Irish Daily Mail Sigerson Cup Finals Weekend Preview

It's the Irish Daily Mail HE GAA Football Championship Finals Weekend, with the Sigerson Cup taking centre stage on Friday and Saturday at Athlone IT.

Tho two semi-finals, between DCU and DIT and between UCC and Athlone IT, take place today, with the final between the two winners taking place tomorrow at 3pm, with live coverage on TG4.

For fixture details for all the games in the different competitions taking place at Athlone IT this weekend, click here for the official Higher Education GAA website.

Here's previews of the two Sigerson semi-finals:

Friday, February 22Irish Daily Mail Sigerson Cup Semi-Finals

DCU v DIT, Athlone IT, 12.45pm

The first semi-final on Friday see's the current Sigerson Cup holders take on the current holders of the Ryan Cup (Senior League), with two of the biggest colleges in Dublin clashing at 12.45pm for the first place in Saturday's final. The game is expected to go down to the wire, and there is little in the form book to suggest that much more than a couple of points will separate these two at the end of the contest, with extra-time very much a possibility.

Dublin Institute of Technology picked up their second League title in November, beating St. Mary's College, Belfast in the final, and this rounded off a fine league campaign which also included wins over UCD, DCU, NUI Maynooth, Athlone IT and Queens. DCU meanwhile, had a less impressive pre-Christmas campaign, losing to both UCD and DIT, while beating NUI Maynooth to send them into the relegation play-offs. In the O'Byrne Cup, both sides had similar campaigns, with neither progressing out of their groups. DCU beat Carlow, drew with Wicklow and lost to Dublin, who progressed, while DIT beat Wexford and IT Carlow and lost to eventual winners Kildare.

DCU will be hoping to win their third Sigerson crown in four years, while should Dublin IT go all the way it would be a historic first for them. A quick scan of the programme for this game will have even an armchair supporter recognising many names on both sides; for example, Michael Murphy (DCU and Donegal), Darran O'Sullivan (DIT and Kerry) are just two of many big intercounty names on show, and it is expected that a large crowd will be drawn to what is sure to be one of the games of the weekend.

UCC v Athlone IT, Athlone IT, 2.30pm

The hosts have made a welcome return to the Sigerson weekend this year, and Athlone IT's qualification is expected to bring a welter of excitement to the venue, especially if they can put it up to "the college" who will be looking to reclaim the cup they last won at the centenary Sigerson weekend in 2011. Athlone, like Dublin IT, have yet to achieve the top honours but with boisterous home support over the weekend, they will fancy their chances of causing an upset.

In the Ryan Cup, both sides qualified from their respective groups to reach the last eight, but were both defeated at that stage by DIT (v AIT) and QUB (v UCC) respectively. In the group stages, AIT qualified in second place after a win against GMIT, a draw with NUIG and a loss to IT Sligo, who topped the group. In the Munster section, UCC were top of the pile with wins against CIT and IT Tralee and a draw with IT Carlow.

So far in this year's Irish Daily Mail Sigerson Cup, both of these sides have come through tough and close fought encounters. UCC have overcome two Belfast opponents, in the form of UUJ and St. Marys University College, while Athlone IT have come through tests against both Carlow IT and then Cork IT in the last eight.

The Leeside college head to Athlone in search of their 21st title, while Athlone IT have yet to register a win in the premier competition of third level Gaelic football. Should Athlone qualify, it would certainly add to the atmosphere and attendance at Saturday's final in their new campus sports facilities, however with the upper hand in experience of Sigerson weekends and a sprinkling of previous winners, UCC will be expected to prevail to a final date against Dublin opposition at 3pm on Saturday.

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