Round-up: Tuesday's Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup action

The Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup trophy. Photo by Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup Round 3

Maynooth University 2-14 DKIT 0-13

University of Galway 2-19 MTU Kerry 0-13

By Paul Keane

Maynooth University's dreams of capturing an Electric Ireland Sigerson Cup title exactly 50 years after their last one remain alive.

A storming start on home soil in Maynooth, yielding two goals inside the opening seven minutes, propelled last season's quarter-finalists through to the same stage.

Conor Duke, fresh off Meath's run to the 2025 All-Ireland semi-final, and Kildare senior Eoin Cully grabbed the two goals.

Cully, James Harris and Duke also struck early points as Maynooth, playing with the wind, opened up a 2-3 to no score lead and hinted at running amok.

That wasn't how it turned out though as DKIT, already assured of their Sigerson Cup status after winning the Trench Cup in 2025, battled back impressively.

Those two goals separated the sides at half-time as Maynooth led by 2-9 to 0-9 and the visitors reduced the deficit to just four points early in the second half.

Monaghan senior Stephen Mooney was their key man up front but without Armagh's Oisin O'Neill, who was unavailable, they were missing another marquee name up front.

Maynooth hadn't got Meath star Ruairi Kinsella either, due to injury, though they remained just about out of arm's reach throughout.

Kildare's Aaron Browne also impressed, scoring three points, while county men Ryan Burke and James Harris had solid games at the back, holding DKIT to just a point from open play in the second half.

Mooney finished with nine points and almost grabbed the goal that DKIT needed late on after a slaloming run through the Maynooth defence but his blistering drive cannoned off the post.

Maynooth University will be joined in the quarter-final draw by University of Galway who were more comfortable winners against MTU Kerry in Dangan.

Roscommon's Eoin Colleran was the main man again for University of Galway putting them ahead with a 13th minute goal having previously starred in the Round 2B win over ATU Sligo.

University of Galway hit the interval with a 1-5 to 0-7 lead and a third quarter goal from Shane McGrath goal, coupled with two-pointers from Galway's Brian Cogger and Clare's Mark McInerney, allowed them to pull decisively clear.

TU Dublin, UCD, UL and UCC are already through to the quarter-finals having won their opening two games.

Maynooth University and University of Galway will be joined on the other side of the quarter-final draw by the two winners of tomorrow's remaining Round 3 games.

Maynooth scorers: C Duke 1-3 (1 free); E Cully 1-1; A Browne 0-3; C O'Connor 0-2 (tp); J Harris, L Killian, C Gray, D Scahill, H Plunkett 0-1 each.

DKIT scorers: S Mooney 0-9 (1 tpf, 6 frees); O McGorman 0-2; K McArdle, R Duffy 0-1 each.

Maynooth University (Kildare unless stated): C Burke; R Fitzgerald, R Burke, B O'Halloran (Meath); D Scahill (Westmeath), J Harris, C Daly (Westmeath); C O'Connor (Meath), C Gray (Meath); C Duke (Meath), A Browne, L Killian; E Cully, E Frayne (Meath), D Finn (Dublin).

Subs used: H Plunkett (Offaly), S Walsh (Roscommon), J Darcy (Laois), S Emmanuel (Meath).

DKIT (Louth unless stated): K Mulligan (Monaghan); C Clarke, C McKeown, C Callanan; O McGorman (Monaghan), R Duffy (Monaghan), B Butterly; J Duffy (Armagh), P Blessing (Armagh); JJ Hughes (Armagh), H Butterly, A McKeown (Monaghan); K McArdle, S Mooney (Monaghan), N McKenna (Monaghan).

Subs used: E Crossan (Cavan), T McDonnell, DD Reilly.