University of Limerick became the thirteenth third-level college to get their hands on the Sigerson Cup when they beat 24-time winners UCC by 0-17 to 1-11 in this evening’s final at Croke Park.
It was a richly deserved win as UL dominated proceedings for much of the game, which was played in tricky underfoot conditions at HQ. They led for most of the hour but the edge they enjoyed in the first half was undone by a rather fortunate goal for UCC shortly before the break which hauled them level.
UL would have been forgiven for doubting themselves at that stage but to their credit they kept plugging away and the scores continued to come for them over the course of the second half. At the other end their ‘keeper, Clare’s Tristan O’Callaghan (TG4’s Player of the Match), made a number of saves at crucial stages when UCC were attempting to salvage the game.
At the finish UL were full value for their three-point win, a victory which enabled them to claim possession of this famous old silverware – first competed for in 1911 – for the very first time.
This was a win with significant Mayo influence. Cian McHale of Moy Davitts, who was top scorer in tonight’s final, shooting five points, was one of six lads from the county who saw action at Croke Park this evening. Castlebar Mitchels’ Seán Morahan, Westport’s Conal Dawson and Frank Irwin of Ballina Stephenites also started tonight’s final, while Hugh O’Loughlin (Kilmaine) and Jack Melvin (Davitts) saw action from the bench.
But for injury, Cathal Keaveney (Parke/Keelogues/Crimlin) and Eoin McGreal (Garrymore) would also have been in the frame for tonight’s decider. In addition, Dylan O’Brien and Cathal Corless (Davitts), Diarmuid Coggins (Crossmolina) and Colm McHale (Moy Davitts) were all on the panel.
For all of the lads involved with UL this year, being part of a team winning a national title at Croke Park will surely do them no harm at all. That’s to say nothing either of what tonight’s achievement in its own right means for them and their UL teammates, who will cherish this breakthrough Sigerson win for many a long year. Huge congrats to them.
WestKerry says:
February 11, 2026 at 10:51 pm
A poor game overall,
The conditions didn't help the quality.
Cian McHale had a fabulous game.
Mayoman in Meath says:
February 11, 2026 at 10:59 pm
McHale, Morohan and Dawson very good.
Roco88 says:
February 11, 2026 at 11:00 pm
I would second that on Cian McHale. I thought he lifted the team on his back from 35-45 mins winning a free and scoring 2 points from play to push UL ahead after they surrendered their lead. There’s not many Mayo forwards who’ve kicked 3 points from play in a Sigerson final in the past 20-30 years. He also has an eye for a pass which is another good string to his bow
Mayo ul man says:
February 11, 2026 at 11:01 pm
Great win for the counties that (according to manager) form the backbone of ul - clare, limerick, waterford , tipp. Nice there were a few Mayo lads there to support from the sidelines.
Nephin says:
February 11, 2026 at 11:24 pm
Think he was talking about the hurling team for Friday night.
Clare says:
February 11, 2026 at 11:47 pm
A great win by UL delighted for our Mayo lads .
Cian McHale will be some player for us in the future.
Conal Dawson is well had a good game & Morohan .
Thought it was a good game with UCC coming back 2nd half .
This will stand to our lads give them more confidence . Fair play to them .
Ontheditch says:
February 11, 2026 at 11:48 pm
In fairness the non Mayo players for UL played their part. Cian McHale very solid.
I didn't think it was a poor game. Some excellent passages of play, good goal chances and brilliant goalkeeping at both ends. Maybe the openness of the play meant UCC were always in with a shout. UL managed the additional time well. We'll be seeing more of Brosnon in the future, in the green and gold. Strapping big lad with powerful shoulders.
Im sure some posters are in shock that a team backbone by mayo players win a final.
Bring on Donegal and we'll change the verse to 'Andys winning matches.
Clare says:
February 11, 2026 at 11:56 pm
@Ontheditch
Great post fully agree! Be hard v Donegal so long ad we put a good performance in I'll be happy..
Future looks bright with talent coming up with likes of Cian McHale etc ! ( without getting carried away ..)
GlasagusDearg. says:
February 12, 2026 at 4:13 am
Again huge congrats to UL. Strong Mayo involvement will do those young lads the world of good and help imbue them with a winning mentality. Think Cian McHale would have been in the MOTM conversation-5 points, good a linking play and good use of possession and played one great pass to set up a goal chance. Morahan also looked the part at 6.
