UL and TUS set for Limerick derby in the Fitzgibbon Cup

The final two Limerick colleges kick off their Fitzgibbon Cup campaign this evening.

This Thursday evening, there is a clash of the Limerick colleges in the Fitzgibbon Cup as UL host TUS MidWest at 7.30pm.

The sides are paired together in group D with TUD Dublin the other side in the group.

Yesterday, Mary I opened their campaign with a five point loss to defending champions UCC. Ronan Connolly, Ciaran Barry, Will Henn and the Boylan brothers Conor and Jerome were a part of the victorious side while Jason Gillane clipped over a pair of points for the Limerick college.

UL are Limerick’s most successful team in the competition with the 2018 win, their sixth overall success. That squad was backboned by eleven Limerick men, with five of those starting last year’s All-Ireland final with Sen Finn, Barry Nash, Gearoid Hegarty, Tom Morrissey and Kyle Hayes all a part of the star studded squad.

The Castletroy outfit are well represented again this year with Shannonsiders in the form of Brian O’Grady (Kilteely Dromkeen), Jamie Power (Monaleen), Diarmuid Hegarty (St Patricks), Ben Herlihy (Castletown Ballyagran), Conor O’Grady (Hospital Herbertstown), Mark Quinlan (Garryspillane) and Mungret St Pauls’ duo Rory Duff and Matt O’Sullivan.

Their opponents, TUS Midwest have the highest Limerick representation with eight locals on the 31-man squad. They are Cathal Downes (Kildimo Pallaskenry), Ethan Hurley (Newcastle West), Kevin Morrissey (Ahane), Louis Dee (Mungret St Pauls), Michael Cremin (Newcastle West), Patrick Kirby (Patrickswell), Ross Kenny and Tomas O’Connor (both Ballybrown).

Throw in at Maguires Field in UL is at 7.30pm with TUS in action against TUD next Wednesday. UL play the Dublin outfit the following week. The top two teams in the group advance to the next round.

Elsewhere, on Wednesday, Cian Lynch’s NUIG had a 1-21 to 1-18 win over UCD with the Patrickswell man notching three points from midfield. They play Mary I next Wednesday in Galway while UCD take on UCC.

2020 finalists DCU beat Maynooth 0-21 to 0-11 while IT Carlow were 1-21 to 2-16 victors against WIT.