Draw made for Higher Education GAA Championships
The draws for the 2012 Higher Education GAA Championships, including the prestigious Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cups, were made this afternoon in Croke Park.
The Sigerson Cup semi-finals and final will be hosted by NUI Galway in 2012 on February 24 and 25 respectively, with reigning champions UCC pitted against GMIT in the opening round.
In the Fitzgibbon Cup, current title holders UL have been paired with city rivals Limerick IT and St. Patrick's Drumcondra/Mater Dei.
The stand-out tie in the opening round of the Sigerson Cup is between 2010 champions DCU and fellow previous winners Cork Institute of Technology, which is a home game for DCU.
Weekend hosts NUI Galway face St. Mary's, Belfast in a home clash, while the meeting of University of Ulster, Jordanstown and UL is likely to be played at a neutral venue.
DIT are at home to Division 1 league finalists IT Carlow. IT Tralee will face IT Sligo, while Queen's University entertain NUI Maynooth and UCD will also have home advantage against Athlone IT.
The first round games will take place on either Tuesday, January 31 or Wednesday, February 1.
The Fitzgibbon Cup continues with the round robin format of recent years, with four groups put in place. Cork IT, Waterford IT and UCD are in Group A, with DIT, IT Carlow and NUI Galway paired together in Group B.
UL, Limerick IT and St Patrick's/Mater Dei will battle it out in Group C, while UCC, DCUU and GMIT will face off in Group D.
The top two teams in each group qualify for the quarter-finals, which will take place on either Tuesday, February 21 or Wednesday, February 22.
The concluding stages of the centenary Fitzgibbon Cup will be hosted by UCC on Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3.
2012 HIGHER EDUCATION FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP DRAWS:
Sigerson Cup - Round 1 - NUI Galway v St. Mary's, Belfast; UUJ v UL; DCU v Cork IT; DIT v IT Carlow; IT Tralee v IT Sligo; UCC v GMIT; Queen's University Belfast v NUI Maynooth; UCD v Athlone IT.
Trench Cup - Round 1 - Mary Immaculate College v IT Blanchardstown; Letterkenny IT v IT Tallaght; Waterford IT v BMC; St. Pat's, Drumcondra v Dundalk IT; UU Coleraine v Limerick IT. Quarter-Finals - Mary I/ITB v UUC/LIT; LKIT/ITT v WIT/BMC; Trinity College v St. Pat's. Drumcondra/DKIT.
Corn na Mac Leinn - Round 1 - Mater Dei v UU Magee; GMIT Castlebar v GMIT Letterfrack; LIT Tipperary v NCI; The Law School v St. Pat's, Thurles. Quarter-Finals - Mater Dei/UUM v LITT/NCI; Marino College v GMIT Castlebar/GMIT Letterfrack; Cadets v RCSI; Law School/St. Pat's, Thurles v Froebel College.
Further Education Football Championship - Quarter--Finals - SRC v Carlow IFE; Drogheda v Coláiste Ide; O Fiach Col v NWRC; Cavan Inst v CCFE.
2012 HIGHER EDUCATION HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP DRAWS:
Fitzgibbon Cup - Group A - CIT, WIT, UCD Group B - DIT, IT Carlow, NUIG. Group C - UL, LIT, St. Pat's/Mater Dei. Group D - UCC, DCU, GMIT.
Ryan Cup - Round 1 - Mary Immaculate College v Trinity College; It Sligo v NUIM; AIT v IT Tralee; Queen's University Belfast v UUJ.
Fergal Maher Cup - Round 1 - IT Tallaght v Marino College; Dundalk IT v IT Blanchardstown; GMIT Letterfrack v Cork Colleges of Further Education. Quarter-Finals - St Pat's, Thurles v DKIT/ITB; GMIT Letterfrack/CCFE v IT Tallaght/Marino College; St Marys University College Belfast v LIT Tipperary. Semi-Finals - St Pat's, Thurles/DKIT/ITB v Napier University; GMIT Letterfrack/CCFE/ITT/Marino v St. Mary's/LIT Tipperary.
