Mike Fitzgerald: 2007 roles reversed for Limerick and Waterford Munster hurling final

IT’S roles revered in Sunday’s Limerick v Waterford Munster SHC final according to Mike Fitzgerald.

The Doon man was wing forward in the last provincial final between the duo – in 2007.

“Waterford were household names back in ‘07 but it’s Limerick that are household names now. They were household names - a seriously strong outfit. With the team that they had they were looking towards an All-Ireland” explained the flying wing forward of the only Limerick-Waterford Munster SHC final in living memory.

He added: ”Dan Shanahan, John Mullane, serious players all over the place”.

“I would expect a big challenge from Waterford from what I saw the last day against Cork - they will bring a different challenge to what Limerick have met so far. They have high intensity and a high work-rate like Limerick and are well organised from the sideline,” said the Doon man.

“They (Waterford) are a bit like we were in ‘07 - there was no pressure on us because Waterford were going in as favourites.

All the talk going around is about Limerick and an All-Ireland but there is no pressure on Waterford,” he said.

“The way the Limerick lads, they are grounded and they won’t worry about what people are talking about on the street - they do about their own business and that’s a credit to them.”

Back in 2007, Waterford emerged 3-17 to 1-14 winners.

“In fairness we didn’t hurl particularly well (v Waterford) - I don’t know if it was the three matches with Tipperary. We didn’t fall away though, they just seemed to get the scores at the right time,” he recalled. 

Limerick were ahead entering the final quarter of the 2007 final but then came a hat-trick of Dan Shanahan goals – 52nd, 63rd and 71st minutes.

The first final between the counties in 73 years brought an attendance close to 50,000 to Semple Stadium.

“​Thurles on days like that are special - even when you are young you realise,” he said.

”I was lucky enough to get three scores in that Munster - nice to get them on the scoreboard even though we didn’t get over the line.”

He added: “We had a great laugh just before the start of the Munster final when Mary McAleese came down to meet the teams and she thought I was Andrew O’Shaughnessy and then she moved onto me beside me and didn’t know who he was!”

It was of course the year of the Limerick-Tipperary trilogy in the provincial semi final.

 “I can remember coming on the first day and we were well down and I was lucky enough to get a goal - Ollie set it up for me. Who would have known that the goal would set us up and that the whole thing would go on for another two matches and extra time on two occasions. It was surreal in one way - we had never seen the likes of those matches before nad probably never will again because of the structures now. Even when you are young you have to mature fairly quick when all this is going on around you. Off the back of the trilogy with the Tipp matches the county was on a high and we had to just try and knuckle down and ignore it," he recalled.

"In fairness to that group of players in ‘07 we worked really hard - I know I was only in and a young fella but when I reflect back on it, the players and management worked so hard that year."

While Limerick lost the 2007 Munster SHC to Waterford, Richie Bennis’ side regroup to beat Clare and Waterford to reach the All-Ireland final against Kilkenny - Brian Cody's side 2-19 to 1-15 winners.

First year in Mary Immaculate College, Fitzgerald was first called into the Limerick senior hurling panel before Christmas in 2004.

“I did my Leaving in 2004 and I was brought in that Christmas of ‘04 but I was very young - I came in for a short while and I thought the step up was too big for me so I left of my own accord during 05.”

He was back the following year and after winning a Waterford Crystal Cup title with Limerick and a Ryan Cup title with Mary I in the Spring, his Munster SHC debut came against Tipperary in 2006.

In 2007 Fitzgerald was county U21 captain and in form at senior level – shortlisted for Young Hurler of the Year with eventual winner Seamus Hickey and Galway’s John Lee. 

“I was on the wing and Ollie was centre forward next to me - he was a great leader and role model for me. He knew what you were going through in terms of what was ahead of you because he had been through it. Ollie, Mark Foley, Stephen Lucey, Brian Geary - that was the spine of the team,” recalled Fitzgerald, now a Limerick based Garda.

In total Fitzgerald was to play nine times in senior championship hurling for Limerick across 2006-2008 - scoring 1-14 from play.

"From ‘08 onwards I picked up a lot of hamstring injuries - it’s not that I was jinxed, it’s just sport," said Fitzgerald. 

Club form saw Fitzgerald approached for an inter-county return on a number of occasions but the persistent injury derailed any prolonged commitment. In 2015 he did join up with the county intermediate side - beating Clare and Tipperary before losing the Munster final. That was a Limerick team including Sean Finn, Diarmaid Byrnes, Darragh O'Donovan and Tom Morrissey.

He ended his playing days with Doon in 2019 and this season was part of Tony Ward's coaching team as the east Limerick club reached the Limerick SHC final.