Fitzgibbon and Sigerson Cup draws made with Limerick colleges derby in the hurling

The draws for the 2022 third level education GAA tournaments were made yesterday.

Limerick’s three Fitzgibbon Cup colleges discovered their opponents for the 2022 Fitzgibbon Cup yesterday with a limerick derby in Group D.

UL and TUS Mid West have been paired together and will meet in the opening round of the competition which takes place on the week commencing January 17. TU Dublin completes the line up in that group with round two taking place on on the week commencing January 24 and the final round the following week. TUS Mid West take on TU Dublin in round two with UL facing the capital outfit the week after.

2016 and ’17 winner Mary I have been handed an extremely difficult task as they were drawn in Group A alongside UCC, UCD and NUIG. Those three occupy the top spots in the Fitzgibbon Cup with UCC on 40, UCD winning 32 and NUIG the only other side in double figures with 10.

UCC are the current holders have won the past two editions of the championship in 2019 and ’20. They take on Mary I in the first round. The teacher training college then play NUIG who will have a certain Cian Lynch in their ranks. Lynch was instrumental in helping Mary to their only ever titles. They round out their campaign against UCD.

In all groups, the top two teams advance to the quarter-finals which will be played on Wednesday / Thursday February 9/10.

The semi-finals are yet to be confirmed but the final will take place in Carlow IT on the weekend of February 19/20.

UL are the only Limerick representative in the Sigerson Cup which kicks off on the week commencing January 10, a week prior to the Fitzgibbon Cup.

UL will face Sligo IT with the Sigerson operating on a straight knockout basis.

if UL are successful against Sligo then they will meet either IT Carlow or DYIT in Round 2.

The winners of that move into the quarter-finals which commence the week starting 31 January.

The Limerick college will be boosted by the presence of three-time All-Star and Kerry captain David Clifford who will make his first championship appearance for the college next month.