2026 Fitzgibbon Cup

2026 Fitzgibbon Cup
Dates7 January - 13 February 2026
Teams12
SponsorElectric Ireland
Champions University of Limerick (10th title)
Colin Coughlan (captain)
Brian Ryan (manager)
Runners-up Mary Immaculate College
Shane O'Brien (captain)
Eoin Lawless (captain)
Jamie Wall (manager)
Relegated ATU Galway
Garda College
Tournament statistics
Matches played21
Goals scored79 (3.76 per match)
Points scored770 (36.67 per match)
Top scorer(s) Shane O'Brien (2-42)
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The 2026 Fitzgibbon Cup was the 109th staging of the Fitzgibbon Cup since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1912. The draw for the group stage fixtures took place on 2 December 2025.[1][2] The competition ran from 7 January to 13 February 2026.

University of Limerick were the defending champions.[3][4]

The final was played on 13 February 2026 at Croke Park in Dublin, between University of Limerick and Mary Immaculate College, in what was their third meeting in the final overall. University of Limerick won the match by 4–31 to 3–21 to claim their 10th Fitzgibbon Cup title overall and a fourth title in five years.[5][6]

Mary Immaculate College's Shane O'Brien was the top scorer with 2-42.

Team changes

From Ryan Cup

Promoted from the Ryan Cup

Group A

Group A table

  Knockout stage   Relegation playoff

Team Matches Score Pts
Pld W D L For Against Diff
University of Limerick 2 2 0 0 85 35 50 4
DCU Dóchas Éireann 2 1 0 1 51 61 -10 2
Maynooth University 2 0 0 2 37 77 -40 0

Group A results

7 January 2026 Round 1 University of Limerick 6-31 - 1-09 Maynooth University UL Grounds, Maguires Pitches
O O Donoghue (3-5); D McCarthy (1-4, 3f); J O’Neill (0-4); A O’Connor (1-1, 1f); A Screeney (0-3, 2f); J Ormond (1-0); P Crotty, D Stritch, K Smyth, C O’Neill (0-2 each); M Fitzgerald, A English (1f), K Doyle, A Morgan, F Fitzgerald, O Fitzgerald (0-1 each). Report M Brennan (0-6, 3f); D McCormack (1-1); E Cunneen (1f), D Maher (0-1 each).
14 January 2026 Round 2 Maynooth University 2-19 - 2-22 DCU Dóchas Éireann Maynooth North Campus
Report D Walsh (0-11, 8f), S Byrne (1-4).
21 January 2025 Round 3 DCU Dóchas Éireann 1-20 - 4-24 University of Limerick DCU Sportsgrounds
D Murphy 1-5; D Walsh 0-8 (7 frees); S Rowley 0-2; D Shirley, B Reid, C Beirne, P Clarke, N Hogan 0-1 each. Report A English 2-1; A O'Connor 0-6 (1 free, 1 65); D McCarthy 1-2; A Screeney 1-1; J O'Neill 0-5; O O'Donoghue, J Ormond 0-2 each; K Smyth, O Fitzgerald, C O'Neill, C Martin, D Langan 0-1 each.

Group B

Group B table

  Knockout stage   Relegation playoff

Team Matches Score Pts
Pld W D L For Against Diff
MTU Cork 2 2 0 0 55 32 23 4
University College Cork 2 1 0 1 50 53 -3 2
Garda College 2 0 0 2 37 57 -20 0

Group B results

8 January 2026 Round 1 University College Cork 1-16 - 1-26 MTU Cork The Mardyke
B Cunningham 0-9 f, S Kingston 1-0, B Keating, W Buckley 0-2 each, P McGarry, D Flynn, E McDermott 0-1 each. Report M Finn 0-12 (0-9 f, 0-1 65), D Healy 0-4, A Walsh, R Deasy 0-3 each, A McEvoy 1-0, J Murphy 0-2, R Walsh, C Ryan 0-1 each.
15 January 2026 Round 1 MTU Cork 2-20 - 0-13 Garda College MTU Cork Campus
M Finn (0-10, 0-7 frees, 0-1 ‘65); A McEvoy (1-5); A Walsh (1-1); J Murphy (0-2); D Healy, R Deasy (0-1 each). Report C Boyle (0-5, 0-2 free, 0-1 ‘65); R Stapleton (0-3); D O’Leary (0-2); D Hand, C Kirwan, T Doyle (0-1 each).
22 January 2025 Round 3 Garda College 1-21 - 4-19 University College Cork Páirc Shíleáin
C Boyle 0-16 (0-15 f), J Doyle 1-0, D Hayes, C Kirwan, L Carr, R Stapleton, S Fitzgibbon 0-1 each. Report W Buckley 0-10 (0-5 f), E McDermott 1-2, D Stakelum 1-1, H O’Connor, C Walsh 1-0, each, T Wilk 0-2, P McGarry, M Mullaney, D Flynn, J Dwyer 0-1 each.

