Waterford trade unionist Pat Fitzgerald 'fought for justice', mourners hear

Irish Examiner

08-08-2025

The funeral of respected trade unionist Pat Fitzgerald, who died last weekend, has heard of his generosity, quick wit, and his passion in advocating for workers' rights.
As the coffin of Mr Fitzgerald was carried into the Sacred Heart Church in Waterford for his Requiem Mass, the notes of On Raglan Road drifted poignantly from the uilleann pipes outside.
'This is a day of immense sadness,' Fr Gerard Chestnutt told the congregation on Friday. 'What happened in this community last weekend was tragic. It should not have happened and therefore we should not be here.'
Mr Fitzgerald, a father of three in his 70s, was found with injuries at a home in Waterford City on Friday. He was taken to University Hospital Waterford but died on Sunday.
A man in his 30s was arrested in connection with the incident and has been charged with assault causing harm.
Mr Fitzgerald's funeral heard that in life, he had fought hard for justice and for his community. Pat left school at 13 and went to work in Waterford Crystal, Fr Chestnutt said.
He worked in the blowing room before working through the trade union movement for 'justice and fairness' and the rights of all Waterford Crystal workers.
He worked tirelessly. For the workers in the glass, for the trade union movement. He fought for justice.
Mr Fitzgerald was a well-known character in Waterford and someone that Fr Chestnutt never heard anyone speak a bad word about. The number of tributes on RIP.ie was proof of how widely respected Mr Fitzgerlad was, he said.
A photo of a smiling Pat in his youth stood on a glass table above a wreath of white roses in front of the altar. A piece of Waterford Crystal, a deck of cards and a copy of The Irish Times were also brought to the table to represent Mr Fitzgerald's life and passions.
A deck of cards was a reminder of family gatherings every Saturday. Although bets were small, Mr Fitzgerald was 'fiercely competitive'. But those nights were 'all about being together and the importance of family.'
The Irish Times was a symbol of his 'thirst for knowledge, especially in current affairs and politics'. An 'avid reader', Mr Fitzgerald had no formal education but was highly intelligent and pushed for his own children to be well-educated.
The funeral heard Mr Fitzgerald adored his wife and their children, but his soulmate and wife Kathleen died some 18 years ago.
'He lost two foundations of his life that could have broken any man or woman,' Fr Chestnutt said. They were the death of his wife, 'at far too young an age', and Waterford Crystal, as it was coming to an end.
Family eulogy
In his eulogy, Mr Fitzgerald's son Wayne said that his father was 'a complex character, principled, full of integrity and never faltered in doing things his way but always with humour and quick wit".
His two great loves were his family and dedication to work.
Wayne said:
His family was his everything and he would do anything to ensure our happiness and wellbeing.
The moral compass he gave them still guides them to this day, he said. Mr Fitzgerald believed strongly in education and told his children that the heaviest tool they should ever hold was a pen.
He would thoroughly check their homework and read the same library books as them so they could talk about them throughout the weeks.
Many hours were spent at the kitchen table discussing politics and challenges at work. This was where the family learned to debate, and to evaluate problems from all angles and reason, Wayne said.
His father also found 'real purpose and commitment in work'. A champion of the underdog, a fierce negotiator and a passionate advocate for workers' rights, his impact was such that 20 years later, people still speak about his legacy, Wayne said.
His father was 'generous to a fault, completely unjudgmental with a great sense of humor and sharp wit'. The circumstances of his tragic death have made his passing so much more difficult, his son said.
'Pat lived, laughed and cried, and as he will make his final journey home this day, I chuckle, because I know he will do it his way,' Wayne said.
The family thanked the medical staff at Waterford General Hospital who cared for Mr Fitzgerald in his final days.
Union work
Former Waterford Crystal and Unite union colleague, Jimmy Kelly, said that Mr Fitzgerald had been a living legend at the Waterford Crystal plant.
With an astute brain and razor-sharp wit, he was 'great on reading a situation and coming to a conclusion on the best way forward'. At Christmas, he visited older pensioners with a voucher for ham and turkey.
The funeral heard that Mr Fitzgerald also fought for international social justice causes.
During the Liverpool dockers' strike, he called for a weekly deduction from Waterford Crystal workers' wages to help striking workers. A plaque now stands in Liverpool, thanking Waterford Crystal staff for their support at a difficult time.
When the Waterford City glass plant was closing, he fought for the pensions for Waterford Crystal's workforce.
He was involved when workers occupied the Waterford City plant in 2009, after the iconic Irish company went bankrupt during the financial crash. The sit-in made international news and inspired a documentary.
His burial followed to St Mary's Cemetery, Ballygunner, Waterford.
Mr Fitzgerald was late of St Catherine's Grange and Avondale in Waterford. The widower is pre-deceased by his wife Kathleen, his father Jack, brother Mark and nephew Luke.
He is survived by his adult children Wayne, Joanne and Karl, his mother Maura, eight siblings, his four grandchildren, in-laws, extended family, neighbours and friends.