Shane O'Brien and Adam Hogan reckon Mary I have a solid team as they look ahead to the defence of their Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup crown.
The Limerick college have lost five players from last year's panel, including All-Ireland winner Diarmuid Ryan, but that's offset by the addition of some new recruits from last year's freshers outfit.
Mary I pulled off a shock to defeat the three-in-a-row chasers UL in last year's final, with inter-county stars Hogan and O'Brien leading them to glory.
But Hogan gives most of the credit to their management team led by Jamie Wall and including Podge Collins.
"The lads, Podge, Jamie and Mark are so accommodating," Hogan said at the launch of the Electric Ireland Higher Education Championships.
"They ensure we're all so close with one another, and they're really tactically aware as well.
"They're probably the main reason we won last year and it is a smaller college as well, and we see each other the whole time, and we've a great connection with each other," Hogan adds.
"We knew UL were a great team, with lots of stars but we wanted it more on the day and we had more defiance and we were closer as a team, more like a club team, the way lads knew each other so well."
O'Brien says one of Mary I's main advantages is that many of their players aren't on county panels, meaning they have a bank of training together during December/January.
"We have ten players who aren't on county teams who will train together throughout December and January, and that's huge," he says.
"That stands to us because some colleges might have 15 county players and they mightn't even get to train."
"It's a small campus compared to the likes of UL, UG and UCC. That stands to us as well because we all know each other."
O'Brien also spoke very highly of Wall and his management team, praising them for fostering a brilliant team spirit in the group.
"Jamie's a fantastic coach and manager. We all get on with Jamie and the same for Podge, they're easy to get on with, and that drives the group."
Mary I begin their Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup begins on Wednesday January 15, taking on ATU Galway, with cross-city rivals UL and SETU Waterford in the same group.
Pictured are college teammates and intercounty rivals, Adam Hogan (Mary Immaculate College and Clare) and Shane O’Brien (Mary Immaculate College and Limerick), as Electric Ireland teams up with six intercounty Camogie and GAA stars to look ahead to the upcoming matches and rivalries across the Electric Ireland Camogie Third Level Championships and the Electric Ireland GAA Higher Education Championships.
Through its #FirstClassRivals campaign, Electric Ireland will continue to celebrate the unique alliances that form between county rivals as they come together in pursuit of some of the most coveted titles across Camogie and GAA.
Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