Group C

Group C table

  Knockout stage   Relegation playoff

Team Matches Score Pts
Pld W D L For Against Diff
University of Galway 2 1 1 0 50 41 9 3
University College Dublin 2 1 1 0 53 49 4 2
TUS Midwest 2 0 1 1 41 54 -13 0

Group C results

8 January 2026 Round 1 University of Galway 3-20 - 1-17 University College Dublin Dangan Grounds
S O’Farrell 1-8 (0-4 frees, 1 65); C Mitchell 1-2; T Guinan 1-1; L Hoare (frees), D Neary, L Leen 0-2 each; G Thomas, D Comar, G Lee 0-1 each. Report D Williams 0-7 (0-4 frees); David Purcell 1-1; D Lee 0-3; J Duggan, Dara Purcell, L Connellan, D Guerin, S Roche, C O Riain 0-1 each.
15 January 2026 Round 2 University College Dublin 5-18 - 1-17 TUS Midwest Belfield Grounds
Report
21 January 2025 Round 3 TUS Midwest 2-15 - 0-21 University of Galway TUS Midwest Grounds
F Hegarty 0-10 (0-8 frees); P McCormack 1-3; S Kenneally 1-1; N O’Farrell 0-1. Report S O’Farrell 0-9 (0-8 frees); D Neary, T Leen, L Hoare (both frees), D Bourke 0-2 each; G Thomas, G Lee, R Davitt, F O Brioin 0-1 each.

Group D

Group D table

  Knockout stage   Relegation playoff

Team Matches Score Pts
Pld W D L For Against Diff
Mary Immaculate College 2 2 0 0 61 46 15 4
SETU Waterford 2 1 0 1 46 53 -7 2
ATU Galway 2 0 0 2 43 51 -8 0

Group D results

7 January 2026 Round 1 Mary Immaculate College 4-22 - 2-16 SETU Waterford MICL Grounds
O O'Farrell (4-3); S O'Brien (0-7, 0-4 frees), S Whelan 0-4; S Boyce 0-2; E Craddock, J Caesar, C Lawless, R O'Connor, A Daly and D Walsh (free) (0-1 each). Report L Codd (1-5, 0-3 frees, 0-1 65); T Carey 1-0, T O'Connell (0-3, 0-2 frees, 0-1 65); J Groves, W Beresford 0-2 each; J Walsh, C Connick, C King, S O'Rourke 0-1 each.
15 January 2026 Round 2 SETU Waterford 3-15 - 1-16 ATU Galway SETU Arena
Report
21 January 2025 Round 3 ATU Galway 5-09 - 1-24 Mary Immaculate College Liam Mellows Grounds
D Shaughnessy 3-0, A Donohue and O Lohan 1-0 each, R Burke (0-2, 0-2 frees), D Dunne (0-2, 0-1 free), C Dolphin, P Commins, C Trayers, P McGurk, D Donohue 0-1 each. Report S O'Brien (1-15, 0-11 frees), O O'Farrell 0-3, E Craddock, J Caesar, A Daly, J Quilty, D Campbell 0-1 each D Walsh (0-1, 0-1 free).

Relegation stage

Playoffs

27 January 2026 Semi-final TUS Midwest 0-18 - 2-08 ATU Galway TUS Midwest Grounds
Report
28 January 2026 Semi-final Maynooth University 3-16 - 0-18 Garda College Maynooth University North Campus

