Red-hot Lynch scorches DCU as Sligo roar to Lynch Cup glory
FLYING HIGH: ATU Sligo captain Ciara Corrigan, centre, lifts the trophy with team-mates following the 2026 AIG Lynch Cup Final between ATU Sligo and DCU Dóchas Éireann at DCU St Clare’s, Dublin. The 2026 AIG Ladies HEC Finals are being hosted by DCU Dóchas Éireann. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile
Deirbhile Lynch bagged an impressive personal haul of 2-3 as ATU Sligo defeated DCU Dóchas Éireann (4) in the AIG Lynch Cup decider at the DCU Sportsgrounds on Saturday.
Moynihan Cup champions in 2024, ATU Sligo enjoyed a dream start to this contest when centre-forward Lynch got on the end of a fast-moving attack to fire home a goal with just 15 seconds gone on the clock. This score was immediately supplemented by a well-taken point from Monaghan’s Rebecca Higgins, before Shauna Hagan and Colleen Hughes raised white flags at the opposite end to get DCU up and running in the first of three finals the college at set to play in today.
Yet ATU Sligo reinforced their authority with fine efforts courtesy of Higgins and Mayo midfielder Hannah Sheehy and while DCU vice-captain Hughes added to her personal tally, their Connacht counterparts once again fired back with Cara King and Lynch points.
Although Emma O’Brien and Hughes added further scores for DCU, additional points from Lynch, Higgins and Sheehy were complimented by a superb Keeva Farmer goal on 25 minutes to propel ATU Sligo towards a 2-8 to 0-5 interval cushion.
This left DCU in a precarious position on the resumption, but the capital-based college came roaring back into contention when a point from midfielder Aine Smith was followed up by a goal courtesy of the increasingly-influential Hughes.
This ramped up the pressure on their opponents, but Liam Gilmartin’s Yeats County outfit regained momentum when the raiding King scrambled home from close-range for her side’s third major on 38 minutes.
The excellent Lynch and Orla Hennessy also found the range as the third-quarter developed, but credit must go to a determined DCU for the way they persevered with their challenge. Thanks to a brace of points from Hagan and Hughes, as well as a single effort by Sligo native Rianne Smith, the Metropolitan side reduced their deficit to five with a little under six minutes of normal time remaining.
However, ATU never allowed panic to creep into their play and Lynch added her second goal of the day after DCU’s Orla O’Connor had originally turned away her 56th minute penalty. Coolera/Strandhill attacker Anna McDaniel went from there to bag a 1-1 salvo in second half stoppage-time, which ensured that ATU Sligo claimed Lynch Cup honours in considerable style.
D Lynch 2-3 (0-3f), C King, A McDaniel 1-1 each, K Farmer 1-0, R Higgins 0-3, H Sheehy 0-2, O Hennessy 0-1.
C Hughes 1-5 (0-3f), S Hagan 0-3, A Smith, R Smith, E O’Brien 0-1 each.
C Gallagher; C Treanor, C Corrigan, L Galvin; N O’Rourke, L McCartan, C King; H Sheehy, C Walsh; H Prendergast, D Lynch, A McDaniel; O Hennessy, R Higgins, K Farmer. Subs: C Brennan for Prendergast (42), N McDonagh for Sheehy, E McNamara for Farmer (both 47), D Healy for Galvin (54), H Kerins for O’Rourke (60).
O O’Connor; E Canavan, R Lennon, H Gilligan; S Kelly, S Slattery, M Macken; S Hagan, A Smith; E O’Brien, R Smith, K Doherty; A Boland, C Hughes, R Reilly. Subs: L Murphy for Canavan (h-t), S Reilly for Macken, E Hickey for O’Brien (both 36), A Doohan for Doherty (48), S Goode for Boland (56).
Seamus Mulvihill (Kerry).
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