Limerick club hurling colleagues collide as Mary Immaculate face NUIG in Fitzgibbon Cup

PATRICKSWELL GAA club colleagues Cian Lynch and Jason Gillane are in opposition this Wednesday evening in the Fitzgibbon Cup.

Lynch lines out for NUI Galway, while Gillane will be in the Mary Immaculate College side when the teams meet in Dangan, Co Galway at 7.45.

Lynch and his Galway side are the league champions and hit the ground running in the Fitzgibbon Cup with a round one win over UCD last week. Hurler of the Year Lynch has been used in midfield and centre forward by the men in maroon, who are managed by Jeff Lynskey.

Another win for NUIG will see them put one foot in the quarter finals ahead of their final ground tie against UCC.

It's an NUIG side that contains Galway seniors Brian Concannon and Evan Niland, among other inter-county players.

Ballybrown goalkeeper Conor O'Neill is also part of their panel but hasn't featured to-date.

Limerick's Mary Immaculate College are bidding to battle their way back into contention after the opening round 1-21 to 0-19 defeat to UCC.

Gillane was the only Limerick man in that starting line-up, although his Patrickswell team-mate Josh Considine is also part of the panel.

Clare duo Diarmuid Ryan (Cratloe), Darragh Lohan (Wolfe Tones), Cork's Colin O'Brien (Liscarroll-Churchtown) and ace free-taker Devon Ryan (Cashel King Cormacs) are all key players for the Limerick side, who are managed by Jamie Wall.

Also in this group this Wednesday evening, UCC entertain UCD in The Mardyke at 7pm.

The Cork side had five Limerick men in their team in round one - Jerome Boylan (Na Piarsaigh) and Ciaran Barry (Ahane) in defence, Ronan Connolly (Adare) in midfield and in attack Na Piarsaigh duo vice-captain Conor Boylan and William Henn. Padraig Harnett (Ahane) and Jack Ryan (Doon) were among the subs for a UCC side managed by Tom Kingston.

UL have a bye this week, while TUS MidWest will be at home to TU Dublin on Thursday at 2pm in Moylish.