Diving O’Donoghue Penalty Save Crowns DCU Intermediate Champions

 By Evan Dalton for The DCU Bulletin 






Goalkeeper Cian O’Donoghue’s crucial penalty save helped crown DCU Dochas Eireann as All Ireland Intermediate Football champions after an impressive two point victory over Ulster University. 

O’Donoghue, who plays club football with Louth’s Geraldines GFC, scored two, two point frees alongside executing a crucial penalty save in the 45th minute to finally earn the University a GAA title in 2026. The second year student was awarded Man Of The Match.

DCU captain Paul Moran chipped over the first score from 20m out, but a slow start under the DCU Sports Ground lights had the sides level at 0-1 a piece after eight minutes.

The first of O’Donoghue’s efforts propelled DCU into a 0-4 to 0-1 lead after 16 minutes, but a Dara Quinn two pointer for UU kept the northern side in check.

The green flag would be raised for the first time by Longford man Caolan Lynch after 23 minutes. A beautiful cross field ball by Eoghan Scott was caught by Lynch, who stepped inside the box and struck the leather into the top left handside of the net. 

Conor Owens would reply for UU with a goal of his own with the clock in the red, and a point split the sides at the interval. 1-07 to 1-06 in the Dublin teams favour. 

Both sides would be required to ramp up their efforts in the second half and the cageiness of the first swiftly erased itself. Two early UU scores were replied to by a long distance Eoghan Scott effort, and the sides would enter the final 20 minutes level at 1-08. 

UU’s Charlie Donnelly and earlier goal scorer Owens tried to take control, pouncing on every DCU defensive slip. It would be Owens who was the elected penalty taker when UU were awarded a spot kick by the referee.

Owens stuck the ball to the bottom right corner, forcing O’Donoghue to spring down to his left and make the save. This was the momentum swinger, which propelled the yellow army onwards. 

Some nicely kicked points in the dying embers confirmed victory for DCU, with a final score of 2-15 to 2-13.

The team, managed by Vincent Connolly, Daire O’Neill, Rory O’Neill and Neil Mulhern, consisted of players from 18 counties, and the mixed collective gelled together in just four weeks.

“You wouldn’t think it all,” exclaimed captain Moran in his post match speech. “We’ve a great bond.” 

The All Ireland Intermediate Football Championship Final marks the end of the 2026 Electric Ireland Comhairle Ardoideachais Feile, which took place across both Croke Park and the DCU Sports Grounds. 

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