'We’re all able to put the county stuff aside because we all wanted to do this together'

“In two or three months’ time we’ll be on opposite teams tearing lumps out of each other but we all know how it works, today is a great day."

Mon, 17 Feb, 2025 - 06:06

Kevin Egan, Connacht COE, Bekan

Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup final: UL 0-23 DCU DÉ 1-15

A five-point surge in the five minutes after half-time was a key factor in a star-studded UL team shaking off their dogged DCU opponents in Saturday’s Fitzgibbon Cup final, as Limerick’s stranglehold on this famous 110-year-old trophy was confirmed.

This victory was UL’s third in four years and the eighth time in ten renewals that the cup has ended up in their hands or in those of city rivals Mary I, while DCU’s bid for a first ever win, and a first success for any Leinster school since UCD’s win in 2001, never looked likely to succeed, for all their resilience and persistence.

“We know ourselves we took our foot off the pedal for a few phases, but when you look at the pitch out there, it’s very soft and not ideal for fast hurling” said Mark Fitzgerald, who anchored the victory from the centre-back berth.

“Winter hurling is all about rucks and winning your own dirty ball. You just have to get stuck into them, you know it’s going to be part of the game when pitches are like this” said the Waterford defender.

“We said at half-time that there were going to be spells in the game where we’d have to dig in and grind out the win. The lads that came off the bench played a huge part, we’ve guys there that would get into any team”.

Four points off the bench certainly made a difference in a five-point win, as did the physical power that Seán Rynne, Seán O’Hanlon, Diarmuid Hanniffy and in particular Cathal O’Neill made, after coming into the fray.

UL started both halves in an explosive fashion, but after spectacular points from John Connealy, Fitzgerald and Gearóid O’Connor pushed them 0-5 to 0-1 ahead with a little under ten minutes played, DCU dug their heels in and gradually got back on level terms, before trailing by the minimum – 0-9 to 0-8 – at the interval.

Peter Clarke picked off a couple of nice scores, Joe Flanagan showed great craft to dodge a tackle and split the uprights while Denis Walsh was in good form from frees, but it was the defiance and strength of Donal Shirley at midfield and Paddy Langton at centre back that really gave the underdogs hope that they might repeat their shock wins over Mary I and UCC.

Even so, UL inaccuracy was a factor. Brian Ryan’s side shot eight first half wides and dropped another two shots short, while they never looked like creating a goal chance either, notwithstanding one second-half effort from Jack Leahy that was fired over the bar by the Dungourney man.

By then however, UL had breathing room. Leahy, Adam English and half-time sub Seán O’Hanlon contributed to the run of five in a row after the break, and once Cathal O’Neill joined the fray, DCU were reduced to picking away at the fringes, working hard just to stay even slightly in touch. By the time they did break through for a goal off the stick of Cathal Beirne in stoppage time, UL’s atonement for last year’s final defeat in Abbeydorney was complete.

“It’s always going to be at the back of your mind, last year was a hard one for the lads of us that were there. But we’ve a few unreal second years there that didn’t experience that, so they brought that new lease of life and a different energy to the group. But absolutely, the lads that were there last year, we knew we had to right the wrong” said Fitzgerald.

“We had a few league games there before Christmas, we got to have a few nights out to bond the group together and I think it shows. It’s great to have good hurlers but if you don’t have that team spirit, you’ll be beaten by another team that does.

“In two or three months’ time we’ll be on opposite teams tearing lumps out of each other but we all know how it works, today is a great day, a brilliant day, and we’re all able to put the county stuff aside because we all wanted to do this together”.

Seán Rynne, Cathal O’Neill, Seán O’Hanlon and Diarmuid Hanniffy ensured the lead never dropped below five points, even when Cathal Beirne whipped in a late goal for DCU.

Scorers for UL: G O’Connor (0-10, 0-6f), A English (0-2), J Leahy (0-2), S O‘Hanlon (0-2), J Connealy (0-1), K Doyle (0-1), M Fitzgerald (0-1), B O’Sullivan (0-1), A O’Connor (0-1), C O’Neill (0-1), D Hanniffy (0-1).

Scorers for DCU: D Walsh (0-8, 0-7f), C Beirne (1-1), P Clarke (0-2), C Boran (0-2), J Flanagan (0-1), D Carley (0-1).

UL: D Fahy (Ardrahan, Galway); A Morgan (Kilruane McDonaghs, Tipperary), J Conneally (Clooney/Quin, Clare), M Corcoran (Silvermines, Tipperary); K Doyle (Emeralds, Kilkenny), M Fitzgerald (Passage East, Waterford), C Coughlan (Ballybrown, Limerick); B O'Sullivan, (Kanturk, Cork), A English (Doon, Limerick); P Crotty (Scarriff, Clare), C O'Meara (Clonlara, Clare), G O'Connor (Moyne Templetuohy, Tipperary); J Leahy (Dungourney, Cork), A O'Connor (Ballybrown, Limerick), P O'Donovan (Effin, Limerick).

Subs: S O'Hanlon (Turloughmore, Galway) for O’Donovan (half-time), C O'Neill (Crecora, Limerick) for Leahy (40), S Rynne (Inagh Kilnamona, Clare) for O’Sullivan (48), D Hanniffy (Oranmore-Maree, Galway) for Crotty (54).

DCU: C Byrne (St. Mary's Rosslare, Wexford); I Bolger (Graiguenamanagh, Kilkenny), P Moylan (Dicksboro, Kilkenny), P Lennon (Carrickshock, Kilkenny); B Reid (Glenmore, Kilkenny), P Langton (Young Irelands, Kilkenny), S Bourke (Ballinamere, Offaly); D Shirley (Brosna Gaels, Offaly), C Spain (Kilcormac-Killoughey, Offaly); C Beirne (Glenmore, Kilkenny), C Boran (Naas, Kildare), D Carley (Glynn-Barntown, Wexford); J Flanagan (Naomh Barróg, Dublin), D Walsh (Dunnamaggin, Kilkenny), P Clarke (Castletown Geoghegan, Westmeath).

Subs: C Kehoe (St. Mullin’s, Carlow) for Carley (48), C Dunne (Clough/Ballacolla, Laois) for Walsh (52).

Referee: Johnny Murphy (Limerick).