Midfielder Brian O'Sullivan says the hurt of losing last year's Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup final to Mary I has been a big motivation for the team during this year's campaign.
Mary Immaculate stopped UL's three-in-a-row bid last year, but Brian Ryan's side are on course to regain their crown with their semi-final coming up this Tuesday night against MTU Cork, in Mallow.
UL's line-up is sprinkled with well-known inter-county stars as well as prominent club players, such as Kanturk's O'Sullivan, who was a part of the Cork senior panel most recently in 2023.
He left the set-up having had limited game-time but sees the Fitzgibbon Cup as the perfect opportunity to put himself back into Pat Ryan's plans.
"I loved my time on the panel," O'Sullivan tells us.
"I stepped away because I was making panels and stuff, but wasn't getting game-time."
22 January 2023; Brian O’sullivan of Cork during the Co-Op Superstores Munster Hurling League Final match between Cork and Tipperary at Páirc Ui Rinn in Cork. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
"So I was frustrated because I wanted to get back hurling.
"But I loved it. And if it was a case...I'll keep pushing on now with the Fitzgibbon, and look forward to pushing on with the club now as well. After that, you never know what could open up down the line.
"We'll just have to see what happens down the line."
O'Sullivan was outstanding during UL's second round victory over ATU, scoring five points from play, continuing his fine form over the past few seasons. A subsequent triumph over Mary I saw UL through to the last four, with the final taking place this weekend in Bekan.
Along with Tipperay's Gearoid O'Connor, he is among UL's longest serving players with two Fitzgibbon Cup medals in his possession already.
The Kanturk native is in his final year and is intent on signing off his college days on a winning note, particularly after the heartbreak of last year.
"Going off last year. We left ourselves down because we didn't perform the way we could have."
"That's not to take anything from Mary I, they performed on the day and they won. But it would be nice alright to get that right this year."
Brian O'Sullivan of UL during the Electric Ireland Higher Education GAA Fitzgibbon Cup Round 2 match between University of Limerick and TUS Midwest at UL Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
"After a while, you're thinking back on it, and it was fairly sore.
"One of the boys said it the other day, he was looking back and thinking of it and he just remembered how low fellas were. That was a boost to us this year, thinking of it, and trying to get there again."
Fitzgibbon Cup campaigns can be a balancing act for squads who have so many involved with inter-county teams, but O'Sullivan says the UL backroom team manage it perfectly, 'not flogging lads at all.'
"Our management team manage it very well. They're not flogging lads at all.
"There's not that much strenuous training because there are so many lads involved in inter-county panels.
"Other lads are training away with their clubs in pre-season.
"It's just a matter of getting together, getting the eye-in and getting the camaraderie going. I think they have it down to a tee.
"They just want the county lads to be there, rather than training and then there's bits of video analysis then as well," he says.
From a club perspective, O'Sullivan and Kanturk reached the quarter finals of the Cork Premier SHC last year, giving them an incentive to push on again in the coming months.
For now, all the focus is on winning another Fitzgibbon Cup medal.
"Looking back on previous years, the memories of those wins are special. It's an unbelievable medal to have and an unbelievable memory. I'm delighted to have them."
"It would be nice to push on and get one more. The panels the last few years have been unbelievable and I think this panel is just as good now. A load of lads from previous years have gone on to make their own county panels and teams and it's great to say you've played with them, but you want to push on yourself to get to that level as well."
