Gearóid O'Connor was UL's top scorer in their Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup win over Mary I.
Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup
University of Limerick 0-23 Mary Immaculate College 0-15
By Tom Clancy
University of Limerick eased directly into the Fitzgibbon Cup semi-finals as they maintained their 100% record in this season's competition when having too much for defending champions, Mary Immaculate College.
Brian Ryan’s side, who won the Division One League in December, were far too slick for a Mary I side who are still in the competition.
Both had secured their place in the knockout stages which is perhaps why Mary I operated without Limerick’s Shane O’Brien, Clare’s Shane Meehan and 2024 Young Hurler of the Year, Adam Hogan.
UL, for their part, were without Limerick quartet Colin Coughlan (injury), Aidan O’Connor, Paddy O’Donovan and Adam English, ahead of the Treaty’s National Hurling League bow against Cork on Saturday.
The winners led from the fourth minute all the way through and were double scores ahead for much of this contest. Early points from Patrick Crotty and Gearoid O’Connor set them on their way.
O’Connor top scored for UL with three points in each half. Mary Immaculate were hanging into the contest at times, with good saves from Darragh Conway twice denying the Plassey students a maiden goal.
With the score 0-14 to 0-6 at the interval, the 2022 and 2023 winners were in a strong position. At this point, only Cian Scully and Oisin O’Farrell were on target for Jamie Wall’s side.
The gap was never cut back to less than six points during the second half in which Declan McLaughlin, O’Farrell, Ronan Power and Ronan O’Connor pointed for Mary I.
For UL, Jack Leahy brought his tally to four with a typically superb individual point, while they also had efforts from Colm O’Meara and defender Mark Fitzgerald.
A healthy crowed attended on the South Circular Road campus, but many will know this was perhaps just a warm-up to the knockout stages – which both Universities are firmly familiar with.
Two-point victories over ATU Galway and SETU Waterford were enough to ensure this defeat could be just a footnote. UL, however, look the form team in the competition.
Mary Immaculate College await to see who of DCU Dochas Eireann, TUS Midwest or Maynooth University they will face in the last six.
Scorers for University of Limerick: Gearoid O’Connor 0-6 (0-3f); Jack Leahy, Partick Crotty 0-4; Sean O’Hanlon 0-3; Diarmuid Hanniffy 0-2; Brian O'Sullivan, Seán Rynne, Colm O’Meara, Mark Fitzgerald 0-1 each.Scorers for Mary Immaculate College: Cian Scully 0-5 (0-4f); Oisin O'Farrell 0-4 (0-2f); Jamie Ryan, Declan McLaughlin, Diarmuid Cahill (free), Ronan Power, Ronan O'Connor, Jimmy Quilty (free) 0-1 each.
UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK: Darach Fahy (Ardrahan, Galway); Evan O’Leary (Ahane, Limerick), John Conneally (Clooney Quin, Clare); Ciarmhac Smyth (Midleton, Cork); Killian Doyle (Emeralds, Kilkenny), Mark Fitzgerald (Passage East, Waterford); Michael Corcoran (Silvermines, Tipperary); Brian O’Sullivan (Kanturk, Cork), Sean Rynne (Inagh-Kilnamona, Clare); Gearóid O’Connor (Moyne Templetuohy, Tipperary), Colm O’Meara (Clonlara, Clare), Patrick Crotty (Scariff, Clare); Jack Leahy (Dungourney, Cork), Sean O'Hanlon (Turloughmore, Galway), Diarmuid Hanniffy (Oranmore Maree, Galway)
SUBS: Aaron Morgan (Kilruane MacDonaghs, Tipperary) for Smyth (half-time), Conor Hanley Clarke (Kilmallock, Limerick) for Corcoran (39 mins), Sam Williams (Bruree, Limerick) for Fitzgerald (53-56 mins) and Keelan Hartigan for O'Connor (56 mins).
MARY IMMACULATE COLLEGE: Darragh Conway (Lixnaw, Kerry); William Dore (Dromin-Athlacca, Limerick), Eoin Lawless (Athenry, Galway), Vince Harrington (Na Piarsaigh, Limerick); Cian Scully (Dromin-Athlacca, Limerick), Jimmy Quilty (Blackrock, Limerick); Ronan Power (Ballygunner, Waterford); Ronan O’Connor (Feakle, Clare), Conor Hennessy (Nenagh Eire Og, Tipperary); Eoin Craddock (Holycross-Ballycahill, Tipperary), Patrick Finn (Bruff), Jamie Ryan (O'Loughlin Gaels, Kilkenny); Oisin O'Farrell (ABK Desmonds, Limerick), Declan McLaughlin (Portumna, Galway), Diarmuid Cahill (Corofin, Clare).
SUBS: Dara Whelan (Turloughmore, Galway) for Finn (half-time), Jack Daly (Croom, Limerick) for Craddock (47 mins) and Matthew Rossengrove (Beagh, Galway) for Hennessy (53 mins, injury).
REFEREE: Eamonn Stapleton (Doon, Limerick)
