to appreciate it.

Even when you come back training during the winter, you almost appreciate the winter nights more because, you know you don't probably don't have that many of them left.

“It's kind of out of your control, so you want to give them the season, try and make the most out of it. We're looking forward to it.”

And that attitude over-rides any sense of dwelling on the second half of the All-Ireland final against Tipperary.

“I think the enthusiasm and the eagerness is still there, like, ever before. We've a good block of training done as well, so we're looking forward to seeing how that training reflects on the field and how it translates to the field as well.”

WINNER

It helps too, of course, that Fitzgibbon has prior experience of working with the new boss.

Charleville was O’Connor’s first adult coaching assignment and he led them to the county Premier IHC in 2018, going on to win the Munster club title too – incidentally, Fitzgibbon was captain for the final victory over Feakle as regular skipper Danny O’Flynn couldn’t start that match.

“You know what to expect and the way he kind of wants to play,” he says.

“And you know that he's a winner too as well, so you take confidence from that. 

I think, whether he's on the field playing himself or in management, he's won everywhere he's gone, so we take confidence from that.

“I suppose like our generation all looked up to Ben as well when we were growing up as, so it's an honour to play for him and his backroom team.”