Patsy Fitzgibbon was one of the most loved basketball characters and players Cork ever produced 

There was a huge sense of sadness in the air across the Cork basketball community when Patsy Fitzgibbon passed away last year.

Her sudden passing left her family and friends devastated.  Everyone who knew her was heartbroken. Patsy was one of a kind.  A gentle giant, a lady, a great character, she was full of fun and someone who lived life to the full.

She grew up with her late parents, sisters, and brother at Rathmore Park, Popes Road, and that house is still the family home today.

The late Patsy played basketball at a high level starting with the North Pres School, and then with the Irish U16 international team, Neptune, UCC, Kyer Celts national league team, Brunell, and many Cork teams, however, it was playing with her sister’s Mary, Sandie, Dolores and Denise at the club they all formed, Alpha Pandas, that gave her the most joy. 

She also played soccer with Cork Celtic.

However, when she finished playing she coached underage basketball for Brunell and the Gurranabraher Community Games team such was her love for the game.

I wrote a piece a few years ago about the Fitzgibbon girl's achievements in basketball, when I interviewed them in the Montenotte Hotel, and I would have to say it was one of the most funniest interviews that I have done as I laughed for the entire time with the girls telling their own stories in their own unique way.

However, this time when I spoke to her family it felt different, it was different, as I could see the sadness and loss in their eyes, but, whenever one of them spoke of Patsy, I could also see how much pride, love and respect they all had for their beloved sister.

One of the funniest sections of that piece from a while ago was the late Patsy telling me about when she played against her sisters in a game at the Parochial Hall.

“After playing with Neptune I joined Kyer Celts, a club from the southside to continue to play in the national league,” Patsy said.

“I loved playing, however, on one occasion when I was playing a local league game against Pandas in the Parochial Hall, I got a rebound under my own basket, and as I was making my way up the court Mary and Dolores jumped on my back. 

"I shouted at the referee, looking for a foul, only for the girls to tell the referee ‘it’s OK she’s our sister’,” as laughter broke out between the girls.

Mary, who played and coached with Patsy for most of their careers, speaks very highly of her sister’s achievements on the court.

“Patsy has done it all in the game as a player, coach, and as an administrator with various clubs,” Mary said.

"She was a very powerful inside player that could hold her own with any American in the national league at the time.

“We travelled all over the country, playing in various tournaments, however, the Pretty Polly, and the Dingle tournaments were our favorites.

“The girls on that team, Susan Courtney, Martina Curtin, Terry Kedellan, Claire Twomey, and Marie Barry still keep in touch with us, and we still go away on weekend trips," Mary added.

Even though every basketball person thought they knew Patsy, what they didn’t know is that she was a highly intelligent and respected at her job at Apple Computers, were she worked in the Operations Financial Department.

Sandie spoke with so much pride about her sister and explained that she was a genius with figures and numbers, and she always was able to make the most difficult situations end by finding such an easy solution.

“When Patsy finished school at the North Pres she got a scholarship to UCC and became a chartered accountant, and went to work with Apple Computers were worked for 41 years,” Sandie said.

“She absolutely loved working in Apple and was awarded the European employee of the year twice, however, she made some livelong friendships in her workplace, which she cherished.

“One of the closest friendships she made was with Ina O’Sullivan, as their friendship went way beyond work, as they were like two peas in a pod as she would say herself.

“On behalf of all my family I would like to thank all her work colleagues as they showed great compassion when she was ill and they still are in touch with us still to the day,” Sandie added.

Another thing about Patsy that nobody knew was she was very well travelled, she loved her literature, and could read up to eight books a week as her other sister Cecilia explains.

“Patsy had a great love of travelling, as she would follow any sporting events across the globe,” Cecilia said.

“She traveled to watch the rugby World Cups in Japan and France, went on a hot air balloon in Pakistan, tried her luck on a sky dive in New Zealand, went white water rafting on a trip in San Francisco, and aloud traveled to China, India and Kenya.

“When she got ill she wrote a bucket list of places she wanted to visit, and we all made the trip to Lapp Land where she got to ride on a sleigh, however, one of her favourite destinations, and a place she wanted to see was going to be a trip to Norway to see the Fyordes, which unfortunately she didn’t make.

“We all as a family fulfilled her dream a few weeks ago and we threw flowers in the sea to remember her,” Cecilia.

Patsy’s brother Micheal remembers his sister fondly and her many trips to the cinema with his daughter Michaela.

“Patsy loved going to the cinema or in her words “the pictures” with my daughter Michaela,” Micheal said.

“She just wasn’t an amazing sister, she was an amazing aunt, an amazing woman, who made a huge impression on everyone she met through work or sport.

“We would meet at home for a game of cards on a Wednesday night, and Patsy would be multi-tasking all through the night, by reading a book, watching the sports on TV, looking at her tablet, and still winning all the card games,” Michael added with a smile on his face.

Patsy has left a huge legacy behind her for her family and friends to be extremely proud of.

Every child she coached at Brunell became a better person as well as a better player, and her family were very grateful to the tribute the club gave to her at one of their national league games last season, where the entire team personally greeted them and Janette Carmody made a heart warming speech.

Patsy may be gone, but she will never be forgotten.