UL claim historic double with Fitzgibbon Cup final triumph over local rivals Mary I

University of Limerick celebrate their Fitzgibbon Cup victory. Pic: Tom O’Hanlon/Inpho

Fitzgibbon Cup final: University of Limerick 4-31 Mary Immaculate College 3-21 

University of Limerick’s starlet-studded side were too good for their local rivals as they claimed an historic Fitzgibbon-Sigerson double.

This was a 10th Fitzgibbon Cup for UL and it was achieved with flourish. On the lush Croke Park surface, Limerick’s Cathal O’Neill was in his element with seven points. Dungourney’s Jack Leahy accumulated 1-5 and Darragh McCarthy was immaculate in his free-taking.

Scoring 1-12, O’Neill’s county club-mate Shane O’Brien gave a virtuouso display for Mary Immaculate College but he could only do so much on an evening where UL manager Brian Ryan felt the venue worked in his side’s favour.

“The space here gave us a great opportunity and we knew we had the hurlers executed,” he said. “We needed to get the ball in fast to them in open space and we had the calibre inside, we knew that.

“It's absolutely magnificent and we played on a couple of pitches in the last couple of years that with all due respect to the clubs that organised those, they were substandard, really.

“So, you're going to see the best of the talent, plus the inter-county managers want their players playing in good pitches where they won't pick up injuries easily.” 

O’Brien was terrific for Mary I and Ryan sensed he was always going to cause his team difficulty. “We put in young Darren Langan on him and he did a fine job, but he did create chances and if more chances arose he would have punished us.”

UL's Adam English celebrates his sides 2nd goal. Pic: Tom O’Hanlon/Inpho

Three goals inside eight first-half minutes set UL on their way to success. Jack O’Neill started and finished a sixth minute goal, completing a one-two with Aidan O’Connor having been untracked down the right wing.

It was a characteristic of a costly period for Mary I who if they weren’t picking up UL’s runners were suffering on their own puck-outs.

Adam English pounced for a second goal less than two minutes later after a quick Mary I restart following a Cathal O’Neill wide. Again, the scorer was the initiator of the attack. English cut out the puck-out, soloed through the middle and tapped the sliotar beyond Darragh Walsh to put UL three up.

A third UL goal landed in the 14th minute. Adam Screeney was the provider for Leahy and UL jumped into a four-point lead.

Leahy was one of the UL highlights in an opening period where at times it seemed they had the run of the place. As well as posting 3-13, UL shot seven wides to Mary I’s four.

Fresh from making his seasonal appearance off the bench for Limerick against Kilkenny last weekend, Cathal O’Neill was enjoying himself and notched five points before half-time, the last two coming within seconds of each other as another Mary I puck-out was spoiled.

Credit to Jamie Wall’s side, they continued to keep the scoreboard ticking over despite the goal setbacks. Back from a hamstring strain, O’Brien was dangerous in possession and picked off three first-half points from play.

UL's Mark Fitzgerald pulls away from Adam Daly. Pic: Tom O’Hanlon/Inpho

Joe Caesar, known more as a defender for Tipperary, showed his versatility in attack scoring a brace of points. Ronan O’Connor was industrious in midfield too but behind them their team were being overrun at times and the margin at the break, 3-13 to 0-13, was justified.

Mary I had little other than a small sniff at a goal in the first half but two came their way inside the third quarter. UL substitute Conor Martin was whistled for fouling Oisín O’Farrell in the penalty area in the 40th minute and O’Brien duly dispatched the ball to the net to close the margin to eight points.

UL cancelled it out with three points on the bounce, two of them from McCarthy (one from play) before Caesar fired a second Mary I goal in the 46th minute.

It didn’t get much better for Mary I. UL recovered with two points, Colin Coughlan bringing his tally to three points. O’Brien’s own haul grew but he was fighting a tide and substitute Fionn Fitzgerald’s 57th minute goal expanded the difference to 14 points.

