The draw for the Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup has teed up two sensational semi-finals that will pit four giants of higher education GAA against each other, in what could be some of the last competitive games played under Gaelic Football's old rules.
On one side reigning champions Ulster University will take on DCU for a spot in the decider. It's an all-Dublin affair on the other side, with a high-flying TUD taking on a star-studded UCD in the capital.
UCD v TU Dublin (Abbotstown) - 6:30 pm, Thursday 6th February
28 January 2025; Luke Breathnach of UCD during the Electric Ireland Higher Education GAA Sigerson Cup quarter-final match between University College Dublin and Munster Technological University Kerry at Billings Park in Belfield, Dublin. Photo by Thomas Flinkow/Sportsfile
The first of the two semi-finals will see the two unbeaten Dublin universities clash in a Northside v Southside derby under the lights at Abbotstown at 6.30 pm next Thursday.
On form, basically nothing separates these two sides; both TUD and UCD opened their competitions with wins before grinding out tighter victories in round 2 over St. Mary's and DCU respectively. Having won both their opening games, TUD and UCD both automatically qualified for the quarter-finals, bypassing a bruising round three and enjoying a week off.
UCD went into their final eight clash with MTU Kerry as heavy favourites and lived up to their billing, hammering the Munster side 5-18 to 1-4. TUD enjoyed a tighter knockout affair, welcoming UL to North Dublin where just four points separated the sides when Alan Coyne blew the full-time whistle.
Ulster University v DCU (Breffni Park) - 8 pm, Thursday 6th February
29 January 2025; Conor Heffernan of DCU Dóchas Éireann during the Electric Ireland Higher Education GAA Sigerson Cup quarter-final match between DCU Dóchas Éireann and TUS Midlands at Dublin City University Sportsgrounds in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
The second of the semi-finals will see North Dublin's DCU head up the motorway for a clash with reigning champions Ulster University in Cavan at 8 pm next Thursday.
The defending champions kicked off the competition against ATU Sligo, hammering them by thirteen points despite leaving plenty out there. They never reached fifth gear in their round 2 clash with UL, claiming victory and automatically qualifying for the quarter-finals with a single-point victory right at the death.
In similar fashion DCU hammered MTU Kerry in their opener, but fell on the wrong side of a one-point defeat to UCD in round two, forcing them into a preliminary decider where they beat ATU Sligo for their place in the final eight.
Ulster Uni took on Maynooth in their quarter-final coming out of the 0-12 to 0-10 clash just two points better off. On the same evening DCU welcomed TUS Midlands to the capital, claiming a convincing four-point win to book their spot in the final eight.
Both semi-finals will be played next Thursday the 6th of February and streamed live on TG4's youtube channel.
The winners will then progress to the Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup final which has been fixed for Wednesday 12th of February in the Connacht GAA Centre and will likely be one of the last adult games played under Gaelic Football's old rules.
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