Star-studded UL crowned All-Ireland Fresher hurling champions in final win over DCU

THE University of Limerick were crowned All-Ireland Fresher Hurling Championship winners this Wednesday evening.

In the NUIG Sportsgrounds in Dangan, UL scored a 1-20 to 0-11 final win over DCU.

UL add this Fresher title win to the Fitzgibbon Cup won last month. 

This was the first final played in this First Year hurling competition since 2019, which UL defeated LIT in the all-Limerick final.

Back in 2020 UL and DCU were due to meet in a Fresher final but Covid-19 restrictions prevented that final from ever taking place.

In 2022, UL competed a league and championship double.

There were five from Limerick in the UL starting team - Ethan Hurley (Newcastle West), Colin Coughlan and Aidan O'Connor (Ballybrown), Adam English (Doon) and Cathal O'Neill (Crecora-Manister). Both Barry Duff (Mungret) and Chris Thomas (Doon) were introduced as subs. Also in the panel were Brian O'Meara and Liam Lynch (both Mungret) and Ronan Lyons (Monaleen).

In this 12-point final victory, Ballybrown's Aidan O'Connor was voted the Electric Ireland Man of the Match for his seven point haul.

UL were 1-12 to 0-5 clear by half time.

O'Connor, O'Neill and English all had early points from play as they raced four clear inside five minutes.

The game's only goal came on 12-minutes when English punished a defensive mistake to crash to the net for a 1-7 to 0-3 lead.

Joe Flanagan and Denis Walsh scores looked to keep the Dublin side in touch but UL ultimately had too much scoring power.

By half time the lead was 10-points with six different UL scorers.

In the second half, O'Connor, O'Neill, English and Coughlan all increased their scoring tallies as UL eased towards a 12-point win and that was on top of 19 wides.

UL were managed by Joe McGrath with Patsy Coffey, Liam O'Reilly and Wayne Power, UL had beaten UCD, NUIG, TUS MidWest and Mary Immaculate to reach the final, in which they completed an unbeaten run of 10 league and championship games.

SCORERS: UL: Aidan O'Connor 0-7 (3frees), Adam English 1-2, Cathal O'Neill 0-4, Colin Coughlan 0-2 (1free), Conor Cadall, Keelin Hartigan, Patrick Crotty, Conner Hegarty and Colm O'Meara 0-1 each. DCU: Denis Walsh 0-5 (5frees), Joe Flanagan 0-3, Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Ger Ryan (free) and Gordon Rodgers (free) 0-1 each.

UL: Stephen O'Halloran (Craughwell, Galway); Conor O'Dwyer (Cashel King Cormacs, Tipperary), Christy Brennan (Clarinbridge, Galway), Michael Corcoran (Silvermines, Tipperary); Colin Coughlan (Ballybrown, Limerick), Ethan Hurley (Newcastle West, Limerick), Sean O'Hanlon (Turloughmore, Galway); Conor Cadell (JK Brackens, Tipperary), Max Hackett (Moycarkey-Borris, Tipperary); Keelan Hartigan (Scariff, Clare), Patrick Crotty (Scariff, Clare), Cathal O'Neill (Crecora-Manister, Limerick); Ian Byrne (Glenmore, Kilkenny), Aidan O'Connor (Ballybrown, Limerick), Adam English (Doon, Limerick). Subs: Conner Hegarty (Inagh-Kilnamona, Clare) for Ian Byrne (h-t), Colm O'Meara (Clonlara, Clare) for Keelin Hartigan (40mins), Barry Duff (Mungret) for Conor O'Dwyer (50mins), Stephen Ferncombe (Clonoulty-Rossmore, Tipperary) for Conor Cadall (52mins), Chris Thomas (Doon, Limerick) for Sean O'Hanlon (54mins). 

DCU: Cian Byrne (St Marys Rosslare, Wexford); Fionn Rock (O'Tooles, Dublin), Eoin Forbes (Craobh Chiarian, Dublin), Eddie Kelly (Davidstown-Cortnacuddy, Wexford); Paul Dolan (Eire Og, Kildare), Diarmuid Clerkin (Na Fianna, Dublin), Ciaran Doyle Maher (Rathnure, Wexford); Fiachra Fitzpatrick (Mount Leinster Rangers, Carlow), Thomas Hurley (Raheny, Dublin); Denis Walsh (Dunnamaggin, Kilkenny), Joe Flanagan (Naomh Barog, Dublin), Neil Clerkin (St Oliver Plunketts, Dublin), Diarmuid O'Leary (St Martins, Wexford). Subs: Elly Cullen (Ballygunner, Waterford) for Neil Clerkin (42mins), Evin Dowling (Lucan Sarsfield, Dublin) for Denis Walsh, inj (46mins),Eoin Crowley (Carrickshock, Kilkenny) for Eoin O'Connor (55mins), Joe Curtis (Kilanerin, Wexford) for Ger Ryan (59mins), Gordon Rodgers (Fingallians, Dublin) for Diarmuid O'Leary (59mins).

REFEREE: Shane Guinan (Offaly).