For the senior men’s football team, the first half of the season can be considered largely disappointing. Led by former ‘All Star’ footballer of the year Jack McCaffrey UCD finished top of their Ryan Cup group, with victories over DIT, St Patrick’s College and IT Carlow. The ‘Sigerson’ team would have expected to go further than the quarter finals but ultimately, they would not. Instead, Tralee IT would cause a huge shock by beating UCD (the current Ryan Cup and Sigerson Cup holders) on a score line of 0-15 to 1-13.

The team would be hugely disappointed to not retain their title.  However, this January UCD would bounce back to beat Dublin in the O’Byrne Cup . It was the first time that Dublin had been defeated in a year. Although this victory was historic, it was not enough for UCD to qualify for the knockout stages of the O’Byrne Cup. For the Sigerson team, positives can be gathered but going into the championship a lot more will be needed if UCD will retain the Sigerson Cup.

Following on from the ‘Sigerson’ team, is the senior men’s hurling team. Two draws against DCU and St Patrick’s College compounded with a loss to Ulster University meant, the hurlers were limply knocked out of the group stages with no victories. Not much improvement would be made in the Walsh Cup where heavy defeats to Dublin and Wexford would be enough to end any hopes of progression. There would be little consolation in a victory over Carlow. Ultimately, the season so far has been a failure for the Fitzgibbon Cup team.

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