Limerick derby in Fitzgibbon Cup this Thursday as UL entertain TUS MidWest

LIMERICK rivals UL and TUS MidWest meet in round one of the Fitzgibbon Cup this Thursday evening.

UL host the local derby in Maguires Field at 7.30pm.

It's the first meeting of the city sides in the Higher Education Senior Hurling Championship since 2015.

The sides have met in the Fitzgibbon Cup on seven occasions - one draw and three victories each, including one each in finals.

UL and TUS MidWest will also play ties against TU Dublin (formerly DIT) in Group D.

In UL, former Limerick senior hurling selector Brian Ryan is the team manager with selectors James McGrath, Ger Moroney and Adrian Murphy.

In UL are Brian O'Grady (Kilteely-Dromkeen), Diarmuid Hegarty (St Patricks), Jamie Power (Monaleen), Mark Quinlan (Garryspillane), Mikey O'Grady (Knockainey), Conor O'Grady (Hospital-Herbertstown), Ben Herlihy (Castletown-Ballyagran) and Rory Duff and Matthew O'Sullivan (both Mungret).

UL will also have a number of players with inter-county experience - Billy Power and Michael Kiely (both Waterford), Cathal Brady (Offaly), Gearoid O'Connor (Tipperary), TJ Brennan (Galway) and Clare trio; Cian Galvin, Mark Rodgers and Ross Hayes. 

The TUS Midwest (formerly LIT) management is former Clare senior hurling selector Jimmy Browne (Clonlara, Clare), current Dublin senior hurling coach Gavin Keary (Loughrea, Galway) and Monaleen clubman Donnacha McNamara.

In TUS Midwest from Limerick are Ross Kenny and Tomas O'Connor (both Ballybrown), Eoin Hurley and Michael Cremin (both Newcastle West), Cathal Downes (Kildimo-Pallaskenry), Kevin Morrissey (Ahane), Louis Dee (Mungret) and Patrick Kirby (Patrickswell).

The TUS panel also includes Paddy Donnellan (Clare), Eric Killeen (Laois) and Tipperary's Alan Tynan, Billy Seymour and Kian O'Kelly.