THERE WILL BE a different team standing on the winner’s podium in the Sigerson Cup in 2024.
Defending champions UCC made their exit last month after a defeat to Maynooth University which assured them a place in the quarter-finals. Last year’s finalists UL are still in contention having overcome DCU as the semi-finals loom this evening.
The action commences with the clash of UL with UCD at SETU Carlow before Maynooth collide with Ulster University in Monaghan ahead of the final this coming Saturday.
But before all that, let’s take a closer look at the players who are likely to have an influence on who will be competing in this year’s Sigerson Cup final.
1. Killian Roche – UCD [Laois]
Killian Roche in action for Laois. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
The Laois goalkeeper was among the headline performers in the opening round of the Allianz Football league. A native of Cooraclare who transferred to Killeshin in 2021, Roche hit three points from play, and five in total as Laois got their Division 4 campaign off to a winning start against Longford, and then hit the same tally of points in last Saturday’s victory over Wexford.
He’s on Sigerson Cup duty with UCD this evening, hoping to showcase his versatility as a hybrid keeper again. He featured strongly in his side’s win over University Galway which put UCD in the semi-finals, producing a save to keep out an effort from Galway’s Tomo Culhane and successfully converting two 45s.
Leitrim's Paul Keaney tackling Daniel Flaherty of Galway. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
2. Paul Keaney – UL [Leitrim]
The Leitrim star was included on the 2023 Team of the Year after UL suffered an extra-time defeat to UCC in the Sigerson Cup final. He kicked three frees in that decider and finished the campaign with a tally of 0-22.
Keaney remains a key player for the Limerick-based side, finishing as his side’s top-scorer in their quarter-final win over DCU with 0-5 (0-4f)in a one-point win. Lining out at centre-forward for that game, Keaney’s influence was particularly evident in the second half that evening and will need another big performance against UCD this evening.
Tom Moran on the ball for Wicklow against Down. Ryan Byrne / INPHO
Ryan Byrne / INPHO / INPHO
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3. Tom Moran – Maynooth University [Wicklow]
A defender from the Dunlavin club in Wicklow, Tom Moran has been a consistent performer in the Maynooth University full-back line this year.
He also kicked an important point in the first-half of his side’s quarter-final clash with Queen’s University earlier this week, where Meath’s Eoghan Freyne kicked the stoppage time winner to fire Maynooth into the final four of the competition.
Moran is also impressing for the Wicklow footballers at present, and produced a noteworthy performance at corner-back in their Division 3 opening-round defeat to Down.
Ulster University's Ruairí Canavan. Nick Elliott / INPHO
Nick Elliott / INPHO / INPHO
4. Ruairí Canavan – Ulster University [Tyrone]
One of two deadly Canavan brothers on the Ulster University team, Maynooth will be eager to nullify the input of free-taker Ruairí in their semi-final tonight. He accounted for four points of Ulster’s 0-16 in their narrow win over TU Dublin to see them through to the semi-finals.
Ruairí’s introduction to county football has been more difficult during a time when Tyrone’s performances are tailing off.
He combined with his sibling Darragh to inflict a Round 1 defeat on last year’s Sigerson champions UCC last month. Ulster University were trailing by five points in the first half, but overturned the deficit to eventually win by three points. Ruairí finished his shift with three points while Darragh was sprung from the bench in the second half to set up two points for fellow Tyrone forward Conor Cush.
Another important cog in the UCD defence is Monaghan’s Ryan O’Toole. Last year, he grabbed the headlines on his championship debut for Monaghan after scoring a dramatic late goal against Tyrone to dump them out of the Ulster championship.
He found the net again from corner-back in the league this year as he leaped for a palmed effort against Kerry last weekend.
O’Toole kicked a point against University of Galway last week, and could be a scoring outlet for UCD later tonight.
Frank Irwin in action for Mayo. John Corless / INPHO
John Corless / INPHO / INPHO
6. Frank Irwin – UL [Mayo]
The Ballina Stephenites forward was named man-of-the-match in the quarter-final against DCU, helping himself to three points on the night.
Irwin, who earned his first league start for Mayo in 2022, is the son of Mayo’s former All Star goalkeeper, Gabriel Irwin, who played against Cork in the 1989 All-Ireland senior final.
While still in secondary school, he also featured in the AFL Combine in 2019 where he impressed the AFL scouts.
Kildare forward Darragh Kirwan. Tom Maher / INPHO
Tom Maher / INPHO / INPHO
7. Darragh Kirwan – Maynooth University [Kildare]
Kirwan was Maynooth’s top-scorer when they dethroned UCC at the end of January, grabbing 2-4 from play. The Kildare senior’s two goals arrived in the first half, and he could even have had a third had one of his efforts not crashed back off the crossbar.
Along with fellow Kildare native Shane O’Sullivan, the pair struck 2-8 between them in a key reason for Maynooth’s win over the Sigerson Cup holders.
He picked off Queen’s University for five points in the quarter-final, two of which came in the opening stages of the tie.
Josh Largo Ellis in possession for Fermanagh in the 2021 Ulster quarter-final. Laszlo Geczo / INPHO
Laszlo Geczo / INPHO / INPHO
8. Josh Largo Elis – University of Ulster [Fermanagh]
With a Spanish father and roots in Croydon where the family still have season tickets to Crystal Palace, Largo Elis has an unusual background for Gaelic football.
