There are two things we know now.
Limerick are guaranteed a Fitzgibbon Cup finalist and the locals are getting excited about the hurling hotbed developing on the banks of the Shannon.
Munster Rugby, how are you?
Davy Fitzgerald’s Limerick Institute of Technology will play Mary Immaculate College in the semi-finals in Cork next weekend, with reigning champions, the University of Limerick, taking on UCD in the other semi-final.
On top of Na Piarsaigh qualifying for the AIB All-Ireland club hurling final against Cushendall on St Patrick’s Day and the impressive Allianz League opening round victory over Wexford for TJ Ryan’s intercounty side, it is a glorious time to be a Limerick hurling fan.
Is this year our year? #hurling #limerick #sport #ireland #gaa #proud https://t.co/5FVKme0tIa
— Sporting LK (@SportingLK) February 17, 2016
Great to have 3 Limerick colleges in Fitzgibbon Cup SF's @ul_gaa @LimerickIT and Mary I. Some great Limerick players for the future.
— Martin Kiely (@MartinKiely1) February 18, 2016
Hon @ul_gaa! Semis of the #SigersonCup and #FitzgibbonCup! https://t.co/qgxYGH2i97
— Daniel Smith (@DannyAdelante) February 17, 2016
Some start to the year for Limerick hurling, Na Piarsaigh in an All Ireland senior club final and now all 3 colleges in the Fitz semis..#GAA
— Adrian Sheehan (@asheehan180) February 17, 2016
While Ryan will get to welcome back the likes of Mary I’s Cian Lynch and Declan Hannon, LIT’s Diarmuid Byrnes and Na Piarsaigh’s Kevin Downes and Shane Dowling among others, the dominance of the colleges arguably benefits Limerick’s Munster rivals more than the host county.
Of the 45 players who started for UL, LIT and Mary I in their Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final wins over CIT, WIT and GMIT respectively, only 10 hailed from Limerick.
Champions UL, located on the south side of the city, boast five Tipperary starters, including Jason Forde, compared to four from Limerick and four from Clare.
Teacher training college Mary I had just three Limerick men in their starting 15, including Lynch and Hannon, among seven Tipperary hurlers, such as Niall O’Meara.
However Richie English and Darragh O’Donovan were rested for this win, with the Limerick Leader highlighting the heavy workload for the duo and UL’s Tom Morrissey.
Unsurprisingly, given their manager and the campus being on the Clare border, Fitzgerald’s LIT have eight Clare players and just three from Limerick.
But it’s still a hell of an achievement for the city’s three third level institutions to reach finals weekend in Cork and a rising tide lifts all boats.
Meanwhile, Kilkenny stick to second level, where St Kieran’s College and Kilkenny CBS will contest the Leinster Senior Schools Hurling Final on Saturday, 27th February. It will be the sixth all-Kilkenny final in seven years.
They just start them younger, those Cats.
