University of Limerick aim to keep Sigerson Cup dream alive

UNIVERSITY of Limerick Sigerson Cup manager Declan Brouder feels the Higher Education football competition allows students the opportunities to get to know players from other counties. 

UL face TU Dublin in the Sigerson Cup quarter-final on Tuesday evening in Grangegorman at 7pm. The match will be available to watch on the GAA Higher Education YouTube channel. 

University of Limerick are aiming to keep their hopes alive of winning the Sigerson Cup for the first time this year. The Limerick college have came up short in the 1997, 2022 and 2023 Sigerson Cup deciders. 

"It's given me an appreciation as a manager just watching lads come together and watching friendships develop. I've met a few people that have left our group and it's something that I'm very strong on. It's brillant to be able to go and meet somebody when this is all over and to shake hands with them and catch up with them. 

I think Sigerson Cup football gives students a real opportunity to mingle with lads from other counties and make lasting friendships" said Brouder. 

The Newcastle West clubman is expecting a tough battle against TU Dublin in the last eight of the Sigerson Cup. 

"First and foremost we are away and we have to navigate the trip to Dublin. There's challenge in that itself. TU Dublin had two big wins in the competition. They're are a real force in this competition and we've a huge task on our hands tomorrow night to go to Dublin and to perform."

"The fact that we had three games, we've won two of them and lost one of them by a point and we're getting ready for a quarter-final. I would have to say that I'm happy and very much looking forward to the quarter-final."

UL comfortably defeated ATU Galway in round one. Ulster University narrowly got the better of University of Limerick in round two. Meanwhile, Brouder's charges got their campaign on track last Wednesday against University of Galway. Two goals from Cian O'Grady and a goal from Cian McHale proved crucial in their round three victory over the Galway college. 

Limerick's Cormac Woulfe and Darragh O'Hagan have featured for UL throughout the Sigerson Cup. Woulfe vice-captains the side and Darragh O'Hagan has lined in midfield for the Castletroy college. 

"Cormac and Darragh have been excellent this year. Cormac is in his second year with us and he's our vice-captain and he is really driving the charge. Darragh has forced his way into the group and into the team throughout league and he is real value for money in terms of what he has given us right now. Delighted to have the two lads and delighted to see them blossoming within the group."

The former Limerick U21 manager puts high standards down as a reaon to why UL have made strides in the Sigerson Cup. 

"We have a mix of different players from different counties, a lot of counties where football is number one. That's very evident when you get to know some of these guys that football is a very serious part of their own identity. We have a very high standard of footballer in the Univeristy of Limerick. More so, we're delighted to have the characters over the last couple of years that want to play for UL and represent their jersey."