Colin O'Brien and Jamie Wall land Fitzgibbon Cup for Mary I

Mary I 2-14 UL 1-15

JOY for Cork's Jamie Wall and Colin O'Brien as Mary I upset the odds in the Fitzgibbon Cup final.

Kilbrittain native Wall was the manager and Liscarroll-Churchtown club man O'Brien the captain as they halted UL's three-in-a-row bid at Abbeydorney on Saturday afternoon.

A star-studded UL side, which featured Kanturk's Brian O'Sullivan at midfield, looked set to push on midway through the second half when they had turned a seven-point deficit into a two-point lead and had the advantage of a strong breeze. Mary I, who excelled defensively through TG4 MVP Joe Caesar and Clare duo Diarmuid Ryan and Adam Hogan, battened down the hatches and instead were able to engineer the points that decided it.

O'Brien, and U20 All-Ireland winner in 2020, nailed a pressure free as the game ticked into stoppage time which meant UL had to chase a goal instead of pointing to force extra time. No college had completed three in a row since UCC in 1998.

#MICvUL

‘Táim chomh bródúil as na leaids.'

Labhair Jamie Wall, an bainisteoir buacach linn tar éis an chluiche. 💭

BEO/LIVE AR @TG4TV 📺 #GAA @GAA_BEO pic.twitter.com/9Y0YOcNqal

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) February 17, 2024

It was Mary's first triumph since they retained the prestigious third-level title in 2017. Aaron Gillane was the top scorer in that decider and his brother Jason nailed 1-3 from placed balls from his goalkeeping berth in the first half which was critical in the final shakeup. The goal ended up in the net after squirming from Mark Fitzgerald's grasp but the underdogs needed as much as they could on the board at half-time having hurled with the forceful wind.

They also raised a green flag through a Sean Whelan ground pull, though Tipp attacker Gearóid O'Connor's brilliant finish just before half-time left it 2-8 to 1-7 and delicately poised at the Kerry venue.

The favourites took control in the third quarter and when they hit the front looked set to live up to their billing. Wall, who had his cousin Podge Collins in his management, made an astute switch when the pressure was on, releasing Limerick target man Shane O'Brien to the middle third where he processed a lot of possession. 

That in turn opened a bit of space inside for nippy Clare sniper Shane Meehan, who clipped a glorious point and earned a vital free, having been quiet up to then.

When Mary I nosed a point up, the cup was within their grasp but it took a nerveless free from O'Brien, which he lanced low over the bar to avoid being sent off course by the wind, to give them that two-point cushion.

UL tried in vain to force a dramatic match-winning goal but the clock, and the tenacity of Mary I's rearguard that held Mark Rodgers scoreless, denied them.

Scorers for Mary I: Devon Ryan 1-4 (0-4 f), Jason Gillane 1-3 f, Colin O’Brien (0-1 f), Diarmuid Ryan 0-2 each, Cathal Quinn, Ronan Power, Shane Meehan 0-1 each.

UL: Gearoid O’Connor 1-8 (0-6 f, 0-1 sl, 0-1 65), Sean O’Hanlon 0-2, Adam English, Brian O’Grady, Colin Coughlan, Colm O’Meara, Ian Byrne 0-1 each.

Referee: John Keenan (Wicklow).