Oisin O'Donoghue shoots the light out as Tipperary hurlers feature heavily in the Fitzgibbon Cup

The opening round of the Fitzgibbon Cup on Wednesday evening saw Tipperary hurlers make a significant impact across two fixtures, with particularly eye-catching displays in University of Limerick’s emphatic win and solid contributions for Mary Immaculate College as they opened their campaign with victory.

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University of Limerick laid down an early marker in their title defence with a devastating 6-31 to 1-9 win over Maynooth University, and Tipperary’s Oisín O’Donoghue was the standout performer on a bitterly cold night at Maguire’s Field.

The Cashel King Cormac’s man was simply unplayable in the opening half, helping himself to a superb 3-4 from play. His movement, finishing and confidence in front of goal underlined why he is regarded as one of the most exciting young forwards in the county game.

Two of those goals came before the break as UL built an unassailable lead, with O’Donoghue completing his hat-trick early in the second half.

Toomevara’s Darragh McCarthy also enjoyed a productive evening, scoring 1-4 and playing a key role in UL’s ruthless inside forward line.

His early goal set the tone for the contest, while his clever link play and assist for Aidan O’Connor’s major highlighted his all-round influence before he was withdrawn on a blood sub.

In defence, Cathal O’Neill impressed at wing-back, contributing two points and showing his usual composure and work rate as UL dominated possession.

Aaron Morgan of Kilruane MacDonagh’s also slotted in effectively across the half-back line, while Adam English chipped in with a point from play and was solid throughout his time on the field.

Jamie Ormond of JK Brackens made his mark off the bench, rounding off UL’s goal haul with a powerful late finish to cap a commanding team performance that featured several strong Tipperary contributions.

Mary Immaculate College also got their Fitzgibbon Cup campaign off to a winning start with a 4-22 to 2-16 victory over SETU Waterford, and while the headlines were dominated by Limerick’s Oisín O’Farrell, there were encouraging signs from the Tipperary contingent.

Cathal Quinn of Cashel King Cormac’s featured prominently in the half-forward line during the first half, linking play intelligently before making way midway through the second period.

Holycross Ballycahill pair Joe Caesar and Eoin Craddock both started, with Craddock getting on the scoresheet and Caesar contributing to a solid midfield and half-forward effort as Mary I gradually took control of the contest.

Off the bench, Adam Daly of Knockavilla-Donaskeigh Kickhams added energy in the latter stages, while Golden-Kilfeacle’s Ben Currivan was also introduced as Jamie Wall rotated his panel late on.

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