THE CURRENT breed of Co. Carlow golfer may never even have heard his name, but to the older corps who enjoyed the game in the former Tullow Golf Club and currently in the county's five clubs, have reason to appreciate their association with, and the reputation of the late John Fitzgibbon.

A native of Rathoe, the son of local schoolteachers Tom and Alice (buried in Tullow) was one of the luminaries of the game in the '50s and was capped for Ireland in his glory year of 1955, and in the two which followed.

An army pharmacist, the Carlovian won the then Irish Amateur championship when defeating Warrenpoint's Willie Hume on the 18th in Royal County Down, and landed Scratch Cups that season in Carlow (where he defeated Jack O'Sullivan in a 36 holes match-play final) Castletroy and Cork as a Cork (Little Island) member.

Born in 1925 he lived in Rathoe until the family moved to Mill St. in Tullow when he was seven; he apprenticed to a local pharmacy, and at 17 moved to Stoneybatter on the outskirts of Dublin to continue that route, later taking his degree in Kevin Street.

One of a family of three (Jim passed away seven years ago) young John made a GAA impact in Dublin in the colours of Clann na Gael and on the 40th anniversary of the Easter Rising joined his team colleagues on an invited march in Omagh, Co. Tyrone and at a time when religious tensions would have been high.

The talented Tullow lad might have been a Carlow county footballer had he not declared for Cork having won three county senior titles with Collins Barracks and his debut in red was against no other than his native county.

Having graduated as a pharmacist he joined the army and was commissioned captain in the Medical Corps in 1948 and posted to Collins Barracks in Cork, but it was his football ability which shone through in the following years.

Later army chief of staff Jim Parker fondly recalled joining John in one particular game as a substitute and giving the Carlowman the goal-scoring winning pass.

However, the Tullow native was born with a club in hand also, and his talent shone through when as a teenager he won the Tullow Captain's Prize in 1945. Three years later he was on his way to Cork and joined Little Island where the armed forces had a special membership scheme which lasted up until a decade ago.

With none of the junior officers enjoying the luxury of a car, John and company managed to reach Little Island by whatever means possible, but it did not prevent him from becoming a foil for the likes of Jimmy Bruen, a former British Amateur champion, and in whose company he flourished.

Retired in 1960, Captain Fitzgibbon moved to Dublin five years later with wife Eileen O'Brien (Fermoy) whom he met in Fermoy Golf Club in '48, and joined the commercial world of pharmaceutical wholesaling, eventually becoming sales manager of a leading distributor.

Son Jim (a retired army engineer now living in Athlone) recalls that commercial opening giving his father his first car and he joined Portmarnock Golf Club which he captained in '81 when the club hosted the Irish Open.

His image in Irish golf prompted Carlow, Cork, the Curragh (which he recalled as Royal Curragh) and his own club to confer honorary membership upon him. In '56 he defeated Irish professional champion Eric Guerin, the late Phil Lawlor and British champion Joe Carr in a 36 holes challenge at The Curragh.

He was best amateur in the then Jeyes professional championship in Cork in '60 and two years later reach the South of Ireland semifinal in Lahinch. Only last year he and son Jim played the course, with father, then 84 off 11. He also won the leading qualifier medal in the North at Portrush in '66 before exiting in the match-play stage.

Sport runs deep in the Fitzgibbon clan with relative JJ a former Ireland tennis and badminton international; he then married to another Ireland tennis player Mary Nichols. A cousin, Francis Murphy is a well-known hurley-maker in Kilmeaden in Co. Waterford.

He made many global friends in golf including Australian Bob Knox (during the British Seniors) who was in touch with the family on learning of John's passing. Knox was a violin maker and to this day John junior plays one of his products.

Reaching scratch in Cork, John renewed his association with Carlow when invited (along with Hermitage captain Carlovian Ian Kehoe) to attend Leonard Hanley's Captain's Dinner in '81 and that followed an enjoyable association between the pair for many years; Leonard recalling an invitation from John, as captain of the Pharmacutical Society to join himself and Dr. Patrick Hillary in the society outing to Carlow. He was also a frequent playing partner with Tullow master-tailor Michael Johnson.

Word has it that John would cycle from Tullow to play in Carlow along with others from far ends of the county for 18 in the morning, and after Mass would complete a further circuit. "He was very keen on golf course design," recalls Leonard who was delighted to share John's company on his several visits to the club.

The late international also played early golf in Clontarf, again cycling to the club from his work at Stoneybatter.

He is survived by wife Eileen, Comdt. Jim who was latterly stationed in, and currently resides, in Athlone, and a member of Moate GC and a former Portmarnock player, Rosemary Burns (Newbridge) and John, a former professional musician who lives in Malaga.

Jim followed his father's army footsteps and served in Galway, on the Border and in Haulbowline, and played for the Army rugby team along with another player well-known in Carlow John Courtney who coached Eire Og footballers. He spent considerable time in Tullow when studying for a psychotherapy qualification at Teach Bhride, graduating in '07.

Among the attendance at the funeral was former religious 88 years old Statia Doyle from Hacketstown who was taught by Tom and Alice in Rathoe; Statia's sister later marrying golf legend Harry Bradshaw who became Portmarnock club professional.

Co. Carlow cannot boast adult male golf champions, but the late John Fitzgibbon set a standard which none have matched, and seemingly he will be out on his own for many a year.

- PAUL DONAGHY