The draws for the 2012 Higher Education GAA Championships, including the prestigious Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cups, were made this afternoon in Croke Park.

The Sigerson Cup semi-finals and final will be hosted by NUI Galway in 2012 on February 24 and 25 respectively, with reigning champions UCC pitted against GMIT in the opening round.

In the Fitzgibbon Cup, current title holders UL have been paired with city rivals Limerick IT and St. Patrick's Drumcondra/Mater Dei.

The stand-out tie in the opening round of the Sigerson Cup is between 2010 champions DCU and fellow previous winners Cork Institute of Technology, which is a home game for DCU.

Weekend hosts NUI Galway face St. Mary's, Belfast in a home clash, while the meeting of University of Ulster, Jordanstown and UL is likely to be played at a neutral venue.

DIT are at home to Division 1 league finalists IT Carlow. IT Tralee will face IT Sligo, while Queen's University entertain NUI Maynooth and UCD will also have home advantage against Athlone IT.

The first round games will take place on either Tuesday, January 31 or Wednesday, February 1.

The Fitzgibbon Cup continues with the round robin format of recent years, with four groups put in place. Cork IT, Waterford IT and UCD are in Group A, with DIT, IT Carlow and NUI Galway paired together in Group B.

UL, Limerick IT and St Patrick's/Mater Dei will battle it out in Group C, while UCC, DCUU and GMIT will face off in Group D.

The top two teams in each group qualify for the quarter-finals, which will take place on either Tuesday, February 21 or Wednesday, February 22.

The concluding stages of the centenary Fitzgibbon Cup will be hosted by UCC on Friday, March 2 and Saturday, March 3.

2012 HIGHER EDUCATION FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP DRAWS:

Sigerson Cup - Round 1 - NUI Galway v St. Mary's, Belfast; UUJ v UL; DCU v Cork IT; DIT v IT Carlow; IT Tralee v IT Sligo; UCC v GMIT; Queen's University Belfast v NUI Maynooth; UCD v Athlone IT.

Trench Cup - Round 1 - Mary Immaculate College v IT Blanchardstown; Letterkenny IT v IT Tallaght; Waterford IT v BMC; St. Pat's, Drumcondra v Dundalk IT; UU Coleraine v Limerick IT. Quarter-Finals - Mary I/ITB v UUC/LIT; LKIT/ITT v WIT/BMC; Trinity College v St. Pat's. Drumcondra/DKIT.

Corn na Mac Leinn - Round 1 - Mater Dei v UU Magee; GMIT Castlebar v GMIT Letterfrack; LIT Tipperary v NCI; The Law School v St. Pat's, Thurles. Quarter-Finals - Mater Dei/UUM v LITT/NCI; Marino College v GMIT Castlebar/GMIT Letterfrack; Cadets v RCSI; Law School/St. Pat's, Thurles v Froebel College.

Further Education Football Championship - Quarter--Finals - SRC v Carlow IFE; Drogheda v Coláiste Ide; O Fiach Col v NWRC; Cavan Inst v CCFE.

2012 HIGHER EDUCATION HURLING CHAMPIONSHIP DRAWS:

Fitzgibbon Cup - Group A - CIT, WIT, UCD Group B - DIT, IT Carlow, NUIG. Group C - UL, LIT, St. Pat's/Mater Dei. Group D - UCC, DCU, GMIT.

Ryan Cup - Round 1 - Mary Immaculate College v Trinity College; It Sligo v NUIM; AIT v IT Tralee; Queen's University Belfast v UUJ.

