- Date of Birth20 / 12 / 1957
- Lions Tours1986
- International CapsIreland
- Lions Origin SchoolsBlackrock College
- Lions Origin ClubsBarbarians, Cork Constitution, De La Salle Palmerston, Lansdowne, Dublin University, Blackrock College, Leinster
Renowned scrummager Des Fitzgerald was one of the stars chosen to represent The British & Irish Lions against a Rest of the World XV in 1986.
The game in Cardiff was set up to commemorate the centenary of the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB), which would shortly afterwards become the IRB – the International Rugby Board.
Prop Fitzgerald and co couldn’t quite mark the game with the victory however, losing 15-7 in wet Welsh conditions.
This proved to be Fitzgerald’s sole outing for the Lions, although he went on to win 34 caps for Ireland, touring South Africa with them in 1987.
But Fitzgerald’s involvement with the Lions doesn’t stop there, with his son Luke touring South Africa with the 2009 British & Irish Lions.
Luke, playing on the wing, played in four warm-up matches, touching down against the Sharks, before playing the full 80 minutes in the second Test defeat to the Springboks.