University College Dublin are aiming to claim a record 35th Sigerson Cup title on Wednesday night when they face Ulster University in the 2024 final at Austin Stack Park in Tralee, 7.30.
UCD are already top of the roll of honour with 34 triumphs, well ahead of University College Cork with 24 victories, and John Divilly’s side enters this final as 4-6 favourites to add to that silverware collection. They last won the competition in 2018.
All 15 players in their starting team for last week’s semi-final win over University of Limerick have played for their county this season.
It is a talented outfit that includes Roscommon duo Ben O’Carroll and Daire Cregg, Mayo pair Sam Callinan and Rory Brickenden, Monaghan’s David Garland, Westmeath’s Jonathan Lynam, and Meath trio Aaron Lynch, Diarmuid Moriarty and Seán Coffey.
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Ulster University are hoping to mine a sixth Sigerson Cup title and their first since 2008. They are backboned by talent from across Ulster, including Tyrone brothers Ruairí and Darragh Canavan, their county colleagues Conor Cush, Steve Donaghy, Peter Óg McCartan and Oisín McCann, Fermanagh’s Josh Largo Ellis, Derry’s Niall Loughlin and Down’s Ryan Magill.
The potential for two significant additions in the form of Derry’s Conor Glass and Ethan Doherty would certainly make them a more formidable outfit, though UU manager Barry Dillon has said the Glen pair would not be parachuted in at this stage of the competition.
Due to their club commitments – Glen won the All-Ireland club SFC decider last month – neither player has featured during UU’s journey to the final and Dillon says he is resisting the temptation to include them for Wednesday’s final, though the UCD management will still be keeping a close eye on who emerges from their opponent’s dressingroom in Tralee.
Divilly, who has also been part of Pádraic Joyce’s management team in his native Galway in recent years, was in charge of UCD for their last success six years ago. That all-conquering side included Dublin’s Con O’Callaghan, Kerry’s Jack Barry, Mayo’s Stephen Coen, Evan O’Carroll from Laois, Monaghan’s Conor McCarthy and Tipperary’s Liam Casey.
UCD and UU have already crossed paths in this year’s Sigerson Cup, with the Dubliners running out 1-13 to 0-8 winners in Belfield last month, in a round-two fixture.
UCD played much of the match with only 14 men when captain Kieran Kennedy was sent off during the first half. The home side led 0-7 to 0-3 at half-time, but the visitors hit the first three points on the restart to leave the minimum between the sides and having seemingly grabbed the initiative.
However, UCD showed their class with points from Garland and Cregg before Derry’s Donncha Gilmore finished off UU’s challenge by netting the game’s only goal.
UCD have looked impressive on their way to this decider, but they were made sweat by UL at the semi-final stages before eventually emerging with a 2-12 to 1-14 victory in Carlow. Garland (who finished with 1-3) and Lynam netted the goals for UCD.
UU’s only defeat during the campaign was that loss to UCD in Belfield. They have accounted for MTU Cork, TU Dublin and most impressively they also chalked up a victory over last year’s champions, UCC, in round one. In the semi-final, UU beat Maynooth University 1-13 to 0-11 – with Loughlin scoring the all-important goal in that contest in Inniskeen to earn UU a place in the Sigerson decider, which will be shown live on TG4.
The Fitzgibbon Cup semi-finals also take place on Wednesday night with Mary Immaculate facing SETU Waterford in Mallow at 5.15, followed by University of Galway playing University of Limerick in Doora Barefield at 6.30. Both games will be shown on TG4 YouTube.
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