The Fergal Maher Cup is a hurling cup competition for Third-level Colleges. The Cup is awarded to the winners of the Tier 3 Championship (the Fitzgibbon Cup and Ryan Cup are the Tier 1 and Tier 2 Higher Education Hurling Championships).
The Fergal Maher Cup Championship is administered by Comhairle Ard Oideachais Cumann Lúthchleas Gael (CLG), the Gaelic Athletic Association's Higher Education Council which oversees Third-Level GAA championships. The GAA Higher Education Cup Championships are currently sponsored by the Electric Ireland following on from the Irish Daily Mail, Ulster Bank, Datapac, Bus Éireann and Independent.ie.
History The Cup is named in memory of Fergal Maher, a student and hurler at Dublin City University who hailed from Leixlip. Fergal was fatally injured when struck by a car near The Sheaf O'Wheat at Bracetown, Clonee, County Meath on 22 March 1998.Dónal McAnallen, 2012, The Cups That Cheered: A History of the Sigerson, Fitzgibbon and Higher Education Gaelic Games, The Collins Press, CorkIrish Times, March 24, 1998, p. 27; Meath Chronicle, March 28, 1998, p. 26 At the time of his death Fergal Maher was a 2nd year engineering student at DCU and was Honorary Secretary of the DCU Hurling club. He played Ryan Cup hurling for DCU and at age 18 he captained the Kildare U21 hurling team.
The Cup was first presented for the Third Division Championship in 2002, the inaugural winner being Athlone Institute of Technology. In 2002/03 IT Tallaght achieved its maiden hurling title in this competition. King's Inns hurling club was launched in 2005 and in its first season won the trophy. The first President of the King's Inn Hurling Club was the President of the High Court (2001-2006), the Honourable Mr Justice Joseph Finnegan. In 2007/08 Edinburgh Napier University, winners of the British University Hurling Championship in both 2006/07 and 2007/08, became the first overseas winner of the Fergal Maher Cup.
Fergal Maher Tournament 2018-19 2018-19 Group A Qualifying Round Team 1 Score Team 2 Score Where Played Date Rd1 Letterkenny Institute of Technology 0-05 St Mary's University College Belfast 10-23 O'Donnell Park, Letterkenny 11 February 2019 Rd1 Ulster University Magee CC Ulster University Coleraine W/O University of Ulster Magee 30 January 2019 Rd2 St Mary's University College Belfast W/O Ulster University Magee CC St Mary's University College 6 February 2019 Rd2 Ulster University Coleraine 5-12 Ulster University Magee 5-05 Owenbeg, Dungiven, Derry 6 February 2019 Rd3 Ulster University Coleraine 0-0† St Mary's University College Belfast 0-0† Owenbeg, Dungiven, Derry 18 February 2019 Rd3 Letterkenny Institute of Technology W/O Ulster University Magee CC Letterkenny Institute of Technology 13 February 2019 †Match never played Qualifiers: St Mary's University College Belfast, Ulster University Coleraine
2018-19 Group B Qualifying Round Team 1 Score Team 2 Score Where Played Date Rd1 Institute of Technology Tallaght 1-12 Marino Institute of Education 2-14 Thomas Davis All Weather Pitch 31 January 2019 Rd2 Institute of Technology Blanchardstown 3-11 Marino Institute of Education 7-15 TIT Blanchardstown GAA Pitch 6 February 2019 Rd3 Institute of Technology Blanchardstown CC Institute of Technology Tallaght W/O IT Blanchardstown GAA Pitch 25 February 2019 Qualifier: Marino Institute of Education
