Winning the 2011 Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup was a bittersweet experience for UL's Shane Dooley as he missed the final through suspension.
The Offaly ace was red carded for an off-the-ball tussle in the semi-final against UCC, forcing him to watch on from the sidelines as they defeated Davy Fitzgerald's LIT in the final with a rip-roaring comeback
Dooley's appeal fell on deaf ears, leading to a real rollercoaster of emotions as he watched his UL team fall nine points down by half-time only to come back and win with a late goal.
24 February 2010; Shane Dooley, UL. Ulster Bank Fitzgibbon Cup Quarter-Finals, University of Limerick v University College Cork, University of Limerick, Limerick. Picture credit: Diarmuid Greene / SPORTSFILE
Limerick's Tommy O'Brien scored the winning goal, batting into the LIT net to complete the UL comeback late on, but there were inspirational displays all over the pitch with David Burke and Pa Cronin combining for eight points from midfield.
UL had a star-studded outfit in 2011 with the likes of Brendan Bugler and Seamus Hickey a part of their line-up and with the college back in another final on Saturday, taking on DCU, Electric Ireland ambassadors Kieran Joyce and Shane Dooley reflected on their memories of that final.
Joyce was the winning captain and though Dooley was 'relieved and delighted' with the result, he describes the whole experience of watching on as 'incredibly difficult.'
"It was incredibly difficult," he said.
"When you're dreaming of playing in a Fitzgibbon final, having lost in 2010 in the semi-final, it was very hard," he reflects on the final which took place in WIT.
"The way UL started in that game didn't make it any easier. We were down 1-6 to 0-1 very early on in the game and nine down at half-time.
"That would have been my last year playing Fitzgibbon. I thought the chance was gone of being involved in a winning team but luckily they dragged it back.
"It was pure relief and elation. It was such a rollercoaster final and you were thinking 'if I was there and hadn't done what I did to get sent off' you'd be there and you would be putting your shoulder to the wheel.
"It was a lonely place during the first half when ye were down, but thanks be to God they brought it back."
Kilkenny's Kieran Joyce was made captain by team manager Ger Cunningham, and the Rower Inistioge man said it was a huge relief to finally win the Fitzgibbon Cup, having lost a final in 2009 as well as a couple of semi-finals.
"The first memory was relief. I had done five years in Limerick, tasted loss in a final (2009) and a couple of weekends as well," Joyce says.
Offaly's Shane Dooley. Sportsfile.
"It put closure on that aspect of my last game with UL at that stage, and closed it out on such a high. That's the dream for any player to go out with a win.
"The craic we had afterwards was great as well."
"It was a huge honour to be captain. When you meet any of the players throughout your careers, it's something you'd always harp back to, coming back from nine points down to win the final, it was Roy of the Rovers stuff," he says.
UL are red hot favourites in this Saturday's final as they take on DCU in the Connacht GAA Centre of Excellence at Bekan, with the game live on TG4.
