“To me, he is a potential All Star in the Déise team” - Cyril Farrell
Waterford's Mark Fitzgerald is All-Star material ahead of the Munster Senior hurling championship opener against Clare according to Galway's Cyril Farrell. Photo: INPHO
Mark Fitzgerald is developing into a marquee defender for Waterford according to three-time All-Ireland winning manager with Galway Cyril Farrell.
The Passage man has excelled for college and county in 2025. He helped UL to Fitzgibbon Cup glory in February and got selected at number six on the Team of the Year. In a Déise shirt, he prospered at full back, wing back and centre back en route to Division 1B silverware. Amazingly, he is still only 21 years of age.
“Fitzgerald is really coming into himself. I’ve seen him with the college. You can play him anywhere. To me, he is reaching his full potential now. Waterford people know him but the wider hurling circles are only getting to know him. He could be anything. To me, he is a potential All Star. He is a very good hurler.
“Tadhg De Burca is back at centre back. All of a sudden, the Waterford lineout is getting very strong. They wouldn’t have been happy with how they started but as the season is going on, they’re getting stronger and stronger and won what they had to win.”
Waterford’s firepower also caught his eye in recent weeks. Peter Queally’s charges averaged 30 points per game in the league. “Stephen Bennett is having a great season there’s no doubt about that. Once he can avoid injury. Patrick Curran has been around a while but he’s still a very good hurler and always gets his few scores.
“Jamie Barron is like a pocket rocket. Dessie is Dessie. His footwork is unbelievable. With the other lads coming back, Peter and the boys are going to have great fun picking the team!”
Queally hasn’t been able to call on a full deck in 2025. A full strength Déise side, with all of their walking wounded back on the field, will spell trouble for any opposition in Farrell’s view.
“Against Carlow, they were shocked to get beaten but they were down a lot of players. Since that game, they’ve gone from strength to strength. They’re in a very good position going into the Munster championship because they’re kind of coming in under the radar. That will suit them down to the ground. All the Munster teams would be very slow to underestimate Waterford. On a given day, if Waterford are let play off the cuff, they are capable of doing anything.”
The Déise have failed to make it out of the Munster round robin in five attempts (2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024). Farrell feels that the Division 1B winners can sneak into third spot this time around with Cork and Limerick contesting the provincial final. “The Munster championship is a minefield. You’d be a very smart man to know the two teams that won’t come out never mind the three that will qualify! If you were to say to someone ‘pick the two teams that won’t come out’ it gets very hard!
“I have a feeling about Waterford. I think they were very unlucky last year not to get through. This could be their year. That first one is a real haymaker for Waterford. Waterford are in a great position going in, especially if they can get Conor Prunty, Patrick Fitzgerald and Kevin Mahony back into that top eighteen. The subs coming on then won’t be weakening the team.”
The legendary Sunday Game analyst predicts an all Munster All Ireland hurling final on July 20. “I’d love to say Galway but I can’t! It’s very hard to see it. I think the final could be between Limerick and Cork.”
