Cormac Egan of UCD during the Electric Ireland Higher Education GAA Sigerson Cup semi-final match between UCD and TU Dublin at the GAA National Games Development Centre in Abbotstown, Dublin. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile.
By Paul Keane
Offaly star Cormac Egan will pull the shutters down on an eventful Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup career on Wednesday night.
Win or lose with UCD when they take on DCU in the third level decider, that will be it for the final year Economics student.
Thankfully for the Tullamore man he is trending in just the right direction having reached the quarter-finals with UCD in 2023 and last year's final.
Egan felt the devastation of their 2024 final defeat to Ulster University and said the entire panel has used that hurt as motivation this year.
Almost two thirds of last year's team lined out in UCD's marathon semi-final defeat of TU Dublin last week, a game that went all the way to penalties and sudden death.
"I've been on really good UCD teams over the three years but the nature of Sigerson is that it all comes down to one day, to one moment sometimes," said experienced attacker Egan. "You saw that just last week with the TU Dublin game and the penalties. It could so easily be TU Dublin in this final instead of us. Just to be back here again is unbelievable and to have that chance to right the wrongs of last year."
UCD have displayed their ability to mix silk with steel throughout their four-game campaign. They opened with a five-point win over 2023 winners UCC before claiming a significant 1-11 to 1-10 Round 2A win against DCU.
Buoyed by that huge win, John Divilly's UCD hit MTU Kerry for 5-18 in the quarter-finals before eventually edging out TU Dublin at Abbottstown last Wednesday.
Cormac Egan of UCD during the Electric Ireland Higher Education GAA Sigerson Cup Round 2 match between UCD and DCU at Billings Park in Belfield, Dublin. Photo by Ben McShane/Sportsfile.
DCU had a similar arm wrestle on Thursday evening in Cavan when they eventually shook off holders Ulster University after extra-time.
"I guess we've won pretty and we've also won ugly," said Egan of UCD's rollercoaster campaign. "We obviously played DCU already in Round 2, a one-point victory, but it was another of those games that could have gone either way. We're expecting that same sort of battle again."
Egan drove Offaly to a famous All-Ireland U-20 win in 2021 and is now an established Faithful senior. He's a back-to-back Offaly SFC title winner with Tullamore too, ironically coming up against Cuala college buddies Peter Duffy, Charlie McMorrow and David O'Dowd in the Leinster club championship over winter.
"That's the beauty of the Sigerson, we've all travelled the length and the breadth of the country together for games over the last few years," said Egan. "We're blessed in UCD that we don't have any one county dominating, it's a lovely mix and you realise what great players they are but what a good laugh they are as well."
Players from a whopping 13 different counties featured in UCD's semi-final win, from Laois point-poacher Killian Roche in goals to Aaron Lynch of Meath in attack.
But 2020 winners DCU have pulled a similarly gifted team together from all corners of the country.
Meath's Ciaran Caulfield is DCU's captain and has had a terrific campaign, along with Skerries duo Greg McEneaney and Ethan Dunne at midfield while Leitrim's Tom Prior and Donegal man Johnny McGroddy have nabbed crucial scores.
Another interesting angle is that it could be the last major game ever played under football's old rules.
Just another reason for Egan to want to etch his name in history and to add to his silverware collection.
"It's something you'd value for the rest of your life," said Egan of an Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup win. "It's a really high level, it could even be a level above some inter-county divisions.
"If we could get over the line it would be something that you'd have forever, to be able to call yourself a Sigerson Cup winner."
Wednesday, February 12
Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup final
UCD v DCU, Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence, 7.30pm
Referee: Sean Hurson