Fergal Maher Cup - Round 1 - IT Tallaght v Marino College; Dundalk IT v IT Blanchardstown; GMIT Letterfrack v Cork Colleges of Further Education. Quarter-Finals - St Pat's, Thurles v DKIT/ITB; GMIT Letterfrack/CCFE v IT Tallaght/Marino College; St Marys University College Belfast v LIT Tipperary. Semi-Finals - St Pat's, Thurles/DKIT/ITB v Napier University; GMIT Letterfrack/CCFE/ITT/Marino v St. Mary's/LIT Tipperary.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 14/12/2011 17:17:34    1084501

Who would any of ye pick on this team?

http://www.hoganstand.com/Tipperary/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=160143

Shortlist for Fitzgibbon Team of the Century
10 January 2012

As part of the planned celebrations for the Fitzgibbon Cup in its centenary year, An Comhairle Ardoideachais C.L.G is pleased to announce the shortlist of 75 players for the 'Irish Daily Mail Fitzgibbon Cup Team of the Century'.

The star-studded list, which is made up of five goalkeepers, 30 defenders, 10 midfielders and 30 forwards, was released to the Irish Daily Mail today after a selection process including each Higher Education GAA Institute which has participated in the competition being invited to forward their most influential players. Each club has at least one nominee included.

Players to make the list are from various decades dating right back to the competitions origin (Éamon Bulfin & John Ryan (UCD) winners in the inaugural competition) right up to the present (Séamus Hickey (UL) a winner in 2011) .

There is no doubting the quality and standard of players that have been included in the initial shortlist with many of those selected fulfilling their promise shown in Fitzgibbon competition and going on to claim All-Ireland titles, All-Stars & Hurler of the Year awards at inter-county level.

However, the criteria for selection on the shortlist, was solely based on performance in the premier Higher Education hurling competition. A committee of former Fitzgibbon players and managers chaired by Iar-Uachtarán Joe McDonagh will also make the final selection based on the same criteria.

The list contains multiple nominees from two families with a father & son (Billy & Tony Loughnane(UCD)) and two brothers (John & Eddie Enright (UCC)) selected.

Comhairle Ardoideachais is running a competition inviting all entrants to submit their own selection from the nominations online.
The person with the closest team to that of the selection committee's will win two All-Ireland Hurling final tickets and two tickets to the Irish Daily Mail Fitzgibbon Cup weekend in Cork, which is hosted by UCC, on March 2/3 including accommodation.

Submission forms and full details of the competition are now available on www.he.gaa.ie. The closing date for entries is 5.00pm on Friday, January 20, 2012 with the final team and competition winner scheduled to be announced the following week.

Since its inception the Fitzgibbon Cup has been one of the most prestigious titles in Higher Education sport.

The trophy itself is named after Dr. Edwin Fitzgibbon, a Capuchin friar and, from 1911 to 1936, a professor of philosophy at University College Cork. In 1912 Dr. Fitzgibbon donated most of his annual salary to purchase the trophy.

For further information visit www.he.gaa.ie.
List of players-http://www.hoganstand.com/Tipperary/ArticleForm.aspx?ID=160143

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 10/01/2012 18:07:29    1091433

UCC must be the favorites this year?

BettystownRoyal (Meath) - Posts: 3353 - 10/01/2012 18:44:22    1091448

10/01/2012 18:44:22
BettystownRoyal
County: Meath
Posts: 1605

1091448 UCC must be the favorites this year?

For Fitzgibbon or Sigerson?
My views on the Fitzgibbon and the odds
Group A is a tough one, really good group, 3 good teams hard to tell who will get through..

Group B also tough, but I can see DIT and Carlow coming out of it based purely on how the league went, cant see anyone here being a serious contender

Group C UL and LIT to get through

Group D, UCC to stroll through, toss up between DCU and GMIT for the other quarter final place then who both were in a relegation final just two weeks ago...

UL 11/8
UCC 3/1
LIT 4/1
CIT 15/2
UCD 15/2
WIT 8/1
NUI Galway 14/1
DIT 33/1
IT Carlow 66/1
St Patricks Mater Dei 80/1
GMIT 100/1
DCU 150/1

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 10/01/2012 19:00:44    1091456

Is Sigerson in Dangan (NUIGalway sports complex) this year lads?

ahsure. (Galway) - Posts: 1688 - 10/01/2012 19:38:50    1091480

edit: I should have read the opening post in more detail.

ahsure. (Galway) - Posts: 1688 - 10/01/2012 19:40:32    1091481

Wouldnt be too sure of Group C ormondbannerman, I'd put money on Pats MDI making it out of that group.. other than that id agree with your predictions.. seen them on another site as well you must be on boards!

surewhynot (USA) - Posts: 4 - 13/01/2012 11:49:05    1092996

I had happy days playing fitzgibbon cup back in the day with one or two of the greats of the game on my team!

