Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup Round 3: UCC win to complete quarter-final lineup

​Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup Round 3

UCC 4-19 Garda College 1-21

Resurgent UCC used goals as their battering ram to a vital Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup win this afternoon, securing a glamour quarter-final clash with UL.

Tipperary star Darragh Stakelum, Kilkenny's Ed McDermott and Cork duo Hugh O'Connor and Colin Walsh all found the net in Templemore - propelling UCC through to a quarter-final at UL's grounds next Wednesday evening.

With MTU Cork already assured of top spot after beating both teams, UCC and Garda College faced off to see who would advance as Group B runners up.

Walsh struck UCC's opening goal late in the first-half, helping the 2020 champions to lead by 1-10 to 1-7 at half-time.

UCC added three more goals after the break while William Buckley from the St Finbarr's club finished as their top scorer with 10 points, half of those coming from placed balls.

Cian Boyle was on the frees for Garda College and converted 15 of them in total, along with another point from play.

The completion of today's last Round 3 game means that the competition's quarter-final lineup is complete.

Aside from the UL versus UCC blockbuster, Group B winners MTU Cork will host last year's beaten finalists DCU next Wednesday evening.

University of Galway's reward for topping Group C is a last eight clash with SETU Waterford on Tuesday evening in Dangan.

And Group D winners Mary Immaculate College, the 2024 champions, will host UCD on Wednesday afternoon at 2pm.

Meanwhile, two teams will be relegated from this season's Fitzgibbon Cup, creating a new six-team Tier 2 competition in 2027. The two relegated teams from the 2026 Fitzgibbon Cup will be joined by the four semi-finalists from this year's Ryan Cup.

The four teams that finished bottom of their Fitzgibbon Cup groups - Maynooth University, Garda College, TUS Midwest and ATU Galway - will compete in the relegation games.

Maynooth University will host Garda College next Tuesday evening at 7.30pm while ATU Galway will travel to TUS Midwest at the same time.

The two losing teams from those games will be relegated to the new Tier 2 competition for 2027.

Tuesday, January 27

Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final

University of Galway v SETU Waterford, Dangan, 7.30pm

Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup relegation play-offs

Maynooth University v Garda, Maynooth, 7.30pm

TUS Midwest v ATU Galway, TUS Moylish, 7.30pm

Wednesday, January 28

Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-finals

MICL v UCD, MIC Limerick, 2pm

MTU Cork v DCU, MTU Cork, 7.30pm

UL v UCC, UL Grounds, 8pm