Cork Independent
Thursday 18 October 2012
‘ALL ROUNDER’ JAMES TO BE LAID TO REST TODAY
Louise Cashell
“A talented boy who will be sorely missed by everyone” was how James Fitzgerald, who died on Saturday afternoon was described by Charleville club representative Pat McCarthy.
James, who as 16 and from Charleville, collapsed when he was at a friend’s house doing weights on Saturday afternoon. Paramedics rushed to the scene but James was later pronounced dead at Mallow General Hospital.
An autopsy was carried out on Monday and it is believed that James, who suffered from asthma, died of Sudden Adult Death Syndrome.
“The whole club is devastated,” said Mr. McCarthy. “James was a lovely young guy who was very talented at hurling and football and he also played a spot of rugby. He was hugely popular, not just with his friends but with all people in the club. He was an all-rounder, good at sport, good in school and just a lovely lad. Any parents couldn’t ask for a better son.”
James was the youngest of four sons of parents Des and Geraldine Fitzgerald. He leaves behind a family who have already had to cope with two tragedies during the year.
James’s 23 year old brother, Mike, died tragically in August last year. Two months later, his brother Dessie who is 30, was temporarily paralysed when he collided with another player while captaining the Charleville Junior Hurling team, who later went on to win the county championship. Dessie married his girlfriend last March after spending months in the National Rehabilitation Centre in Dun Laoghaire.
James was due to play an underage match with Charleville last weekend and had worked a shift at the Four Winds pub the morning of his death.
“It’s hard to put James’s death into words”, continued Mr. McCarthy.
“That family has been hit with terrible tragedy over the past year with the passing of James’s older brother and the accident with Des. It just doesn’t bear thinking about.
“We are doing all we can do at the GAA club to help the Fitzgerald family and we are also trying to help all of James’s friends through this difficult time.
He will be hugely missed firstly by his family but also by all his friends, by everyone at the GAA club and the community in general.”
James is survived by his parents Des and Geraldine and his brothers Conor and Des, and his funeral will take place today at 2pm in Holy Cross Church, Charleville.