Featured in this issue: - University College Dublin

UCD Students named on
camogie All-Star team
Four UCD students were named on the Energise Sport Camogie All-Star team. Among the
winners were Wexford captain Mary Leacy and her sister Una, who made history by becoming
the first sisters to win Camogie All-Stars. Joining them was Wexford teammate Mags Darcy.
Also receiving an All-Star award was physiotherapy student Rena Buckley of Cork. Notably this is
Rena's third Camogie All-Star award in a row.
Notably all four UCD students were members of the UCD senior camogie team which won the
Ashbourne Cup (the All Ireland Higher Education Championship) and the Higher Education League
final earlier this year.
International success
for UCD student
UCD student, Laura Toogood, won an
international dressage competition
which took place in Scotland last
summer. Laura is an Ad Astra PhD
Scholar in the School of Information
and Library Studies. She rode her
young horse Ruxton Silberstern to a
convincing victory in the Freestyle
to Music Championship which was
held as an evening gala. Laura was
a recipient of a President’s Award
last year and has won four Sports
Achievement Awards since
enrolling at UCD in 2003.
27
Fitting end of an era for
Belfield Park as UCD
claim Dr Tony O’Neill
Trophy
UCD under-21 0 St. Patrick's Athletic under-21 0 AET
UCD won 4-2 on penalties
In November, UCD hosted the final
senior game in Belfield Park, as the
under-21 soccer team beat St Patrick’s
Athletic in the Dr Tony O'Neill Final.
The final curtain came down on the
home ground of UCD for the last 72
years. Indeed it was a fitting end to
the ground's history with UCD
emerging victorious in the
competition named after one of its
most loyal servants.
It proved to be a nail-biting encounter,
with the game ending scoreless after
extra-time, and therefore going to penalties.
Safety, but only just
A nerve wracking 90 minutes against Galway
United ultimately saw UCD secure Premier
Division football for next season, but it was
another disappointing performance, and one
which saw them end their campaign with
two points from seven games.
UCD, who hadn't scored in four games, had to
reply on results from other Premier League
games before being sure of staying up. The
team was evidently rattled by the prospect of a
play-off, which had seemed so remote seven
weeks ago, but to their credit, they did improve
as the game went on and started to create
some openings.
At half time, UCD were a point above the
play-off, hoping Waterford wouldn't take a
However, UCD goalkeeper Billy Brennan proved
to be the hero of the night scoring and saving a
penalty in the shoot-out as UCD became the
permanent holders of the Dr Tony O’Neill
trophy.
The last ever final at this grade of the game
pitted a UCD team seeking their third title in
four years against a Pat’s team chasing their
first ever triumph at this level.
With such talent at underage level the future
looks bright for the UCD Soccer Club. Home
games next season for the club will be played in
the newly refurbished UCD Bowl.
shock lead in Tolka. Granted, the news filtering
through early in the second half was that
Waterford were time-wasting already,
seemingly content to keep things tight and play
for the 0-0 that would guarantee the play-off
rather than throw players forward for the win
but risk leaving gaps at the back which could
see them concede and go straight down.
UCD's players trooped off the pitch utterly
dejected after their 2-1 loss, but two minutes
later came the news that Waterford had ended
scoreless with Rovers, thereby finishing a point
behind UCD in the standings, and condemned
to a play-off.