One of the key figures in St Michael’s College MacRory and Hogan Cup victories in 2019, he was drafted into the county senior squad the following season with Ryan McMenamin trusting him in a central role instantly.
With huge energy and athleticism, he is a key figure in any team employing a transition game, and he also has an eye for goal as shown against Tyrone in the Ulster championship of 2022.
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8 key players to watch in tonight's Sigerson Cup semi-finals
THERE WILL BE a different team standing on the winner’s podium in the Sigerson Cup in 2024.
Defending champions UCC made their exit last month after a defeat to Maynooth University which assured them a place in the quarter-finals. Last year’s finalists UL are still in contention having overcome DCU as the semi-finals loom this evening.
The action commences with the clash of UL with UCD at SETU Carlow before Maynooth collide with Ulster University in Monaghan ahead of the final this coming Saturday.
But before all that, let’s take a closer look at the players who are likely to have an influence on who will be competing in this year’s Sigerson Cup final.
1. Killian Roche – UCD [Laois]
The Laois goalkeeper was among the headline performers in the opening round of the Allianz Football league. A native of Cooraclare who transferred to Killeshin in 2021, Roche hit three points from play, and five in total as Laois got their Division 4 campaign off to a winning start against Longford, and then hit the same tally of points in last Saturday’s victory over Wexford.
He’s on Sigerson Cup duty with UCD this evening, hoping to showcase his versatility as a hybrid keeper again. He featured strongly in his side’s win over University Galway which put UCD in the semi-finals, producing a save to keep out an effort from Galway’s Tomo Culhane and successfully converting two 45s.
2. Paul Keaney – UL [Leitrim]
The Leitrim star was included on the 2023 Team of the Year after UL suffered an extra-time defeat to UCC in the Sigerson Cup final. He kicked three frees in that decider and finished the campaign with a tally of 0-22.
Keaney remains a key player for the Limerick-based side, finishing as his side’s top-scorer in their quarter-final win over DCU with 0-5 (0-4f)in a one-point win. Lining out at centre-forward for that game, Keaney’s influence was particularly evident in the second half that evening and will need another big performance against UCD this evening.
3. Tom Moran – Maynooth University [Wicklow]
A defender from the Dunlavin club in Wicklow, Tom Moran has been a consistent performer in the Maynooth University full-back line this year.
He also kicked an important point in the first-half of his side’s quarter-final clash with Queen’s University earlier this week, where Meath’s Eoghan Freyne kicked the stoppage time winner to fire Maynooth into the final four of the competition.
Moran is also impressing for the Wicklow footballers at present, and produced a noteworthy performance at corner-back in their Division 3 opening-round defeat to Down.
4. Ruairí Canavan – Ulster University [Tyrone]
One of two deadly Canavan brothers on the Ulster University team, Maynooth will be eager to nullify the input of free-taker Ruairí in their semi-final tonight. He accounted for four points of Ulster’s 0-16 in their narrow win over TU Dublin to see them through to the semi-finals.
Ruairí’s introduction to county football has been more difficult during a time when Tyrone’s performances are tailing off.
He combined with his sibling Darragh to inflict a Round 1 defeat on last year’s Sigerson champions UCC last month. Ulster University were trailing by five points in the first half, but overturned the deficit to eventually win by three points. Ruairí finished his shift with three points while Darragh was sprung from the bench in the second half to set up two points for fellow Tyrone forward Conor Cush.
5. Ryan O’Toole – UCD [Monaghan]
Another important cog in the UCD defence is Monaghan’s Ryan O’Toole. Last year, he grabbed the headlines on his championship debut for Monaghan after scoring a dramatic late goal against Tyrone to dump them out of the Ulster championship.
He found the net again from corner-back in the league this year as he leaped for a palmed effort against Kerry last weekend.
O’Toole kicked a point against University of Galway last week, and could be a scoring outlet for UCD later tonight.
6. Frank Irwin – UL [Mayo]
The Ballina Stephenites forward was named man-of-the-match in the quarter-final against DCU, helping himself to three points on the night.
Irwin, who earned his first league start for Mayo in 2022, is the son of Mayo’s former All Star goalkeeper, Gabriel Irwin, who played against Cork in the 1989 All-Ireland senior final.
While still in secondary school, he also featured in the AFL Combine in 2019 where he impressed the AFL scouts.
7. Darragh Kirwan – Maynooth University [Kildare]
Kirwan was Maynooth’s top-scorer when they dethroned UCC at the end of January, grabbing 2-4 from play. The Kildare senior’s two goals arrived in the first half, and he could even have had a third had one of his efforts not crashed back off the crossbar.
Along with fellow Kildare native Shane O’Sullivan, the pair struck 2-8 between them in a key reason for Maynooth’s win over the Sigerson Cup holders.
He picked off Queen’s University for five points in the quarter-final, two of which came in the opening stages of the tie.
8. Josh Largo Elis – University of Ulster [Fermanagh]
With a Spanish father and roots in Croydon where the family still have season tickets to Crystal Palace, Largo Elis has an unusual background for Gaelic football.
One of the key figures in St Michael’s College MacRory and Hogan Cup victories in 2019, he was drafted into the county senior squad the following season with Ryan McMenamin trusting him in a central role instantly.
With huge energy and athleticism, he is a key figure in any team employing a transition game, and he also has an eye for goal as shown against Tyrone in the Ulster championship of 2022.
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GAA on the radar Sigerson Cup