The New Departure says:
February 12, 2026 at 9:16 am
Great to see Mayo Lads play such an important role in UL first Sigerson ever.
Kudos must also go to the clubs from mayo with players involved who have been involved in bringing these lads from underage right up to senior. (often these go unnoticed)
Fogra
The 2 clubs represented from Mayo, Moy Davitts & Davitts named after Michael Davitt , who was evicted from straide in 1850 with his family aged 4. Thrown in to poor house in swinford.
For the family to stay in the poor house they would have to be separated from there parents, so instead the family walked to dublin got the boat to england.
At age 11, while working in a cotton mill in England, he lost his right arm in a machinery accident.
He went on to "the father of the land league movement" which was instrumental in land reform in ireland , where in effect land was transferred ultimately from the British landlord class to the tenant farmer in ireland , a monumental achievement in any 1s book .
Forgra Eile
On March 19, 1892, he famously laid a sod of Donegal turf in the centre circle of the new Celtic Park to mark its opening, symbolizing the club's Irish roots.
Cast a cold eye on life or death
Michael Davitt Pass By (WB Yeats , The New Departure)
Clubman51 says:
February 12, 2026 at 12:20 pm
Interesting the way UL played letting their full forward line drift out leaving space for runners to come through.
Morahan/McNamara/Collins all excellening going through those gaps.
McHale looked a cut above last night. He was unlucky with a goal chance, done the right thing swivelling onto his right foot. The keeper got MOTM, I felt some of his saves were bread and butter and Cian should have got MOTM.
The only caveat I have on Cian (which may be unfair) a lot of his scores were handed to him or him coming on the loop. Albeit the new style of football: can Cian win hard dirty ball going in?
Dawson is a really good player having watched 3/4 UL games at this stage and him for Westport last season. He is very smart and busy with a fine left foot. Don’t think he had his best day last night with converting only 1 of 4.
Morahan is a powerhouse going forward. Brave and stylish and looks to be a readymade intercounty player. Again Devils advocate (fairly or unfairly) he let UCC attackers passed him handy enough for a couple of goal chances second half. This also happened when he marked Lorcan O’Dell in the Q final and against Galway in the league. The defensive side of his game does need work.
Have been impressed with Jack Melvin throughout the campaign and last year for Davitts. Was surprised with his lack of game time in the semi and final. He can beat a man, kick a score and get down and dirty. Couldn’t be a million miles away from the county panel.
Overall, it’s great to be this side of the fence and not looking at other counties in awe with the players they have playing in Sigerson finals. With the 7/8 schools from Mayo in the Connaught finals the green shoots are flying high and a quiet sense of something special is on the horizon is lingering from the woodwork.
MO2023 says:
February 12, 2026 at 12:34 pm
Strange type of game, while UL dominated possession stakes and chances created it still took Tristan O’Callaghan in goal with a number of one on one saves to get them over the line. Also the semi final was truly remarkable, 5 points behind with 4 minutes of added time played against Queens and two pointers and a goal brought the game to extra time, you kinda of felt their name was on the trophy after that one.
Out of interest why are so many Mayo students are going to Limerick college nowadays? Not just UL but was 10 Mayo players on the Mary immaculate college who lost the Trench Cup final to Trinity yesterday after extra time
Catcol says:
February 12, 2026 at 1:45 pm
Good work there Clubman. There’s a lot of talent; current, emerging, and the schools are at a level that should ensure a future pipeline.
TheWeshtAwake says:
February 12, 2026 at 1:51 pm
Absolutely a great win for the UL boys. Anyone tune in to the Trench cup final yesterday, Mary I 9 points down with a few minutes down, up steps young aidan Cunningham... 3 two pointers in 5 minutes!!! To bring the game to extra time. What a performance... we could certainly do with a flair player like that on the county team. One to watch for sure.
InExile says:
February 12, 2026 at 2:13 pm
That should give those players great confidence for the future, performing and winning a final in Croker. That left foot of Cian is precious thing.
Ontheditch says:
February 12, 2026 at 2:27 pm
Tristan will be disappointed with the goal conceded, I think he thought the back had it covered. A soccer keeper would have mopped that one up.
But some of his saves were excellent, at least 4 one on one in the second half, certainly go beyond the definition of bread and butter. Deserving MOM imo. Its a forwards game imo with new rules.
