OPINION | The return of the Fitzgibbon Cup is a timely boost for Limerick hurling

The Fitzgibbon Cup returns in January after falling foul of the pandemic in 2021.

This January there will be vested Limerick interest in the Fitzgibbon Cup with UL, Mary I and TUS MidWest all in action.

UL have been paired with TUS MidWest while Mary I are in the competitions group of death.

Nonetheless, the return of the Fitzgibbon will be a huge boost to Limerick circles with effect that the premier college’s hurling competition has had on Limerick in recent years is profound.

This is something which was reinforced by Gearoid Hegarty in the wake of the last years announcement that the competition would be cancelled.

Hegarty was one of seven current Limerick players that helped UL to the title in 2018 with the former Hurler of the Year elect lamenting the cancellation.

“That’s a big pity because I was only thinking about it with my brother in first year of college at the moment in UL. College hurling is really great platform to show intercounty managers, whether its U21 or senior, what you’re at and how good you are. I look back so fondly on both my Fitzgibbon and Sigerson.

“That Fitzgibbon cup medal was my sixth year of college. It was my last year and that medal is one I’ll always hold dear. We had a really good Fitzgibbon Cup team and if you look back, there’s a lot of very good players that went on to win an All-Ireland medal.”

That UL win was Limerick’s fourth successive triumph following UL’s previous victory in 2015 with Dan Morrissey at midfield and Mary I’s back-to-back in 2016-2017.

The 2016 win was the teacher training college’s maiden triumph with Richie English captaining the side and Declan Hannon top scoring in the final win over UL.

Current Limerick stars, Darragh O’Donovan, David Reidy and Cian Lynch also started that win for Eamonn Cregan’s side.

However, one of Limerick’s real success stories in the competition came in the 2017 win with the rise of Aaron Gillane.

After helping Patrickswell to the county title in the Autumn of 2016, Gillane was in sparkling form for Mary I the following spring, top scoring in the competition and finishing with 1-5 in the final as they retained their title.

Gillane ended the year with an U21 All-Ireland medal, the U21 Hurler of the Year award and a debut for the senior side after he was dropped from the set up prior to the Fitzgibbon cup campaign.

The impact of the competition is not lost on the Patrickswell man who said as much after his final game with the college in the 2019 Fitzgibbon Cup final, a loss to UCC.

“For myself personally, that rising star award was a great way to finish off hurling with Mary I. The Fitzgibbon Cup has been good to me these last few years, it’s a competition that obviously, means a lot to me.”

The path that Gillane helped pave is certainly becoming more frequently followed with Paddy O’Loughlin helping UCC to that crown in 2019 before earning a first start for Limerick in the championship later that summer.

Conor Boylan and Ronan Connolly were both on board as O’Loughlin captained the Cork college to retain their title in 2020 with the trio all holding a pair of All-Ireland medals.

In total, 16 of the 26-man squad named for Limerick’s All-Ireland final have Fitzgibbon Cup medals in their collection with 10 of the those named among the starting side.

Who will be the latest Limerick player to etch their name into Fitzgibbon Cup folklore? This January will tell.