Fitzpatrick, Matt
October 25, 2012A native of Wattlebridge, Co. Fermanagh, he was a well-known sports journalist specialising in GAA affairs and his death was received with widespread regret not only throughout the Northern province but in the rest of the country. Aged 83, he was a retired civil servant but his life was steeped in the GAA. He played club football with his native Newtownbutler St Conghal's and from the early days Matt was a regular and won a number of medals including a Fermanagh senior championship medal in 1951.
He represented St. Columb's College, Derry, in the MacRory Cup and also featured on the Queens' University Sigerson Cup team. He played at all levels with Fermanagh county teams before moving to Belfast where he had spells with Mitchell's and Eire Og. After life at university he worked in a variety of jobs including as a teacher at St. Tierney's Roslea, and played with the local Shamrocks club. He also worked on the chemistry industry in Belfast, but settles in the Civil Service, where he moved up the ranks until his retirement. It was following his retirement, he took up sports journalism on a full-time basis, his forte being Ulster vocational schools football competitions. He worked for the Irish News in Belfast for a number of years where he struck up a life-long friendship with the then sports editor PJ O'Keefry.
One of his other close friends was freelance sports journalist, Tony McGee, a native of Ederney, Co. Fermanagh. But Matt had always been involved in reporting games since his teenage days. In 1947, he was asked by Paddy O'Hare, then editor of the Fermanagh Herald, to report on a minor match between Newtown and Lisnaskea, a game in which he was playing with Newtown. It was then that his journalistic seeds were sown. His work for the Irish News saw him travel extensively with Down teams to the US and England. He also accompanied Antrim to New York on their championship missions and reported back on those games. His visits to Australia for the International Rules games were among the highlights of his long career. He began writing for the Down Recorder in 1975 and penned his column Matt's Chat since 1991. Being involved in Gaa administration was one of his great loves. He was secretary of the now defunct Ballyhackamore club and when it folded in 1971 he become a founder member of Carryduff GFC, and helped with the organisation of youth football in the club. He was East Down secretary on three occasions and board treasurer since 1979 as well as being a member if Down County Board since 1966. He was also deeply involved in Scór (the GAA talent competition) in the county. He maintained his passion for administration and joined the Ulster GAA Writers' Association on his retirement from the Civil Service. He served as secretary for 11 years was assistant treasurer for the past two years.
There were many tributes paid to Matt including one from the current chairman of the Ulster Council GAA, Aogan O'Fearghall (Cavan). In expressing his deep regret he said Matt was the embodiment of a true GAA volunteer. "Through his work as a journalist with the Irish News and Down Recorder he helped raise the profile of Gaelic games following club, school and county teams across the country and reporting on their success. The GAA in Ulster is richer for having Matt Fitzpatrick as part of it, he leaves the association in a better place than he found it and made a significant contribution to it, his legacy is a proud one." Matt was predeceased by his wife, Rose and is survived by his son Martin; daughters, Claire, Nuala and Colette; brothers, Aidan and Dick; and sisters;
Mrs. Philomena Walsh and Mrs. Pauline McPolin. He was grand-uncle of Paul Fitzpatrick, sports editor of The Angle Celt. The funeral took place on Thursday last from St. Bernadette's Church, Rosetta Road to St. Patrick's cemetery, Ballynahinch.
Courtesy of Anglo Celt 25/10/12 Tweet
