DCU GAA get ready for Sigerson Cup campaign

DCU’s Sigerson Cup preparations can begin in earnest after the management team for this year’s squad was announced at a meeting last Thursday.

Niall Moyna, Tony Diamond, Vincent Kelly and Michael Bohan were confirmed as the management team.

Niall Moyna was last year’s coach as DCU bowed out to eventual winners CIT in the quarter final.

Moyna is a Senior Lecturer in Exercise Physiology, former Associate Director in the Vascular Health Research Centre in DCU and has been involved with DCU GAA for nine years now.

Tony Diamond is a former Dublin minor manager (as well as a former clubmate of Moyna at St.Vincent’s) and was also involved with DCU GAA for the O’Byrne Cup last Winter.

DCU will kick off this year’s campaign on Tuesday next against IT Carlow and will aim to repeat their last win in 2006 (when Dublin player Bryan Cullen captained the team).

Last year, hosts Cork IT won out over DIT in the final, winning 1-15 to 1-10. CIT were captained by Paul O’Flynn, one of a gaggle of Cork Under-21 players on last year’s victorious side.

The Sigerson Cup was first competed for in 1911 when it was won by UCD (who have won the Cup 32 times but not since 1996), however DCU have only won the competition once in its history when they beat Queen’s University Belfast in the 2006 final 0-11 to 1-4.

GAA President Christy Cooney has committed Croke Park for the staging of next year’s Sigerson Cup Final.
Cooney was speaking at the AGM of Comhairle Ardoideachais (Council of Higher Education GAA) at DIT on Aungier Street.

‘I would like to commend the work of the Higher Education GAA sector and offer Croke Park to host the 2011 Sigerson Cup final in the centenary year of the competition,’ he said.

DCU are without representation on the Comhairle Ardoideachais this year, as after the AGM Michael Maile of DKIT was confirmed as chairman for this year. Tommy Flynn of NUI Maynooth was announced as Leinster representative, Gerry Tully of DIT is vice-chairman and Ray O’Brien of Trinity College is treasurer.

Changes to the schedule mean this year’s competetion has been moved from February to before Christmas- meaning there will be two Sigerson Cup competitions in 2009. Last year’s Sigerson Cup semi-finals and final were held over one weekend, whereas now they have been split up.

“I think it has to come because the months before Christmas are free time for the counties. The colleges wouldn’t be in competition for intercounty players” said Central Competitions Control Committee chairman Jimmy Dunne after last February’s final.