Regards,

Snufalufagus....Laochra Gael

Snufalufagus (Dublin) - Posts: 8100 - 13/01/2012 12:16:57    1093016

Was that with the hurling stronghold that is DCU, snuff?

ahsure. (Galway) - Posts: 1688 - 13/01/2012 13:20:42    1093062

Fitzgibbon Round One fixtures. Any thoughts as to game of the round. IMO it has to be UL v LIT,

Wed 1st
UCC v DCU

Thurs 2nd
DIT v Carlow IT
UL v LIT
CIT v WIT

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 25/01/2012 19:31:40    1100359

This was posted as a new thread but as the subject matter already exists it has been incorporated here.

meathlad93
Posts: 41
County: Meath

31/01/2012
17:30

Sigerson Cup

Who's everyone's fancy for Sigerson this year ? Can't see past DCU myself. Carlow IT have a great shout with a decent warm up with getting to the division 1 final a few weeks back.

Administrator (None) - Posts: 2275 - 31/01/2012 17:39:23    1103157

Sigerson Cup, UCC would be my tip defending champions just won the league & won the Cork club championship. DCU are not as good as 2010 Murphy,Cregg are injured while others have now finshed college.

Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3617 - 31/01/2012 17:53:32    1103168

Irish Daily Mail Sigerson Cup
N.U.I. Galway 0-05 0-03 St Mary's University College,2pm
NUIG down to 14, Kieran Conroy sent of for two yellows

Dublin Institute of Technology 0-07 0-07 Carlow Institute of Technology 2pm

Institute of Technology Tralee 0-05 0-08 Institute of Technology Sligo 2pm

Queens University Belfast v NUI Maynooth, 7pm

Irish Daily Mail Fitzgibbon Cup Group D

University College Cork V Dublin City University, 7pm.

Gaa_Punter (Roscommon) - Posts: 9 - 01/02/2012 15:07:24    1103621

Howd the Sigerson games finish up?

galwayman95 (Galway) - Posts: 292 - 01/02/2012 18:25:40    1103814

Queens 1-09 Maynooth 0-13
Great game in Belfast last night. Meaths CBerrigan & DDalton were outstanding throughout with MNewman kicking winner with almost last kick.
Queens looked better side for long periods but size and strength won it for visitors.
QF draw now reads
NUI Galway v Jordanstown
IT Sligo v UCC
NUI Maynooth v UCD
DIT v DCU or CorkIT

golfingroyal (Meath) - Posts: 44 - 02/02/2012 11:23:25    1104112

DCU got a hammering, did they field strongest team?

dhorse (Laois) - Posts: 11374 - 02/02/2012 13:23:20    1104207

Game of the round today, should be big crowd. There'll be a few busloads going accross the city from LIT for the game. Should be an excellant game

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 02/02/2012 13:29:06    1104212

What happened in the NUIG/St. Mary's game, was there a dust up at the end. Seems some of the St.Mary's players were unhappy at the officiating.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9818 - 02/02/2012 18:44:14    1104468

DCU were given a bit of a fright today, eventually winning by 11 points to 8 against CIT. It was 5 points each at half time.

Quarter Finals to be on the 15th/16th February

NUIG v UUJ

IT Sligo V UCC

NUIM V UCD

DCU v DIT

Only IT Sligo v UCC will be played on neutral venue, others will have home games.

ormondbannerman (Clare) - Posts: 13473 - 07/02/2012 16:08:39    1107411

DCU have been hit badly with injuries i'd fancy DIT to beat while it's hard to see anyone stopping UCC.

Gaa_lover (USA) - Posts: 3617 - 07/02/2012 16:42:56    1107434