Baptism of fire as Cillian O’Connor finally gets his crack at the Sigerson Cup

Cillian O'Connor has been looking in at DCU and the Sigerson Cup for a long time now, walking distance apart yet on the field the Mayo footballer's former college St. Patrick's Drumcondra have been worlds away from their North Dublin neighbours.

Now a graduate of the teaching college, having also subsequently been employed by the St Pat's Student Union, O'Connor has up to this year had to be content with playing in the Trench Cup - the second tier higher education competition.

Despite containing the likes of Dublin's Ciaran Kilkenny, Sligo's Pat Hughes and Roscommon's Senan Kilbride in recent times; reaching two Trench Cup finals and winning one during his own playing time there, St Pat's remain in the second tier tournament.

For O'Connor though, having began a new course in the Ulster University of Jordanstown in September he will this Wednesday finally get to make his Sigerson bow. The opposition; none other than DCU.

“I had three brilliant years in St Pat’s, playing in the Trench Cup and I was lucky enough to play in two of those Trench finals and get over the line on one of those occasions - so I have great memories there.

“But yeah it was something, I was kind of looking in at the Sigerson competition and it was frustrating not being able to compete at that level. It would have been great if St Pat’s would have been able to compete in the Sigerson but it just didn’t happen.”

Such is the standard of the current Sigerson competition that an intercounty player of O’Connor’s calibre is so eager to be involved.

DCU are in pursuit of a fourth title in ten years, hosting the likes of Laois defender Colm Begley, Galway’s Tom Flynn, Dublin’s Davy Byrne and Tipperary’s Steven O’Brien in their league winning team.

Whereas five-time champions Jordanstown boast a team containing Donegal’s Paddy McBrearty, Cavan’s Killian Clarke, Monaghan’s Kieran Hughes, Down’s AFL prodigal son Caolan Mooney and Tyrone attacker Ronan O’Neill to name but a few.

It had even been touted that Tyrone veteran Joe McMahon, who last week left the Mickey Harte's panel and is currently studying in the Ulster University of Coleraine, had been training with UUJ ahead of the game. Yet his eligibility is now in doubt given the events which have unfolded following the Sligo IT and Queen's University contest last weekend.

“The exposure to this kind of football and that level of competition at this time of the year it’ll be a new experience and hopefully a positive one.

“It’s been a bit of a change moving up there, and the new college, and the campus and the new course but it’s been good and the lads have been great. From the football team I’ve gotten to know plenty of lads and I’m enjoying the football up there - it’s different.

“I’m living in Belfast with a couple of football lads and I’m able to train in Dublin for Mayo, hopefully for much of the year. It was different the first few weeks settling in and getting to know the place, I was out of my comfort zone but no it’s been great and I haven’t failed anything yet.”

Such is his assuredness, the level-headed 22-year-old isn’t in much danger of failing at anything he does. Given his calculated nature many suggested he had opted for the northern college to gain an insight into the famous Ulster blanket defence. So as to unlock it.

“The football here is different - but football has changed a lot in the last few years, there’s more and more teams employing more defenders.

“I know it used to be a tag that the Ulster teams do it but I don’t think it’s fair to say that anymore. There’s teams in our own province in Connacht doing it - so a as a forward it can be frustrating at times but whatever it takes to win teams are going to try to do.

“It’s just about coming up with a tactic or a plan or a few different plays that are going to break it down. It’s challenging but that’s the way this game has gone.”

For now though O’Connor’s focus will centre on the visit of DCU, a team who carry in their ranks a talented young Mayo forward of their own; Diarmuid, Cillian’s younger brother generally lines out in their half-forward line.

“It’ll be brilliant, it’ll be a good game - there will be plenty of lads who have played against each other or played with each other so there’ll be a fair bit of familiar faces on both sides.

“Hopefully it’ll be an entertaining spectacle but it’ll be all about the result for both teams. For me I’m looking forward to testing myself against these lads.”