Fitzgibbon Cup semi-final pairings confirmed with UL taking on SETU Waterford

Four-time All-Ireland winner Barry Hennessy will be up against familiar faces next Thursday evening in the last four tie.

The University of Limerick will be on the road for their Fitzgibbon Cup semi-final next Thursday as they take on hosts SETU Waterford. Brian Ryan’s side are an hour away from the final as they seek to defend the crown they won in Carlow.

That game throws in at 7.30pm while University of Galway, last years runners-up, take on 2020 champions UCC in Tubber at 6.15pm. Both games will be all-ticket affairs but will be streamed live by Higher Education GAA.

UL booked their passage to the last four on Thursday evening with a dominant performance against UCD where they ran out 21-point winners. That was their eighth successive win in the competition with their previous defeat coming in 2020.

Hero from the 2022 final, Mikey Kiely grabbed a hat trick and was ably assisted by James Power (1-2) and Limerick’s Adam English who shot over 0-5 from play.

English was joined in the starting line up by Colin Coughlan who grabbed a trademark point midway through the first half with the Ballybrown man operating in midfield.

The University also have Limerick players Cathal O’Neill, Mark Quinlan and Rory Duff in their ranks.

SETU Waterford were the first side into the semi-finals after beating DCU 3-16 to 2-16 in a pulsating contest on Wednesday evening. The Waterford outfit have former Limerick goalkeeper Barry Hennessy in goals and are managed by Kilmallock boss Fintan O’Connor.

These sides met in the 2015 final where UL needed a replay to get over the then WIT. UL had future All-Ireland winner Dan Morrissey in midfield with Patrickswell’s Kevin O’Brien chipping in with a pair of scores in the victory.

WIT were last champions in 2014 while the University of Galway have to go back to 2011 for their most recent triumph.

The final of this year’s competition is to be played on Saturday February 19 in Waterford.

Fitzgibbon Cup Semi-Final Fixtures

Thursday, February 17

Univeristy of Galway v UCC at 6.15pm in Tubber, Co. Clare

SETU Waterford v UL at 7.30pm in WIT