ULSTER interest in the Sigerson Cup semi-finals isn’t restricted to the university that bears the province’s name.
While the holders Ulster University understandably have the most northerners in their ranks, there’s more than a team’s worth of Ulster lads in the three Dublin sides who make up the last four.
Indeed a third of the TU Dublin side which started their quarter-final against University of Limerick came from Ulster – Cavan and Monaghan – to be precise, with four more players from those two counties listed on the panel.
Last year’s beaten finalists, UCD, had three starters from Ulster when they absolutely destroyed MTU Kerry in the last eight, winning by an amazing 26-point margin, 5-18 to 1-4.
UCD will be favoured against TUD at Abbotstown on Wednesday evening (6.30pm) after that thrashing of MTU Kerry. Restricting their opponents to just 1-4 was partly due to the Ulster influence, with both corner-backs hailing from Monaghan – Ryan O’Toole of Scotstown and Drumhowan’s Daragh McAlearney.
Derry’s Donncha Gilmore is normally a defender for the Oak Leaf seniors, but the Steelstown clubman lined out at midfield for UCD.
DCU DE, who will be up against Ulster University at Kingspan Breffni on Thursday evening (8pm), had only two Ulstermen in their quarter-final line-up, Ronan Gallagher of Downings in Donegal and Ryan Donohoe from Cavan club Gowna. However, Gallagher’s clubmate Johnny McGroddy, Fionan Carolan from Carrickmacross in Monaghan, and Evan Crowe from Ballyhaise, Cavan, all study there, with the latter coming off the bench in their thrilling victory over TUS Midlands.
The five Ulstermen who lined out for TU Dublin in their 2-15 to 2-11 quarter-final win over UL included a quartet from Cavan clubs: Cian Reilly (Killygarry), Niall Carolan (Cuchullains), Cormac McGeogh (Mullahoran), and Jordan Morris (Kingscourt).
The star of the show, though, was Monaghan man Sean Jones, with the Inniskeen forward scoring 1-3 to help see off the challenge of the Limerick lads.
As well as those five, there are three more Cavan men at TUD, Evan Finnegan (Ballinagh), Turlough Farrelly (Cuchullains), and Darragh Lovett. Killygarry lad Lovett made an impressive senior debut for Cavan at the weekend, scoring 0-9 – mostly from frees – in their defeat against neighbours Meath. Morris, who played for a time with Nobber in the Royal County before transferring back to his first club Kingscourt, scored 1-4 for Meath, whom he still represents. Eoin Duffy of Latton in Monaghan is another northerner in the TUD set-up.
