Result
Mary Immaculate College 3-24 IT Carlow 1-19
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Afternoon all and welcome along to our live coverage of the 2017 Fitzgibbon Cup final. IT Carlow face Mary Immaculate College at 1pm in Pearse Stadium.
Elsewhere it’s been a dramatic morning in the GAA with some big changes voted through at 2017 Congress in Croke Park.
Kevin O’Brien is keeping an eye on all the events there for The42.
Here are the starting teams.
IT Carlow
1. Enda Rowland (Abbeyleix, Laois)
2. Dwayne Palmer (Camross, Laois)
3. Kevin Hannafin (St Brendan’s, Kerry)
4. Ross Browne (Colligan, Waterford)
5. Robert Moran (Castlecomer, Kilkenny)
6. Damian Healy (Longwood, Meath)
7. Dale O’Hanlon (Carrick Swans, Tipperary)
8. James Doyle (St Mullin’s, Carlow)
9. Colin Dunford (Colligan, Waterford)
10. Charles Dwyer (Ballinakill, Laois)
14. Stephen Maher (Clough-Ballacolla, Laois)
12. Martin Kavanagh (St Mullin’s, Carlow)
13. Jack Fagan (De La Salle, Waterford)
11. Mark Russell (Lattin-Cullen, Tipperary)
15. Chris Bolger (Clara, Kilkenny)
Mary Immaculate
1. Ciaran Barrett (Clonmel Óg, Tipperary)
2. David Sweeney (Kiladangan, Tipperary)
3. Richie English (Doon, Limerick)
4. Eoin Quirke (captain) (Whitegate, Clare)
5. Conor Twomey (Newtownshandrum, Cork)
6. Ronan Maher (Thurles Sarsfields, Tipperary)
7. Alan Flynn (Kiladangan, Tipperary)
8. Colm Galvin (Clonlara, Clare)
9. Stephen Cahill (Thurles Sarsfields, Tipperary)
10. Darragh O’Donovan (Doon, Limerick)
11. Michael O’Neill (Kilmaley, Clare)
12. Aaron Gillane (Patrickswell, Limerick)
17. Tadhg Gallagher (Kiladangan, Tipperary)
14. Cian Lynch (Patrickswell, Limerick)
22. Luke Meade (Newcestown, Cork)
Mary Immaculate 0-2 IT Carlow 0-0
2 mins – Lightning start by the champions with Michael O’Neill pointing from play and Aaron Gillane on target from a free.
Mary Immaculate 0-3 IT Carlow 0-0
4 mins – Marvellous point from distance by wing-back Conor Twomey for Mary Immaculate.
Mary Immaculate 0-3 IT Carlow 0-1
5 mins – IT Carlow up and running as Stephen ‘Picky’ Maher slots over a free.
Mary Immaculate 0-5 IT Carlow 0-1
7 mins – They’re flying now as the Limerick pair of Darragh O’Donovan and Cian Lynch are both on target.
Mary Immaculate 0-6 IT Carlow 0-2
8 mins – Point for Chris Bolger but half chance of a goal there after Martin Kavanagh’s strong incisive run set up the IT Carlow corner-forward. Cian Lynch replies at the other end for Mary I.
Mary Immaculate 0-7 IT Carlow 0-3
10 mins – Ronan Maher splits the posts with a point from distance from a long-range free but then Colin Dunford replies with an excellent score.
Mary Immaculate 0-8 IT Carlow 0-3
12 mins – Darragh O’Donovan splits the posts from a sideline cut.
Mary Immaculate 0-9 IT Carlow 0-3
16 mins – Conor Twomey with his second point of the day from wing-back for Mary Immaculate and then they nearly hit the net but Tadhg Gallagher’s shot is smartly blocked by Enda Rowland before Luke Meade’s shot from the rebound goes wide.
Mary Immaculate 0-10 IT Carlow 0-4
19 mins – Maher with a free at one end for IT Carlow before Luke Meade restores Mary I’s six-point advantage.
Mary Immaculate 0-11 IT Carlow 0-4
20 mins – Colm Galvin flights over a superb point for Mary I.
Mary Immaculate 0-12 IT Carlow 0-5
23 mins – Ronan Maher bangs over a long-range free for Mary I before Maher responds for IT Carlow.
Mary Immaculate 0-12 IT Carlow 0-7
24 mins – Maher on target again from a free and then Charles Dwyer points. The gap is back to five now.
Mary Immaculate 0-13 IT Carlow 0-7
27 mins – Ronan Maher’s long rang striking from placed balls has been superb today. He’s just hit his third point.
Mary Immaculate 0-15 IT Carlow 0-7
28 mins – Maher and O’Neill stretch Mary I’s lead to eight points.
Mary Immaculate 0-16 IT Carlow 0-8
31 mins – Maher for IT Carlow and Cian Lynch for Mary I trade points.
Half-Time: Mary Immaculate College 0-16 IT Carlow 0-8
Mary Immaculate 0-16 IT Carlow 0-9
31 mins – Maher hits over the first point of the second half for IT Carlow.
Mary Immaculate 0-16 IT Carlow 0-10
34 mins – Maher again and the gap is down to six but then Jack Fagan misses a glorious chance to score.
