The Fitzgibbon Cup is underway and holders Mary Immaculate, UL, UCC and LIT all recorded impressive victories this afternoon.

Quickfire first-half goals from Waterford's Stephen Bennett and Tipperary's John McGrath helped Brian Lohan's UL to a comfortable 2-23 to 0-16 home win over Cork IT.

McGrath finished the day with 1-8 after his name in brackets, including the second of two 13th-minute majors. Michael Kearney was on target eleven times for Cork IT but - with eight of the team that contested last year's final on duty - UL were simply too strong.

Meanwhile, at the Mardyke, UCC justified their red-hot favouritism with a crushing 5-13 to 2-4 dismantling of Ulster University. Goals from Alan Cadogan, James O'Flynn and Rob O'Shea had the winners nine ahead at the interval and Cork ace Cadogan completed a personal hat-trick of goals when the action resumed. Nicky McKeague and Liam Dunphy netted in either half for the visitors.

Elsewhere, holders Mary Immaculate and Limerick IT both recorded comfortable victories. With Cian Lynch (1-2) and Darragh O'Donovan (0-8) prominent, Jamie Wall's Mary I defeated GMIT by 2-31 to 0-16 and Davy Fitzgerald's charges put Trinity College - back in the competition after a 15-year absence - to the sword on a 4-21 to 0-7 scoreline. Waterford's Shane Bennett registered 3-7 for LIT.

UL - D McCarthy; M Casey, B Troy, L O'Connor; B Heffernan (0-2), J Forde (0-1), D Fitzgerald; A McGuane (0-1), T Kelly (0-2); T Morrissey (0-1), G Hegarty (0-1), K Hehir (0-4); S Bennett (1-1), M Mullins, J McGrath (1-8, 0-6f, 0-1'65). Subs: B Nash (0-1) for T Morrissey, R Lynch (0-1) for M Mullins, B Duggan for G Hegarty, L Lyons for T Kelly.

Cork IT - P Collins; E Healy, D Fanning, B Lyons; J Good, C O'Neill, D Noonan; R Hanley (0-1), J Buckley; T O'Connor (0-1), M Kearney (0-11, 9f, 1'65), C Kingston; M Cahalane (0-2), C Keane, A Coffey (0-1). Subs: D Hartnett for B Lyons, J O'Neill for J Buckley, S Walsh for R Hanley, A Keating for C Kingston, A Fenton for T O'Connor.

Referee - A Kelly.

**

UCC - D Desmond; I Kenny, C Spillane, S Roche; S Kennedy, C Gleeson, R Cahalane (0-1); C O'Leary, M Breen; J Power, T Devine, G O'Brien (0-2); A Cadogan (3-1), J O'Flynn (1-1), R O'Shea (1-7, 0-6f). Subs: A Spillane (0-1) for J Power, M O'Connor for R Cahalane, M O'Halloran for A Cadogan, N Motherway for R O'Shea, E Gunning for I Kenny.

UUJ - S Doherty; A Orchin, G Walsh, T O Ciaran; R Brannigan, J McGreevey, D O'Hara; J McNaughton, M Dudley; L Dunphy (1-0f), K Rice (0-1), J O'Dwyer; A Dooley, N McKeague (1-2, 0-2f), J Connolly (0-1). Subs: J O'Connell for J O'Dwyer, D McGuinness for L Dunphy, T Burns for A Orchin, P Butler for N McKeague, R Gillen for J McNaughton.

Referee - G Quilty.

**

Mary I - C Barrett; D Sweeney, R English, E Quirke (0-1); C Twomey, R Maher (0-3), A Flynn; C Galvin (0-2), S Cahill; A Gillane (0-5, 1f), M O'Neill (0-4), D O'Donovan (0-8, 1f, 1sl); T Monaghan (0-4), S Burke, C Lynch (1-2). Subs: T Gallagher for C Lynch, T Grimes (1-2) for S Burke, L Meade for S Cahill, T O'Mahony for C Galvin, C Stapleton for A Flynn.

GMIT - C Slevin; S Pierce, D Cronin, C Ryan; C Reilly, R Doyle (0-1), L Kelly (0-1); B Toohey, J Mooney (0-1); J Forde (0-2), I Creaven (0-1), A Ward (0-8, 6f, 1'65); J Mannion (0-2), D Mangan, E McEvoy. Subs: E Fallon for E McEvoy, R Cahill for L Kelly, R Burke for C Ryan, S Conroy for D Mangan, J Langan for I Creaven.

Referee - M Murtagh.

**

LIT - E Quilligan; C Cooney, K Bennett, C Nolan; W Ryan, B O'Connell, D Byrnes (0-3, 1'65); D Reidy, W Connors; P Killeen (0-2), P Duggan (0-2), S Bennett (3-7, 1-0pen, 0-6f); J Shanahan (0-1), J McCarthy (0-2), D Dempsey (1-2, 0-1f). Subs: M O'Malley for W Connors, B O'Gorman (0-1) for P Duggan, J Quaid for W Ryan, J Campion (0-1) for D Reidy, J Conway for S Bennett.

Trinity College - E Skelly; J O'Neill, D O'Donoghue, C Keating; Ciaran Heeney, M Malone, E McNamara; C O'Sullivan (0-6, 4f, 1'65, 1sl), F O Riain Broin; D Butler, N Redmond (0-1), C O Dulaing; C O Riain Broin, C O'Carroll, S Ryan. Subs: E Kelly for O Dulaing, Cillian Heeney for J O'Neill.

Referee - J Larkin.

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