Third Level Competition Takes Centre Stage

 

This is a busy week for Ladies Gaelic Football as the TESCO Homegrown National Football League comes to the pivotal final few weeks but before Round 5 this weekend there is a hugely important round of fixtures in the Ladies Third Level Competitions.

The Finals of the Ladies Third Level Football competitions takes place at the home of the O’Connor Cup Champions, Queen’s University Belfast, on the weekend of March 21st and the identity of the colleges that will be competing at the O’Connor Cup weekend will be revealed this week.

The focus of attention at the next round of fixtures will be firmly places on tournament hosts, Queen’s University Belfast. Queen’s are the defending champions and tournament hosts who enjoyed a good, close fought victory over UCC in the first round. Queen’s can confirm their participation at the O’Connor Cup weekend with a victory over IT Sligo and they will have much of last year’s victorious panel to call on including the likes of Katie Daly, Sinead McCleary, Fionnuala McKenna and Ruth Kearney along with the addition of one of the best footballers in the country in Armagh’s Caroline O’Hanlon. However, Sligo are a very strong team who were very unlucky to lose out to UCC in Round 2 and they know that if they beat Queen’s by enough points that they will qualify so it really is all to play for.

In the other group the identity of the two qualifiers has already been confirmed as the University of Limerick and Dublin City University have guaranteed their safe passage to Belfast. The two Colleges meet on Tuesday to decide who will qualify from their group as winners and meet the team that  finishes second in the other group. Home advantage will be important for UL who will look to Lorraine Scanlon in the middle of the field to supply good ball to the likes of Róisin Leonard, Áine Tighe and Niamh O’Dea who form a potentially devastating inside forward line. However, DCU are an extremely formidable side in their own rights as they can call on the likes of Mayo trio Leona Ryan, Amy Bell and Clodagh McManamon along with Monaghan star Laura McEnaney and Dublin trio Leah Caffrey, Siobhan Woods and Lucy Collins.

With qualification on the line for the O’Connor Cup weekend there is loads at stake which should mean we are in for a great set of matches.

 

Thursday, March 6^th

 

Ladies HEC O’Connor Cup

 

Group 1: National University of Ireland Galway v University College Dublin

Venue: NUIGalway, 2:30pm (G. McMahon)

 

Group 1: University of Limerick v Dublin City University

Venue: UL Grounds, 2:30pm (K. Delahunty)

 

Group 2: IT Sligo v Queen’s University Belfast

Venue: I.T. Sligo Grounds, 2.30pm (T. McShea)

 

Permutations:            Group 1: University of Limerick and Dublin City University have already qualified for the O’Connor Cup weekend, the winner of this match will qualify as group winners and play the college that finishes second in Group 2

Group 2: Should Queen’s defeat IT Sligo this week they will qualify for the O’Connor Cup weekend along with UCC who will be second place. Should IT Sligo win then score difference will decide who will qualify for the O’Connor Cup weekend.

 

Ladies HEC Giles Cup

 

Group A: University of Ulster Jordanstown v Trinity College Dublin

Venue: Jordanstown, 2:30pm (G. Corrigan)

 

Group A: NUI Maynooth v Mary Imaculate College, Limerick

Venue: NUIM North Campus, 2:30pm (C. McManus)

 

Group B: Athlone Institute of Technology v Carlow Institute of Technology

Venue: Athlone Institute of Technology, 7:30pm (N. McCormack)

 

Permutations:            In group A, NUIM have already qualfied for the Giles Cup weekend. If MICL avoid defeat to NUIM they will also qualify as the second placed team. However if UUJ defeat TCD and MICL lose to NUIM then score difference will decide who will qualify in second place.