Draft:George Fitzgerald (author)

George Fitzgerald (born 1964) is an Irish author, musician, and filmmaker from the Ballymun and Finglas areas of Dublin in Ireland. He is best known for his autobiographical books and as a founding member of the 1980s soul/funk band D11 Runners.

Raised in Ballymun and later Finglas South, Fitzgerald began his creative career as a boxerTemplate:Clarify before turning to music with his twin brother Joseph, the band's lead singer. The D11 Runners achieved national success with singles such as "I Surrender" and "Yeah! Yeah!",Template:Clarify and were reputedly an inspiration for the book by Roddy Doyle The Commitments (novel).

Following his brother's death in 2012, Fitzgerald shifted his focus to writing and filmmaking, publishing autobiographical and fiction works including We Lived in the Sky, The Ticking Clock, Somebody Up There Likes Me Too, and The Promise Maker. His work often draws from his upbringing in Dublin’s inner city. He has also produced historical documentaries and a series of audiobooks, blending personal history with wider social commentary.Template:Fact

D11 Runners

The D11 Runners were a Dublin-based soul and funk band formed in the mid-1980s, featuring George Fitzgerald and his twin brother Joseph. The band was managed by Louis Walsh, and they were friends with Christy Dignam, the lead singer of the Irish rock band Aslan.Template:Fact

They are widely believedTemplate:By whom? to have inspired Roddy Doyle's novel The Commitments (novel), which was later adapted into a film of the same name The Commitments (film) directed by Alan Parker. George Fitzgerald and his brother met with Roddy Doyle in a café to share the story of how they started the band. Doyle used their story as the foundation for his book, which was published a year later, followed by the film adaptation the year after.Template:Fact

At their peak, the D11 Runners were on the cusp of major success, with a record deal reportedly on the table with EMI.Template:Fact They enjoyed considerable popularity, performing for audiences as large as 80,000 people in Phoenix Park, and scored hit singles in both Ireland and the UK.Template:Fact

However, after the release of The Commitments—a film inspired by the D11 Runners' story—the band’s momentum suffered.Template:Or-inline They became overshadowed, often relegated to opening or side acts for the Commitments band during tours. While the movie brought widespread attention to the genre and story, it inadvertently diminished the buzz around the actual band, stalling their rise despite their early promise.Template:Or-inline

Religious conversion and evangelism

As a young man, George Fitzgerald experienced a religious conversion while working as a plasterer at St. Mark's Church in Dublin on Pearse Street.Template:Tone-inline According to Fitzgerald, a member of the church approached him and offered to pray for him, which he later described as a life-changing moment, saying, "It was like heaven opened up". Following this experience, Fitzgerald became sober and began devoting his life to Christian ministry.Template:Fact

He became a street evangelist, active in some of Dublin’s most deprived and dangerous neighborhoods.Template:Fact He entered drug dens and broken-down flats, confronting addicts and gang members, and encouraging them to attend church. ManyTemplate:Who? of those he reached experienced lasting personal transformation.Template:Fact At one point, it was said that a significant portion of the congregation at St. Mark's Church consisted of working-class Dubliners, former criminals, and recovered addicts, many of whomTemplate:Fact had encountered Fitzgerald during his outreach work.Template:Fact

Writer

Fitzgerald's literary career spans autobiographical works, historical fiction, and reflective memoirs.

His debut book, Somebody Up There Likes Me Too (2005), is an autobiography, providing insight into his early life and personal experiences.

From The Manuscripts (2009) through Frankie's Little Miss Madser (2023), Fitzgerald wrote a series of fictional novels set in an older Dublin, exploring the city's social and cultural life from the time of the Monto to the modern day. These works combine historical settings with contemporary themes, often reflecting the nuances of Dublin’s neighborhoods and communities.

Beginning with We Lived In the Sky (2024), Fitzgerald returned to memoir and reflective writing, chronicling different epochs of his life. Titles such as From up In the Sky to Down on the Ground (2024), My Name is George Don't Call Me Twinny (2024), and Growing up in Finglas In The Seventies (2024) continue this pattern, offering insight into his personal growth, experiences, and observations. Subsequent works, including The Bumble Bee In a Book Shop (2024), My Very Special Friend (2025), Don't You Know Apples Only Grow In Finglas (2025), Coming of Age (2025), I Have an Idea Joe (2025), Did I Ever Tell You About Frankie? (2025), A Butterfly on Wellington Quay (2025), and Weaping Moore Street (2025), maintain this reflective and autobiographical focus.Template:Fact

Radio career

In addition to his work as an author and musician, George Fitzgerald has made notableTemplate:Says who? contributions to Irish radio. He was the presenter of Motivational Journeys, a program on 92.5 Phoenix FM. The show is described as an hour-long segment featuring stories "from darkness to light and craft to creation", focusing on the empowerment of personalities and life-changing tales.Template:Fact

Fitzgerald has been featured on various programmes, including D15 Today, where he discussed his audiobooks and contributions to publications like Little Village.Template:Fact

Additionally, he has appeared on Getting To Know You, a show on 92.5 Phoenix FM, where he shared insights into his background and creative endeavours. Template:Fact

Through these platforms, Fitzgerald has engaged with a broader audience, sharing his experiences and perspectives on personal growth, community, and the arts.Template:Tone-inline

Bibliography

Year	Title	Author
2005	Somebody Up There Likes Me Too	George Fitzgerald
2009	The Manuscripts	George Fitzgerald
2012	The Ticking Clock	George Fitzgerald
2016	The Secret Life of Ashley Brown	George Fitzgerald
2019	The Promise Maker	George Fitzgerald
2023	Frankie's Little Miss Madser	George Fitzgerald
2024	We Lived In the Sky	George Fitzgerald
2024	From up In the Sky to Down on the Ground	George Fitzgerald
2024	My Name is George Don't Call Me Twinny	George Fitzgerald
2024	Growing up in Finglas In The Seventies	George Fitzgerald
2024	The Bumble Bee In a Book Shop	George Fitzgerald
2025	My Very Special Friend	George Fitzgerald
2025	Don't You Know Apples Only Grow In Finglas	George Fitzgerald
2025	Coming of Age	George Fitzgerald
2025	I Have an Idea Joe	George Fitzgerald
2025	Did I Ever Tell You About Frankie?	George Fitzgerald
2025	A Butterfly on Wellington Quay	George Fitzgerald
2025	Weaping Moore Street	George Fitzgerald

Sources

<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>