Fitzgibbon Cup: Chance to shine for Cork stars

When speaking to The Echo before Cork’s Co-op SuperStores Munster Hurling League game against Clare a week and a half ago, Pat Ryan was asked about players showing form in third-level competitions.

The Rebels have a lot of players involved in the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup and, in tandem with the inter-county pre-season competitions, it can prove to be a valuable testing ground.

“If a fella’s playing well with UCC or MTU, then that’s a big positive,” Ryan said.

Obviously, Fitzgibbon is still a step off senior but it’s a very high grade at the same time. If you’re able to play well in that, it’s a good launchpad for making the senior squad.”

At the time, Ryan probably didn’t realise that the Fitz might end up being the main shop window for some guys – the Limerick game had already been postponed once and has been twice more since then, leaving the outcome of that competition up in the air.

Hopefully, the Fitzgibbon ties will survive the elements. UCC are first up, travelling to Limerick tomorrow to face Mary Immaculate College - captained by another Cork hopeful, Liscarroll-Churchtown Gaels' Colin O'Brien - for a 2pm throw-in.

The group was due to begin last week but Mary I’s game away to Maynooth University was the subject of a late postponement.

For their manager, Kilbrittain’s Jamie Wall, the dynamic doesn’t hugely change now that the competition’s most successful college are visiting for what is now the opener.

“UCC are one of the most famous teams, they’ve won it the most times,” he said.

“Your eye is always naturally going to be drawn to playing someone like that, but our message to the boys all along was that we were focusing on Maynooth as game one.

“Realistically, it was all well and good having an eye on UCC but if you didn’t do the job against Maynooth, you were going to be under massive pressure and it would change the dynamic.

“In one sense, maybe it changes things in that you have another game after UCC. At the same time, on Thursday and Friday we were going to be turning our focus to UCC and that’s what happened.

“It was frustrating that it didn’t happen but it would have been a hundred times more frustrating if anything had happened to someone on either team.

“To be fair to the referee Caimin Flynn, I think he made the right call. That’s the reality of playing games at this time of year.”

On Thursday night, MTU Cork travel to Carriganore to face SETU Waterford, a game which has a 7pm throw-in time.

Last week, Waterford had a 1-18 to 0-13 win away to DCU Dóchas Éireann and so another victory would guarantee them top spot in the three-team section. MTU welcome DCU to Bishopstown next Thursday night.

UCC panel:

Bríon Saunderson (Midleton), Cathal McCarthy (Sarsfields), Shane Kingston (Ballinora), Ger Millerick (Fr O’Neills), Robert Downey (Glen Rovers), Iarlaith Daly (Lismore, Waterford), Luke Elliott (Sarsfields), Seán Daly (Randal Óg), Joe Fitzpatrick (Dunnamaggin, Kilkenny), Cormac O’Brien (Newtownshandrum), Shane Barrett (Blarney), Brian Hayes (St Finbarr’s), Peter McGarry (St Mary’s Clonmel, Tipperary), Darragh Flynn (Ballygiblin), Robbie Cotter (Blackrock), Jack McCarthy (St Finbarr’s), Daniel Hogan (Sarsfields), William Buckley (St Finbarr’s), Ben Cunningham (St Finbarr’s), Eddie Stokes (Doon, Limerick), Mark Howell (Douglas), Brian Keating (Ballincollig), Fionn Coleman (Blackrock), Eoin Downey (Glen Rovers), Darragh Stakelum (Thurles Sarsfields, Tipperary), Conor McGoldrick (Éire Óg), Ronan Fox (Ahane, Limerick), Eoin O’Leary (Glen Rovers), Ciarán Doolan (St Finbarr’s), Colin Walsh (Kanturk), James Dwyer (Ballincollig), Mark Carey (Nenagh Éire Óg, Tipperary), Richard McEvoy (Lisdowney, Kilkenny), Colm McCarthy (Sarsfields), Cormac McCarthy (Ballygunner, Waterford).

MTU Cork panel:

Alan Connolly (Blackrock), Aidan Walsh (Piltown, Kilkenny), Rhys McCarthy (Carrigaline), Barry Kehoe (Kilsheelan-Kilcash, Tipperary), Ben Loughman (Knockavilla Donaskeigh Kickhams, Tipperary), Brian Lynch (Ballinhassig), Brian Minogue (Dicksboro), Brandon Murphy (Dromtarriffe), Cathal Wilson (Newcestown), Ciarán Joyce (Castlemartyr), Colin Roche (Courcey Rovers), David O’Sullivan (Ballincollig), DJ Twomey (Courcey Rovers), Dara Mason (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny), Jack Corcoran (Youghal), Eoghan Collins (Newcestown), Evan Murphy (Causeway), Edmund Kenneally (Newcestown), Jack Cahalane (St Finbarr’s), James Mulcahy (Carrigtwohill), Kyle Wallace (St Catherine’s), Kian Farmer (Midleton), Mark Tobin (Mallow), Colm O’Keeffe (Blackrock, Limerick), Ray O’Halloran (Ballygarvan), Oran O’Connell (Charleville), Ronan Sheehan (Mallow), Ronan Walsh (Kilmoyley, Kerry), Pádraig Dorney (Ballymartle), Paul O’Sullivan (Newtownshandrum), Peter Linehan (Blackrock), Sam Quirke (Midleton), Seán Walsh (Fourmilewater, Waterford), Stephen Dermody (Dicksboro, Kilkenny), Stephen Keoghan (Graigue-Ballycallan, Kilkenny).