Limerick hurling stars inspire UL to Fitzgibbon Cup final victory over DCU

UNIVERSITY of Limerick have been crowned Higher Education Fitzgibbon Cup champions after they defeated DCU 0-23 to 1-15 on Saturday afternoon in the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence. 

UL claimed their third Fitzgibbon Cup title in four years and ninth overall in the decider which was played in Mayo.

Limerick senior hurlers Colin Coughlan, Adam English, Aidan O'Connor, Patrick O'Donovan and Cathal O'Neill all featured in UL's Fitzgibbon final victory. O'Neill made his return from a hamstring injury he picked up before Christmas in the league final. 

The opening period ebbed and flowed and there was nothing between the sides as UL led 0-9 to 0-8 at the interval.

Six points in a row from UL straight after the break proved to be a huge turning point in this contest. The victors were always able to keep in front of their opponents in the second half.  

Full-back John Conneally and Gearoid O'Connor got last year's Fitzgibbon Cup finalists off to a bright start with early scores. On five minutes, DCU's Denis Walsh replied with a point from a free. 

UL were finding space in the middle third which resulted in O'Connor, Adam English and Mark Fitzgerald all landing long range scores to push their side 0-5 to 0-1 in front. 

The Dublin college began to run the ball from deep and they were rewarded for their efforts when Denis Walsh, Cian Boran and Cathal Beirne reduced the gap to the minimium for the second time in the first half. 

However, UL were able to get their scores easier than their opponents. O'Connor and Brian O'Sullivan combined on 20 minutes to put their college 0-7 to 0-4 clear. 

DCU rallied once again, however. Dublin hurler Joe Flanagan, Darragh Carley and Peter Clarke made it 0-7 apiece three minutes before the break.

However, UL didn't let the game stay level for long and Tipperary sharpshooter O'Connor nailed two placed balls to have the victors leading by a point at the break. 

Brian Ryan's UL side were guilty of some wayward shooting in first half, hitting eight wides and dropping two shots short in the opening half. Ryan's charges were a different side in the second period, however, and in the end their quality showed. 

O'Connor, Jack Leahy, Sean O'Hanlon and English were all on target inside the opening eight minutes of the second half as UL began to take control of the final. Ryan's charges led 0-15 to 0-8 after 38 minutes. 

Kilkenny's Denis Walsh then responded with three pointed frees to keep DCU within touching distance.

On 44 minutes, Patrick Crotty managed to turnover a DCU defender in the final third. Crotty then set up Limerick senior hurler Aidan O'Connor for his opening score of the day.

DCU were relying on their running game to get scores, with full-forward Cian Boran and Denis Walsh making it 0-19 to 0-13 with 12 minutes remaining.

In the space of a minute, however, O'Connor added two quickfire score to bring his tally to nine for the afternoon. 

Young Hurler of the Year nominee Cathal O'Neill, O'Connor and Diarmuid Hanniffy sealed UL's victory late on.

DCU battled away until the final whistle and Cathal Beirne managed to raise a green flag in injury time in his side's five point defeat to UL.

SCORERS: Univeristy of Limerick: Gearóid O’Connor (0-10, 0-6 frees), Adam English,Jack Leahy, Seán O‘Hanlon 0-2 each John Connealy, Killian Doyle, Mark Fitzgerald, Brian O’Sullivan, Aidan O’Connor, Cathal O’Neill, Diarmuid Hanniffy 0-1 each. Dublin City University: Denis Walsh (0-8, 0-7 frees), Cathal Beirne 1-1, Peter Clarke and Cian Boran 0-2 each Joe Flanagan and Darragh Carley 0-1 each

UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK: Darach Fahy (Ardrahan, Galway); Aaron Morgan (Kilruane MacDonaghs), John Conneally (Clooney Quin, Clare), Michael Corcoran (Silvermines, Tipperary); Killian Doyle (Emeralds, Kilkenny), Mark Fitzgerald (Passage East, Waterford), Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown, Limerick); Brian O'Sullivan (Kanturk, Cork), Adam English (Doon, Limerick); Gearoid O'Connor (Moyne Templetuohy, Tipperary), Colm O'Meara (Clonlara, Clare), Patrick Crotty (Scariff, Clare); Jack Leahy (Dungourney, Cork), Aidan O'Connor (Ballybrown, Limerick), Patrick O'Donovan (Effin, Limerick). SUBS:  Seán O’Hanlon (Turloughmore, Galway) for O’Donovan (half-time), Cathal O’Neill (Crecora-Manister, Limerick) for Leahy (40 minutes), Seán Rynne (Inagh-Kilnamona, Clare) for O’Sullivan (48 minutes), Diarmuid Hanniffy (Oranmore Maree, Galway) for Crotty (54 minutes).

DCU:Cian Byrne (Wexford); Ivan Bolger (Kilkenny), Paddy Langton (Kilkenny), Padraig Lennon (Kilkenny); Sam Bourke (Offaly), Padraic Moylan (Kilkenny), Billy Reid (Kilkenny); Donal Shirley (Offaly), Colin Spain (Offaly); Cathal Beirne (Kilkenny), Denis Walsh (Kilkenny), Darragh Carley (Wexford); Cian Boran (Kildare), Joe Flanagan (Dublin), Peter Clarke (Westmeath). SUBS: Conor Kehoe for Carley (48 minutes), Cillian Dunne (Laois) for Walsh (52 minutes).

REFEREE: Johnny Murphy (Limerick)