LIT hope to dethrone the champions

THREE days after powering Portumna into the All-Ireland club hurling final on St. Patrick’s Day, Joe Canning will hope his Limerick Institute of Technology side can dethrone the Fitzgibbon Cup champions this afternoon.
The Galway star will be full-forward on the LIT team which is managed by Clare’s two-time All-Ireland winner Davy Fitzgerald.
Today’s eagerly awaited 2009 Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final takes place in the LIT GAA grounds in Moylish at 2.00pm.
Canning will be joined in the LIT attack by Tipperary senior Seamus Callinan and Laois senior Willie Hyland.
There is expected to be a strong Limerick base to the LIT team. Kilmallock pair Gavin O’Mahony and Paudie O’Brien and Adare’s Wayne McNamara are definite starters.
Elsewhere Claughaun’s Shane Mulally, Na Piarsaigh’s Kevin Ryan, Bruree’s Kieran O’Rourke, Murroe-Boher’s Sean Tobin and Monagea’s Sean Herlihy will come into the reckoning for starting roles.
LIT’s star-man Joe Canning will be renewing rivalries with Ballyhale Shamrocks’ TJ Reid just days after their epic All-Ireland club hurling championship semi-final. Reid is the key man for Waterford IT.
Two Limerick hurlers could be in the Decies team - Richie McCarthy of Blackrock and James Ryan of Garryspillane.
Limerick’s other Third Level College, UL are also in Fitzgibbon Cup action today.
Seamus Hickey will be the only local in the UL team when they face St. Patrick’s in Newtownshandrum at 2.00pm.
Elsewhere in the last eight of the prestigious competition, UCC will have Limerick players in their team when they face NUI Galway in Dalgan.
Kilmallock’s Graeme Mulcahy and Bryan O’Sullivan could feature along with Don Hanley and Michael Wilkinson.

Jerome O'Connell