Tipp GAA remembers popular Bertie

Many tributes have been paid throughout Tipperary GAA following the passing of Bertie Fitzpatrick from Roscrea who died on Thursday last following a short illness.

By Liam Hogan

Bertie, as he was known to everyone, was well known in GAA circles, especially in the transport of minor hurlers and footballers from the North division to training and matches at Dr Morris Park, Thurles and further afield for the past forty years.

His tenure began in the late 1970’s. Tipperary had won the 1976 All-Ireland Minor hurling title, their first in sixteen years, before underage hurling began a dominant period subsequently going on to win seventeen Munster hurling titles between 1980 to 2018 and seven All-Ireland Minor titles, as well as 1 All-Ireland minor football and 4 Munster minor titles.

He wasn’t just a driver, he was a friend, adviser and a man that sensed what type of player he had on board often advising management.

He was also an administrator with his club Roscrea, including as chairman. Bertie also served as selector with Tipperary under 21 team along with fellow club men Donie Moloney and Mick Minogue as they won the All-Ireland title with fellow Roscrea man Michael Scully as captain.

“Bertie was a rock at the heart of the Roscrea club for over forty years,” said Mark McLoughlin, current chairperson of Roscrea Hurling club.

“He served in numerous capacities and always with distinction. In his early days he was club treasurer and went on to serve two terms as club chairman. He was a selector with a number of teams including our seniors. In recent years he was a driving force behind club developments and through his work and wisdom made a significant contribution to the club. A great Gael he will be sadly missed. Our sympathy to his wife Josie, son Joseph and daughter Niamh and all the family.”

Joe Kennedy, Chairperson of Tipperary County Board also paid tribute to Bertie’s contribution to the county.

“He has been associated with the Board for more than forty years, being synonymous with transporting players from North Tipperary and to the rest of the county to underage training and matches. Bertie was a character and well respected by all the players as well as past and present officers of the Board. He was a very jovial and friendly character.”

Michael Bevans, current Waterford senior hurling coach was associated with Bertie both as a player and a coach with Tipperary.

“He was a lovely man, a gentleman and loved by everybody in the hurling world,” he said.

“He got to know the young lads really well and gave us, as management, a good steering on the personalities of the young players. He wanted to get to know everybody. He was very good to me when I was a minor back in 1994 and ’95 and again as again as coach in 2015 and 2016.”

“Bertie was the first man I sat beside when I attended my first North Board meeting at Nenagh,” said Michael Tierney, Chairperson of North Tipperary GAA Board.

“He was always nice and appreciative. I always found him fair and honest and he was very humorous. He represented his club very well and he will be a huge loss to hurling in North Tipperary.”

Former County Board chairperson, Donie Shanahan said he lost a friend, a fellow card player as a well as a GAA associate.

“We got to know one another when I was a minor selector in 1982,” he said.

“He was a hackney driver with the players. He was more than a driver because in pre-mobile phone days with text messages or anything like that, he would get a list of contact numbers and organise the times for pickups thus reducing the workload of the selectors. Bertie was a close friend and we would play cards in the local hostelry in Toomevara every week.”

Funeral mass for Bertie Fitzpatrick took place on Saturday at St. Cronan’s Church, Roscrea followed by cremation at Shannon Crematorium. Sympathy to his wife Josie, his son Joseph and his daughter Niamh and the extended Fitzpatrick family.