2018-19 Group C Qualifying Round Team 1 Score Team 2 Score Where Played Date Rd2 Mary Immaculate College Thurles 7-18 Galway-Mayo IT Letterfrack 0-13 UL Grounds 7 February 2019 Cadets were drawn in this Group, but did not compete Qualifier: Mary Immaculate College Thurles
2018-19 Finals
Roll of honour Colleges by wins Team County Wins Last win IT Tallaght Dublin 3 2014 Cadet School Kildare 3 2020 St. Mary's University College/Belfast Metropolitan College Antrim 2 2018 ATU Sligo Sligo 3 2025 St. Patrick's College, Thurles Tipperary 2 2013 Edinburgh Napier University Scotland 2 2010 Coláiste Phádraig Droim Conrach Dublin 2 1996 Dundalk IT Louth 2 1997 GMIT Letterfrack Galway/Mayo 1 2017 Galway/Roscommon ETB Galway/Roscommon 1 2015 LIT Tipperary Tipperary 1 2012 King's Inns Dublin 1 2006 GMIT Castlebar Mayo 1 2004 NUI Maynooth Kildare 1 2003 Athlone IT Westmeath 1 2002 UU Coleraine Derry 1 1998 Mary Immaculate College, Limerick Limerick 1 1995 Tralee IT Kerry 1 1989 NIHE Dublin/DCU Dublin 1 1988
Fergal Maher Cup Champion Colleges
1987/88 N.I.H.E. Dublin 1988/89 Tralee RTC 1989/90 Dundalk RTC 1990/91 Cadet School 1991/92 Cadet School 1992/93 Sligo RTC 1993/94 Coláiste Phádraig Droim Conrach 1994/95 Mary Immaculate College, Limerick 1995/96 Coláiste Phádraig Droim Conrach 1996/97 Dundalk RTC 1997/98 UU Coleraine 1998/99 Not held 1999/00 Not held 2000/01 Not held 2001/02 Athlone IT 2002/03 NUI Maynooth 2003/04 GMIT Castlebar 2004/05 IT Tallaght 2005/06 King's Inns 2006/07 IT Tallaght 2007/08 Napier University, Edinburgh 2008/09 St Mary's Univ.Coll./BMC 2009/10 Napier University, Edinburgh 2010/11 St Patrick' College, Thurles 2011/12 LIT Tipperary 2012/13 St Patrick's College, Thurles 2013/14 IT Tallaght 2014/15 Galway/Roscommon ETB 2015/16 IT Sligo 2016/17 G.M.I.T. Letterfrack 2017/18 St Mary's University College, Belfast 2018/19 St Mary's university College, Belfast 2019/20 Cadet School
Captains of winning teams Year Captain College County 1987/88 NIHE Dublin 1988/89 Gerard GalvinKerryman, April 7, 1989, p. 14 Tralee RTC Limerick 1989/90 Diarmuid McCarthyDundalk RTCLouth 1990/91 Cadet School 1991/92 Cadet School 1992/93 Sligo RTC 1993/94 Coláiste Phádraig Droim Conrach 1994/95 Mary Immaculate College 1995/96 Coláiste Phádraig Droim Conrach 1996/97 Dundalk RTC 1997/98 UU Coleraine 1998/99 No Championship — — 1999/00 No Championship — — 2000/01 No Championship — — 2001/02 Athlone IT 2002/03 NUI Maynooth 2003/04 Michael Donohue GMIT Castlebar Galway 2004/05 IT Tallaght 2005/06 James McDonaldIrish Times, March 6, 2006, Sport, p. A6 King's Inns Wexford 2006/07 Michael Griffin IT Tallaght Dublin 2007/08 Conor Delaney Edinburgh Napier University Kilkenny 2008/09 Ciaran Clifford St. Mary's/BMC Cuchulainns, Armagh 2009/10 Shane Bennett Edinburgh Napier University Waterford 2010/11 Michael Lawlor St. Patrick's College, Thurles 2011/12 Séamus Lawlor LIT Tipperary Waterford 2012/13 Barry McLoughlin St Patrick's College, Thurles Tipperary 2013/14 Eric Finn IT Tallaght Dublin 2014/15 Joseph MooneyFergal Maher Cup: Goals from Mooney and