Maynooth University’s men’s senior squad have been crowned Collingwood Cup champions at the University College Cork’s Mardyke Sports Ground. This marks only the second time in the tournament’s history that Maynooth University has lifted the trophy, with the last triumph occurring in 2014.
The Collingwood Cup, renowned for its three games in three days format, saw MU overcome University College Dublin (UCD) in the quarterfinals, defeat defending champions University of Limerick (UL) in the semi-finals, and clinch the title with a 1-0 win over University of Galway (UG) in the final, thanks to a goal from Aaron Doran.
This victory caps off a remarkable season for the MU Soccer squad, as they also secured the Colleges & Universities Football League (CUFL) Premier Division title earlier this academic year. Winning both the Collingwood Cup and the CUFL Premier Division in the same season is a rare achievement, having only been accomplished once before in the competition’s history.
Barry Prenderville, Soccer Development Manager at MU’s Department of Sport said, “This is only the second occasion Maynooth University has won this tournament in its over one-hundred-year history. Our students showed incredible determination, resilience, and no shortage of skill to overcome UCD in the quarterfinal, the previous year’s winners UL in the semi-final, and finally, to clinch the title by defeating University of Galway in the final.”
First played in 1914, the Collingwood Cup is the oldest surviving all-Ireland association football competition. It is named after amateur footballer and Physiology Professor Bertram J. Collingwood. UCD were the inaugural winners and remain the most successful team, with 53 titles.