Fitzgibbon Cup

The Fitzgibbon Cup the championship for top division of university hurling in Ireland. It is administrated by the Higher Education committee which is part of the Gaelic Athletic Association. The HE committee also oversees the Ryan Cup (Division 2 hurling championship), Fergal Meagher Cup (effectively Division 3) and the Sigerson Cup (which is the Gaelic football championship).

The cup is named after Dr. Edwin Fitzgibbon, a Capuchin friar and, from 1911 to 1936, a professor of philosophy at University College Cork. In 1912 Dr. Fitzgibbon donated most of his annual salary to purchase the trophy.

For the first 30 years, the cup was dominated by UCC and UCD, with UCG winning occasionally. Queens University Belfast first took part in 1946, and won their only title in 1953.

The popularity of the championship grew, and, in the 60s and 70s three more colleges entered: Trinity College Dublin, UU Coleraine and NUI Maynooth. In the late 80s, all teams in Division One of the Higher Education League were admitted. Since the event went open, in the 1990s, several newer third level institutions from Limerick and Waterford entered and quickly dominated the competition. Waterford IT won the title four times in six years, but UCC are the leaders in the roll of honour, with 39 titles, the last in 1998.

Roll of Honour

Year by year

First win in bold type.

ee also

*Gaelic Athletic Association
*Hurling
*Sigerson Cup
*British University Gaelic football Championship
*British University Hurling Championship