Contrasting All-Ireland Senior Third Level Championship Final outcomes for UL in the past week for their footballers and hurlers was solaced by the retention of their Fitzgibbon Cup crown in Waterford on Saturday afternoon.
Seven Clare players are part of UL’s second successive All-Ireland Senior A Championship triumph over University of Galway, this time in commanding circumstances by 4-19 to 1-13.
Seven Clare players, Patrick Crotty (Scariff), Cian Galvin (Clarecastle), Mike Gough (Smith O’Brien’s), Darragh Lohan (Wolfe Tones), Killian McDermott (Clarecastle), Colm O’Meara (Clonlara) and vice-captain Mark Rodgers (Scariff) were all part of UL’s panel, four of whom saw action in the decider.
University of Galway were captained by Éire Óg’s Darren O’Brien while Tadhg Dean (Crusheen),
Joey Droney (Tubber) and Eanna McMahon (Crusheen) were also on the squad. However, following an extra-time victory over UCC in Gurteen on Thursday, Galway never reached those lofty heights again for Saturday’s decider.
Perhaps they weren’t let through as UL, backed by a four-goal haul for last year’s final hero Michael Kiely (Waterford) blitzed their opponents and ensured that the Limerick college were always able to keep their rivals at arm’s length.
Incidentally, it was a second Fitzgibbon Cup medal for county seniors Mike Gough, Cian Galvin and Mark Rodgers and the first time that UL retain the prestigious cup in their history.
UL also garnered back-to-back All-Ireland Intermediate Hurling titles when seeing off DCU by 5-22 to 1-13 on Sunday, with Clonlara’s Aidan Moriarty receiving the Man-of-the-Match award. Moriarty’s club-mates Colm O’Meara and David Fitzgerald were also represented on the panel as were Ashley Brohan (Ruan), Cormac Murphy (O’Callaghan’s Mills), Peter Power (Newmarket-on-Fergus) and Keelan Hartigan (Scariff.)
Unfortunately, UL’s senior football equivalents were heartbreakingly edged out in the Sigerson Cup final for the second consecutive year, this time after extra-time to UCC by 1-16 to 0-16 also in Waterford on Wednesday evening.
Captained by Emmet McMahon (Kildysart) who led throughout with four points, Clare had a seven-strong contingent as Daniel Walsh (Kilmurry Ibrickane), Ikem Ugwueru (Éire Óg), Ciaran Downes (Kilmihil), Aaron Griffin (Lissycasey) and McMahon all started while Cooraclare’s Brian McNamara was sprung from the bench at the two thirds mark.