A rasping strike by Ben Currivan seconds later was unstoppable and gave Mary I a little more respectability on the scoreboard but again UL responded.

“That's what we've worked on over the last couple of weeks,” said Ryan. “Once we've conceded a score, we got back on the horse pretty quickly and we got the next score.” Next week, team-mates will become rivals as Limerick and Tipperary clash in Thurles Ryan underlined the importance of the Fitzgibbon Cup at a time of the year where they are juggling several commitments.

“It's difficult for us but it's also very difficult for the county managers and we appreciate it and are thankful for their commitment to supporting the players.

“It's difficult for the players themselves, they're serving two masters for a short period of time. But Fitzgibbon is over five weeks. It's a competition that lasts long in their memories of their hurling careers and it should be given that little bit of space in order for young players to have that rite of passage in university to play Fitzgibbon or Sigerson.” 

Scorers for University of Limerick: J. Leahy (1-5); D. McCarthy (0-8, 7 frees); C. O’Neill (0-7); A. English, F. Fitzgerald (1-1 each); J. O’Neill (1-0); C. Coughlan, A. O’Connor (0-3 each); O. O’Donoghue, A. Screeney, D. Stritch (0-1 each).

Scorers for Mary Immaculate College: S. O’Brien (1-12, 1-0 pen, 0-7 frees, 0-1 65); J. Caesar (1-3); B. Currivan (1-0); D. Walsh (free), R. O’Connor, O. O’Farrell, J. Quilty, S. Walsh, D. Campbell (0-1 each).

UL: D. Fahy (Ardrahan, Galway); C. Smyth (Midleton, Cork), D. Langan (Monaleen, Limerick), A. Morgan (Kilruane MacDonaghs, Tipperary); K. Doyle (Emeralds, Kilkenny); M. Fitzgerald (Passage, Waterford), C. Coughlan (c, Ballybrown, Limerick); A. English (Doon, Limerick), J. O’Neill (Clooney-Quin, Limerick); A. O’Connor (Ballybrown, Limerick), C. O’Neill (Crecora-Manister, Limerick), A. Screeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey, Offaly); D. McCarthy (Toomevara, Tipperary), O. O’Donoghue (Cashel King Cormacs, Tipperary), J. Leahy (Dungourney, Cork).

Subs: J. Fitzgerald (Monaleen, Limerick) for C. Smyth (23); C. Martin (Cappawhite, Tipperary) for A. Morgan (inj 40); D. Stritch (Clonlara, Tipperary) for O. O’Donoghue (45); F. Fitzgerald (Mungret St Paul’s) for J. O’Neill (56); I. Shanahan (Ballinakill, Laois) for D. Langan (60).

MICL: D. Walsh (Turloughmore, Galway); B. Drohan (St Molleran’s, Waterford), V. Harrington (Na Piarsaigh, Limerick), E. Lawless (j-c, Athenry, Galway); D. Campbell (Cappataggle, Galway), J. Quilty (Blackrock, Limerick), C. Scully (Dromin-Athlacca, Limerick); D. Whelan (Turloughmore, Galway), R. O’Connor (Feakle, Clare); S. Walsh (Tullaroan, Kilkenny), J. Caesar (Holycross-Ballycahill, Tipperary), A. Daly (Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams, Tipperary); E. Craddock (Holycross-Ballycahill, Tipperary); S. O’Brien (Kilmallock, Limerick), O. O’Farrell (Askeaton-Ballysteen-Kilcornan, Limerick).

Subs: C. Quinn (Cashel King Cormacs, Tipperary) for J. Quilty (h-t); A. Hogan (Feakle, Clare) for E. Lawless (37); B. Currivan (Golden-Kilfeacle, Tipperary) for S. Walsh (40); C. Lawless (Athenry, Galway) for V. Harrington (47); P. Finn (Bruff, Limerick) for E. Craddock (60).

Referee: L. Gordon (Galway).