Mary Immaculate 0-17 IT Carlow 0-10
35 mins – Superb run by substitute Thomas Monaghan, he offloads to O’Neill and the Kilmaley man points for Mary Immaculate.
Goal for Mary Immaculate College!
Mary Immaculate College 1-17 IT Carlow 0-10
37 mins – A fine one-handed strike to the net by Darragh O’Donovan and Mary I go ten points clear.
Mary Immaculate 1-18 IT Carlow 0-11
38 mins – Points swapped by Conor Twomey and Martin Kavanagh.
Mary Immaculate 1-18 IT Carlow 0-12
40 mins – Maher converts a free for IT Carlow.
Mary Immaculate 1-19 IT Carlow 0-12
42 mins – Gillane knocks over a free and the gap is out to ten points.
Mary Immaculate 1-19 IT Carlow 0-14
42 mins – IT Carlow still battling on as Colin Dunford clips over an excellent point from play and Maher hits over a free. They needs goal though and the exertions of yesterday’s extra-time win could start to tell.
Mary Immaculate 1-20 IT Carlow 0-14
48 mins – Gillane points and then wins a penalty!
Goal for Mary Immaculate College!
Mary Immaculate 2-20 IT Carlow 0-15
50 mins – And that should be that. Gillane unleashes a fierce drive to the net and Mary Immaculate are surely set now to retain their Fitzgibbon Cup title. Maher does grab a point back at the other end.
Goal for IT Carlow!
Mary Immaculate 2-22 IT Carlow 1-16
55 mins – Some joy for IT Carlow as they find the net courtesy of Stephen ‘Picky’ Maher.
Mary Immaculate 2-22 IT Carlow 1-18
56 mins – Deficit cut to seven as Maher hits over a brace of frees.
Third goal for Mary Immaculate College!
Mary Immaculate 3-23 IT Carlow 1-18
60 mins – That seals it. A third goal for the title holders, substitute Pa Ryan flicking a shot to the net after Aaron Gillane’s initial shot was superbly blocked by goalkeeper Enda Rowland.
Mary Immaculate 3-24 IT Carlow 1-19
63 mins – Outstanding save by goalkeeper Ciaran Barrett from Charles Dwyer, he points the rebound.
Full-Time: Mary Immaculate College 3-24 IT Carlow 1-19
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Great move for Seanie . The league will be a poorer place without player’s like him. Wish him all the best
It’s a good thing Cork have an 18 point lead. Wish him all the best but I’m gutted that he’s leaving, the league is a better place with players like him. He was class last night.
City still have him for up to 7 league games and a couple of European ties. Watch how quickly he gets called up to Ireland squad now that he doesn’t play here. Sad but true.
And when he arrives at Preston, he’ll suddenly be good enough for the Ireland squad!
Preston have some amount of Irish players now. Good luck to him! Thought Cork would try keep him for their European games
@Joey McCarthy: although just checked he will be around for early rounds of European games.
He’ll get on the magic plane which takes off in Ireland and when it lands in England he’ll have improved so much he’ll get called in to the national squad
@Michael Hanrahan: no guarantee he’ll get in Preston side… and if he does he will probably deserve a call up as the championship is a much higher level than league of ireland, despite what people seem to think on here…. horgan best player in loi last year, but has struggled to make starting 11 for Preston recently after a bright start
@blueman79: yet he’s been in every squad since he joined them regardless of his form eith PNE
Great for him snd great for city. Will win the league and make a few quid along the way. Happy days
Would of been nice for him to stay until the end of the season. Cork took him off the bench at Dundalk and are on their way to a great season. Surely a few months wouldn’t have stopped him moving. Interesting to see who Cork replace him with now.
@Dan: I think Brian Kerr made a good point last night when he said Maguire needed to be at Preston for the pre season. It’s his best chance of staking a claim in the team. I know Horgan went in January but he didn’t get into the team straight away. Tough on Cork though.
Everyone’s second team in England has now become Preston. Will be keeping an eye on their results, best of luck to all the Irish lads!!
Can expect to see hin in the Ireland squad in August so
Best of cork luck seanie,go all the way boy
Great and we’ll deserved movie for him. Definitely should be involved with Ireland more than he has been and now that he’s moved to the championship O’Neill will probably cap him even though he deserved his first cap a while ago.
@Dave Murray: bit early for a movie although Vardy had got one
@Brian Les: Doh! Major face palm from me.
@Dave Murray: v good
lets hope they got a decent fee with a future percentage sell on clause not like in previous cases to clubs across the water.
Great if he was loaned back to City till end of season. Prob won,t happen though, fully deserves his chance, can make an impact in championship as well.No shortage of strickers wanting to come to City now i,d say. Best support base, biggest club in Ireland now and unique atmosphere at Turners Cross.
Delighted for him he deserves it lots of Irish players at Preston now
Let’s hope Richie towell gets a fair crack at Brighton .. great move for maguire- hope it works out
@Niall: Chris Hughton has said that he’s going to send Richie out on loan to the championship
Called up to the Ireland squad now guaranteed
If mcgeady sign permanently they can make a real push for automatic promotion
@Ciarán Linnane: i cant see aidan doing aswell this season im afraid
@John Delaney: hope he does
Feck. Would have preferred he stayed till seasons end. We haven’t won the league in 12 years like
Let’s hope Kevin o c,and Ryan d,dont go