ALL-CONQUERING University of Limerick, UL, impressively retained their Fitzgibbon Cup (Higher Education Colleges’ Hurling) title at the expense of local rivals Mary Immaculate College, 4-31 to 3-21, at Croke Park.
It completed a dream first double for the college after the win of its footballers in the Sigerson decider over UCC a couple of days earlier at the same venue.
Limerick ace Cathal O’Neill (Crecora/Manister), who struck seven lovely points from play, picked up the man of the match award, while there were other fine local contributions from Darragh Langan (Monaleen), captain Colin Coughlan (0-3, Ballybrown), Adam English (1-1, Doon) and Aidan O’Connor (0-3, Ballybrown), while there were introductions off the bench for Joe Fitzgerald (Monaleen) and Fintan Fitzgerald (1-1, Mungret St Paul’s).
Jack Leahy (1-5, Cork) and Darragh McCarthy (0-8, Tipperary) jointly top-scored for the winners, for whom Adam Screeney (Offaly) is another incredible talent.
Kilmallock’s Shane O’Brien scored a superb 1-12 for the runners-up.
UL manager Brian Ryan (South Liberties) called on the GAA to provide players with exclusion from inter-county activity in the early part of a year.
In a post-match interview with TG4, he said: “Well, unfortunately, the club has a space now, the county has a space, but Fitzgibbon has been squeezed, you know, it would be great if some support were given to the idea of the Fitzgibbon hurler being given exclusion from the early rounds of the National League in order to be able to play in this magnificent competition, which is one of the oldest GAA competitions.”
“The Fitzgibbon Cup was presented in 1912, the Liam MacCarthy Cup in 1923, the Sam Maguire in 1928, the Sigerson presented in 1911. These are historic competitions that should be protected.”
He also suggested a reduction from 12 down to eight in the number of participating teams.
UL won the first of its ten Fitzggibbon Cup titles under the captaincy of Ahane’s Darragh O’Neill in 1994.