McMahon prove vital in Colleges final - Galway-Ros ETB complete the double, Connacht Tribune, 6 March 2015, Sport, page 46; Fergal Maher Cup: Goals from Mooney and McMahon prove vital in Colleges final - Galway-Ros ETB complete the double, Galway City Tribune, 6 March 2015, Sport, page 117 Galway/Roscommon Education & Training Board Galway 2015/16 Damien GoldenIrish Examiner, 29 February 2016, http://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/conor-ocarroll-hat-trick-inspires-trinity-384663.html| IT Sligohttps://www.itsligo.ie/2016/02/29/fergalmahercupwinners27022016/ Westmeath 2016/17 Tom RigneyIrish Examiner, 27 February 2017, Sport, p. 29, Maher praises Garda College dedication after Ryan Cup winTipperary Star, 1 June 2017, Three Tipperary men help Connemara college to realise a hurling dream, http://www.tipperarystar.ie/news/sport/252929/three-tipperary-men-help-connemara-college-to-realise-a-hurling-dream.html GMIT Letterfrack Tipperary 2017/18 2016/17 Tom Rigney GMIT Letterfrack Tipperary 2017/18 Conor Johnston St Mary's University College, Belfast Antrim 2018/19 Paul Gunning St Mary's University College, Belfast Westmeath 2019/20 Dean Riley Cadet School Galway
Man of The Match awardees Year MOTM Top Scorer College County Points scored 1987/88 NIHE Dublin/DCU NIHE Dublin/DCU 1988/89 Institute of Technology, Tralee Gerard Galvin Institute of Technology, Tralee Limerick 0-9 1998/99 No Championship — — — — 1999/00 No Championship — — — — 2000/01 No Championship — — — — 2001/02 Athlone Institute of Technology Athlone Institute of Technology 2002/03 NUI Maynooth NUI Maynooth 2003/04 Gavin Keary GMIT Castlebar Galway GMIT Castlebar 2004/05 IT Tallaght IT Tallaght 2005/06 King's Inns King's Inns 2006/07 IT Tallaght F. RabbitteeIrish Independent, March 11, 2007, Sport, p. 12 IT Tallaght 2-3 2007/08 Andy Coen; http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=2755658516 Edinburgh Napier University Galway Edinburgh Napier University 2008/09 Declan Coulter St Mary's UC/BMC Armagh 0-11 (4f) Declan Coulter St Mary's UC/BMC 2009/10 Tony BoyleNenagh Guardian, March 20, 2010, Sports, p. TG 8 Edinburgh Napier University Tipperary Edinburgh Napier University 2010/11 St. Patrick's College, Thurles St. Patrick's College, Thurles 2011/12 Séamus Lawlor LIT Tipperary Waterford 0-2 James Logue LIT Tipperary Tipperary 1-2(1f,1/'65) 2012/13 Rory HickeyKildare Nationalist, March 2, 2013, Rory Hickey St. Patrick's College, Thurles Kilkenny 4-5(1-0 pen,3f) 2013/14 Aodhán Clabby Aodhán Clabby IT Tallaght Dublin 0-14 (6f,2/'65) 2014/15 David Mangan Galway/Roscommon Education & Training Board Galway 0-3 Joseph Mooney Galway/Roscommon Education & Training Board Galway 1-1 2015-16 Jack Galvin IT Sligo Westmeath 2016-17 Sean ClaffeyTwitter HE GAA@HigherEdGAA: Our 2017 @Independent_ie Fergal Maher Cup winners GMIT Letterfrack receive the cup Tom Rigney (Captain) and Sean Claffey (Man of the Match) GMIT Letterfrack Galway 2017-18 Conor Johnston St Mary's University College, Belfast Antrim 2018-19 Tiarnan Murphyhttps://www.sportsfile.com/id/1654764/;Gaelic Life, February 28-March 6, 2019, Extra Time, p. 38 St Mary's University College, Belfast Antrim 3-0
Finals listed by year