UL can now push on and win many more. McHale has a fair bit of physicality about him. A full forward who can score gives a team a chance of winning Sam. Im thinking Clifford. Con O C, Murphy. Comer, they are all serious threats in their own right. Dawson covers an awful lot of ground. Not his finest hour but over the 11 games with UL, he has been a stand out performer. Put that together with appearances for Mayo seniors westport seniors and westport u21s.
Tommie says:
February 12, 2026 at 3:29 pm
The New Departure..
Lovely post there.
Michael Davitts contribution should never be understated...
An incredible extraordinary man...
Maigheo Abu
Gamechanger10 says:
February 12, 2026 at 7:42 pm
Great to see this cup being won by UL, I know there were more Kerry lads in the UCC team but we had a few with UL as well. I had a leaning towards as one of my lads attended UL and he enjoyed his time there, great university. Hats off to all the Mayo lads involved on the victorious side, great memories for them all.
GlasagusDearg. says:
February 13, 2026 at 1:37 am
@The New Departure. Thanks for the Michael Davitt history lesson. A man I feel that does'nt get anywhere near the recognition or credit that he deserves.
Sean Hallinan says:
February 13, 2026 at 11:21 am
Personally I thought the Ul V UCC Singerson Final was a fine fast exciting game of football. Of course mistakes were made but under the new rules it can be more difficult to police and dictate matters on the field as much more one on one encounters occur. A one who follows Rugby Union, Provincial and Ireland & Irish Club and the Premiership in Soccer; I felt the GAA Competitions was very worthy of transmission as indeed was the excellent All-Ireland Club football Final some weeks ago.
I am sure the upcoming Singerson Hurling Final will not disappoint either. One thing however absolutely astounds me. Why on earth did the GAA give up holding the All-Ireland Club Finals on Ireland’s prime Heritage occasion, St Patrick’s Day? To me and to thousands of others I am sure, it made no sense. But when did common sense prevail at the higher echelons of the GAA? The Minor Inter-County Championships (Under 18) and the highly attractive Under 21 Inter County Championship were ditched into the bin as well as the decades of highly valued tradition and history that went with them.
Now that we have two prime Bank Holidays in the first three months of the year - would it be possible to play the All-Ireland Senior Club Football Finals at 2pm and the All-Ireland Singerson Football Final at 5pm in Croke Park on St Bridget’s Day? Likewise play the Hurling Finals in Senior Club and Singerson at 2pm and 5pm on St Patricks Day.
I’m confident that on these prestigious National Holidays the GAA have sporting products that would attract many neutrals to Croke Park and indeed enhance hugely the prestige of these valued Competitions. Our prime National Cultural Holidays should not be left vacant by the Country’s greatest cultural organisation the GAA with its almost 1 million members.
JP says:
February 13, 2026 at 3:15 pm
@Sean Hallinane. I prefer the club final schedule now, but would like it on the weekend before Christmas as a cool end of year thing that would establish a new cultural mark in the calendar.
Darts is now really identified as post Christmas tv watching. I get your point, but think we could establish a better than January date the weekend before Christmas. Under lights Saturday night.
Willie Joe says:
February 13, 2026 at 5:58 pm
Match day panel named!
Sinead37 says:
February 15, 2026 at 12:24 am
I graduated from UL 30 years ago this year and it was very heavy on the Mayo people then too. My brother and sister also went to UL. We must have a good crop of players coming through.
Sean Hallinan says:
February 16, 2026 at 2:45 pm
My dear J P – (John Patrick I presume?) I am sorry I cannot agree!! The weekend before Christmas – preparation for that biggest Christian family festival - is the priority in most households. What with the shopping and the plucking, cleaning and cooking of the bird most folks are too busy to think of sport. Darts – the World Championship ran from the 11th of December 2025 to Saturday, January 3rd, 2026. No point in watching it for years to come as Mr Luke Littler will perhaps win it until Tibbs Eve!
The Sporting year really begins with the Dublin City Races (National Hunt) Jan 31st/Feb 1st (this Year). The current six nations Rugby Championship commenced in early February and the Premiership is/was winding down to its final dozen games. Early spring is one of the huge eagerly anticipated sporting occasions nationally and indeed in these Islands in general.
The GAA has unique high standard competition in our own National native games that very few other Nations have. Is it really out of order to expect that Finals in those games be played in our principal National Stadium, Croke Park on the special feast days of our Patron Saints, St Bridget (Feb 1st) and St Patrick (March 17th?