[1] He was educated locally and worked as a carpenter, before moving to Cork at the age of 24 where he established his own building firm.

At the time of the Parnell split, he sided with the Anti-Parnellite majority, joining the Irish National Federation.

[5] As chairman of the executive committee, he travelled throughout Ireland and Scotland collecting funds for the project.

Such was the success of the exhibition that it was continued for a second year and attended by King Edward VII who conferred a baronetcy on Fitzgerald.

[6] Fitzgerald unsuccessfully contested the Cork City constituency as an Independent Nationalist candidate at the January 1910 general election.