Knockout stage

Quarter-finals

28 January 2026 Quarter-final Mary Immaculate College 3-22 - 0-13 University College Dublin MICL Grounds
O O’Farrell (2-3); S O’Brien (0-8, 0-5 frees, 0-1 ‘65); S Walsh (1-5, 0-4 frees); A Daly (0-3); R O’Connor, E Craddock, S Whelan (0-1 each). Report D Williams (0-3, 0-2 frees); P McDonald, C Ó Riain, L Connellan (0-2 each); D Geurin, S Roche, D Lee, D Purcell (0-1 each).
28 January 2026 Quarter-final University of Limerick 0-20 - 0-12 University College Cork UL Grounds
D McCarthy 0-9 (7 frees); A Screeney, D Stritch, A English 0-2 each; A O’Connor, J Fitzgerald, J O’Neill, J Leahy, F Fitzgerald 0-1 each. Report W Buckey 0-7 (0-4 frees); B Keating, H O’Connor 0-2 each; C Walsh 0-1.
28 January 2026 Quarter-final MTU Cork 2-15 - 4-13 DCU Dóchas Éireann MTU Cork Grounds
M Finn 0-5 (0-4 f), A Walsh 1-2, D Healy 1-1, R Walsh 0-3 (0-1 f), R Deasy 0-2, R O’Connor, D O’Sullivan (0-1 f) 0-1 each. Report D Walsh 1-5 (1-0 penalty, 0-4 f), C Beirne 0-5, S Byrne, D Murphy 1-0 each, S Gallagher, P Clarke, G Kelly 0-1 each.
28 January 2026 Quarter-final University of Galway 1-21 - 1-14 SETU Waterford Dangan Grounds
S O’Farrell 0-11 (7f); G Lee 0-4; D Neary 1-1; T Leen, L Leen, F Ó Brioin, D Bourke and G Thomas 0-1 each. Report T Carey 0-10 (10f); T O’Connell 1-1; G Dunne, J Walsh and J Groves 0-1 each.

Semi-finals

4 February 2026 Semi-final DCU Dóchas Éireann 2-16 - 0-31 Mary Immaculate College DCU Sportsgrounds
D Walsh 0-8 (0-8f), P Clarke 2-0, G Kelly 0-3, C Beirne 0-3, S Byrne 0-1, D O'Meara 0-1. Report S Walsh 0-13 (0-12f), C Scully 0-6, A Daly 0-4, E Craddock 0-2, B Currivan 0-2 (0-1f), O O'Farrell 0-2, R O'Connor 0-1, J Quilty 0-1.
4 February 2026 Semi-final University of Limerick 0-18 - 1-13 University of Galway UL Grounds
D McCarthy (0-6, 6fs); A Screeney (0-5); J O’Neill (0-3); A O’Connor (0-2); O O’Donoghue, J Leahy (0-1 each). Report S O’Farrell (0-5, 2f); D Neary (1-1); L Hoare (0-3, 3fs); G Lee, D Comar, C Kileen, G Thomas (0-1 each).

Final

13 February 2026 Final Mary Immaculate College 3-21 - 4-31 University of Limerick Croke Park
S O’Brien (1-12, 1-0 pen, 0-7 frees, 0-1 65); J Caesar (1-3); B Currivan (1-0); D Walsh (free), R O’Connor, O O’Farrell, J Quilty, S Walsh, D Campbell (0-1 each). Report J Leahy (1-5); D McCarthy (0-8, 7 frees); C O’Neill (0-7); A English, F Fitzgerald (1-1 each); J O’Neill (1-0); C Coughlan, A O’Connor (0-3 each); O O’Donoghue, A Screeney, D Stritch (0-1 each). Referee: L Gordon (Galway)

Statistics

Top scorers

Rank Player Club Tally Total Matches Average
1 Shane O'Brien MICL 2-42 48 4 12.00
2 Darragh McCarthy University of Limerick 2-29 37 4 9.25
3 Sam O'Farrell University of Galway 1-33 36 4 9.00
4 Denis Walsh DCU Dóchas Éireann 1-32 35 4 8.75
5 Oisín O'Farrell MICL 6-12 30 5 6.00
6 Mikey Finn MTU Cork 0-27 27 3 9.00
7 Shane Walsh MICL 1-19 22 4 5.50
8 Cian Boyle Garda College 0-21 21 2 10.50
9 William Buckley UCC 0-19 19 3 6.33
10 Oisín O'Donoghue University of Limerick 3-09 18 5 3.60

References

  1. ^ "2026 Electric Ireland Higher Education GAA Championships draw". GAA website. 2 December 2025. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  2. ^ "2026 Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cup draws made". Hogan Stand. 3 December 2025. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
  3. ^ Egan, Kevin (15 February 2025). "UL overpower DCU to lift third Fitzgibbon Cup in four years". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  4. ^ "Impressive UL triumph in Fitzgibbon Cup Final". GAA website. 15 February 2025. Retrieved 16 February 2025.
  5. ^ "Limerick stars shine as clinical UL see off local rivals Mary Immaculate College in Fitzgibbon Cup final". Limerick Live. 13 February 2026. Retrieved 13 February 2026.
  6. ^ "2026 Fitzgibbon Cup Hurling Final". Munster GAA. 13 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  7. ^ Egan, Kevin (15 February 2025). "Garda College claim Ryan Cup title as they power past TUD". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 8 January 2026.
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