IT’S THIRD-LEVEL GAA championship season, and the Sigerson Cup gets us off the mark this week with a burst of Round 1 fixtures, starting tomorrow night.
Before the action gets underway, let’s take a look at some of the emerging talents that will feature in the competition
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Ryan O’Donoghue (Mayo) – University of Galway
An established forward for Mayo, this will be Ryan O’Donoghue’s first Sigerson Cup campaign. He was previously a student at UL where he unfortunately missed his Sigerson Cup window through a combination of injury and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Now representing University of Galway, the Belmullet club player prepares to make his Sigerson bow having already picked up a college league title this season. O’Donoghue kicked four points as they defeated University Ulster to lift the Ryan Cup.
O’Donoghue’s rise on the inter-county scene marks him out as a major scoring threat for the Galway side.
Darragh Cashman (Cork) – UL
The Millstreet defender was named on the 2023 Higher Education Rising Stars Football Team of the Year and goes into this year’s Sigerson Cup after making his first competitive start for the Cork seniors last week.
Cashman, who won an All-Ireland minor medal back in 2019 and was joint captain of the Cork U20s in 2022, kicked two points from half-back in his side’s McGrath Cup win over Clare. One of his scores was a particularly impressive effort from a tricky angle.
Darragh Cashman from @MillstreetGaa with the score of the game so far 🔴⚪️
— Clubber (@clubber) January 3, 2024
Tune in to the second half on https://t.co/yMkMTpFmTc 🔗@OfficialCorkGAA 0-04@GaaClare 0-03 pic.twitter.com/Vc1xXtbnHS
Cashman brings plenty of experience to the competition having lined out in last year’s final for UL, where they were narrowly defeated by UCC.
Bill Carroll (Offaly) – DCU
Another inclusion on the 2023 Rising Stars Team of The Year, Bill Carroll is a quality midfielder for DCU. He’s also a developing talent on the Offaly team. He was involved with the panel who reached the Leinster semi-final last year, kicking a point after coming as a sub in their extra-time defeat to Louth.
Carroll later stepped away from the panel for the Tailteann Cup as he was travelling to America. DCU reached the Sigerson Cup semi-finals last year where they were overpowered by UL for the second year in a row with Carroll featuring in both games.
Ben O’Carroll (Roscommon) – UCD
Ben O’Carroll distinguished himself as a real talent for the future during the 2023 National League, when he announced himself to the stage with 1-2 against Tyrone.
He carried that impressive form into the championship, catching the eye with a well-taken point against Sligo in the All-Ireland series. O’Carroll was also an All-Ireland U20 finalist in 2021.
Currently, he’s on club duty with St Brigid’s who have an All-Ireland final to prepare for against Derry’s Glen later in the month. But when that business is squared away, O’Carroll will be key to UCD’s chances this year.
Anton Tohill (Derry) – Queens
The AFL star recently underwent thumb surgery and is reportedly targeting a mid-January return to football this year, which would coincide with the Sigerson competitions.
Tohill lined out for all of Derry’s McKenna Cup games last year but then opted out of the panel for the championship.
The son of Derry legend Anthony returned to Ireland from his stint with Collingwood in 2021, but has yet to make a breakthrough with the county’s senior team.
He told Belfast Live that he would not rule out an inter-county return in the future but that it is not “100% on my agenda”. However, he added that he is enjoying his Sigerson football with Queens where is studying medicine. Tohill also plays rugby for the college.
David Garland (Monaghan) – UCD
A previous Sigerson Cup winner with DCU, Garland now plays for UCD. He scored four points in the 2020 Sigerson Cup decider and capped the year by picking up the Rising Star Football Player of the Year.
He was also prominent forward in last year’s competition as UCD reached the quarter-final. However, they were edged out by TU Dublin after a tense extra-time battle that left just one point between the sides at full-time. Garland finished the game with nine points, including six frees.
Garland has also been involved in Monaghan squads in recent years.
Jason McGee (Donegal) – ATU Donegal
An experienced player with Donegal, Jason McGee is key midfielder and free-taker for ATU Donegal.
McGee made his senior inter-county debut in 2017 and struggled with injuries in the early stages of his Donegal career. But the Cloughaneely man has developed into an important player for the county, particularly in the aftermath of losing players like Michael Murphy and Neil McGee to retirement.
After making a substitute appearance in last year’s All-Ireland preliminary quarter-final defeat to Tyrone, he travelled to America where he scored a late goal to help Donegal Boston secure a county championship title.
Ryan Burke (Kildare) – Maynooth University
The Caragh defender is an exciting prospect for Glenn Ryan’s Kildare seniors having been involved in the 2023 All-Ireland-winning U20 side. Burke lined out at corner-back as the Lilywhites defeated Sligo in the final, securing a second All-Ireland title at that grade in five years.
He made his senior debut for the county last week in their O’Byrne Cup win over Carlow and was also named to start in their defeat to Wexford over the weekend.
Burke and Maynooth will begin their Sigerson Cup campaign against MTU Cork in the opening round on Tuesday.
Cillian Burke (Kerry) – UCC
A recent addition to the Kerry seniors, Cillian Burke was among the standout performers in the county intermediate final last year as his side Miltown-Castlemaine defeated Fossa. He made his first start for Jack O’Connor’s outfit against Tipperary in the McGrath Cup and is already marked out as one to monitor as his career progresses.
Burke is recognised for his versatility and can play anywhere in the forwards as well as in midfield.
Burke has also represented the Kingdom at minor and U20 level, lining out at midfield in their All-Ireland semi-final defeat to Sligo last May.
Sigerson Cup Fixtures
Round 1 – Tuesday, 9 January
- Queens v DCU – The Dub, 7pm
- MTU Cork v Maynooth – MTU, 7pm
- University of Galway v TUD – Dangan, 7pm
Round 1 – Wednesday, 10 January
- ATU Galway v UCD – Liam Mellows GAA, 7pm
- SETU Carlow v TUS Midlands – SETU Carlow, 7pm
- UL v ATU Donegal – Connacht COE Bekan, 7pm
- University Ulster v UCC – NGDC, 7pm
Round 2 – Thursday, 11 January
- ATU Sligo v St Mary’s – Wednesday – The Dub, 8pm
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