Fitsgibbon Cup Semi-finals: Limerick IT 2-16; NUI Galway 0-8 Managed by Dave Fitzgerald and coached by Cyril Farrell, all-action Limerick IT delighted their huge support on their own patch by overwhelming a fancied NUIG to qualify for their first Fitzgibbon Cup final.
The Galway side knew they were in trouble at the halfway stage when, despite having the elements behind them, they went in 1-6 to 0-7 in arrears. Tipperary's Eoin Kelly was their main tormentor, bagging 1-4.
His goal, from a 21-yard free, came at an important stage, after just three minutes, and knocked the losers off their stride.
Tony Scroope kept NUIG within reasonable distance in that first half with four pointed frees, but he did not reappear after the break because of hamstring trouble.
Without him NUIG were bereft of scoring power and once Kelly (two) and Barry Nugent tacked on further points inside three minutes, it was always going to be plain sailing for LIT.
Jackie Tyrell and John Reddan gave them a definite edge over Tom O'Donovan and Dara Shannon in the centre the park.
Using the elements to their advantage, LIT pulled further away on 38 minutes when Niall Healy availed of a through-ball from Iarla Tannain to record goal number two to make it 2-11 to 0-7.
NUIG were unable to make any sort of reasonable progress and had just one point - from Dara Egan - to show for their second-half efforts.
With the winning post drawing nearer, LIT played exhibition hurling, and Kelly, Tannain and Aonghus Callanan rounded off a good day at the office.
LIT: A Ryan; E Collins, J Coen, C O'Mahony; S McGrath, F Flynn, D Morrissey; J Tyrell, J Reddan; A Callanan (0-2), B Nugent (0-3), I Tannain (0-2); N Healy 1-1, E Kelly 1-7 (1-5f), K Murphy (0-1). Subs: S Tierney for Murphy, J O'Brien for Nugent, J Clancy for Healy, M Walsh for Collins.
NUIG: P Dullaghan; R Whyte, D O'Brien, G O'Grady (0-1); J Lee, T Og Regan, D Clancy (0-1); T O'Donovan, D Shannon; K Hayes, C Lafferty (0-1), J Culkin; T Scroope (0-4f), D Ryan 0-1. Subs: J Dunphy for Scroope, B Connolly for O'Donovan, J Lynch for Lafferty, D Kelly for Culkin.
Referee: J McDonnell (Tipperary).
In the Maher Cup semi-finals, Tallow IT beat Castlebar IT by 2-11 to 1-2, while Dundalk IT accounted for Letterkenny IT 3-9 to 1-6.
In the Ryan Cup, Sligo IT surprised Tipperary Institute 3-8 to 0-6, and Carlow IT dispensed with the challenge of MICE 3-9 to 0-16, after extra time.
