UL Take On DCU St Pat’s In First Round Of 2017 O’Connor Cup

University of Limerick take on DCU St Pats in the first round of the O’Connor Cup tonight at Rhebogue – the home of St Patrick’s – with throw in at 8pm.

UL are looking to get this year’s campaign off to a winning start and ultimately go one step further that last year’s agonising 1-point defeat in the final to UCD.

The Limerick side are coming off a strong league campaign beating UCD in the league final 1-16 to 1-06, with many of their star performers in good form.

An experienced management team including Mayo Ladies senior selector DJ Collins and Tipperary senior hurler Niall O’Meara along with Colm Canning will ensured that the side is well drilled and focused on the task in hand.

They are captained by Kerry senior footballer Anna Galvin. Players in the panel include Laurie Ryan, the Clare senior ladies captain, 2016 Colleges all star goalkeeper Lisa Crowley, Galway’s Louise Ward, Cork senior Eimear Scally, Tipperary dual player Aisling McCarthy and Kerry senior Laura Rogers among others.

But the plethora of county players doesn’t end there with the panel also including Roscommon’s Joanne Cregg, Mayo’s Shauna Howley, Natasha Gaughan, sisters Rebecca and Nicola O’Malley and Emma Needham, Galway’s Shauna Molloy, Tipperary’s Sarah Everard, Maria Curley, Emma Buckley, dual player Roisin Howard and Elaine Fitzpatrick. Kerry’s Leah Henry and Ayesha Roche, and Cork’s Caoimhe Moore and Aisling Kelleher.

Further evidence that the composition of talent across all codes in the collegiate competitions each year is of the highest calibre.
DCU St Pats are coming into their first year in the O’Connor Cup after beating Mary I 0-12 to 1-08 in the Giles Cup final last year.
They have many good players on their panel as well, one being Mayo Senior and 2016 All Star nominee Niamh Kelly.

St Pat’s are eager to prove them selves worthy of the step up and with nothing to lose the Dublin side are poised to give UL a stern test in this opening fixture.

Sporting Limerick wish UL the very best of luck as they are aiming to win their first title in two years and their 10th title altogether.