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UNIVERSIT Y INTERVIEW Ciara Banville (DCU Dóchas Éireann) Her side were pushed to the limit by a determined UCC outfit, but Wexford and Taghmon/Camross footballer Ciara Banville ultimately ended her remarkable third-level career with DCU Dóchas Éireann on a high at MTU Cork on Saturday, March 9. By Daire Walsh A talented dual player with both club and county, Banville was part of the DCU camogie panel for their groundbreaking Ashbourne Cup triumph over UCD in 2022. Fast forward a little over 12 months later and the Slaneyside star scored a goal as a substitute in the Dublin college's 3-14 to 1-13 victory against University of Limerick in a high-tempo HEC O'Connor Cup football decider held at the University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome. They had comfortably overcome the challenge of TU Dublin en route to that final, but had just a single point to spare when the two sides met again in the last-four at MTU Cork on March 8. It took 20 minutes of extra- time to ultimately separate the teams in that game and it was a similar scenario a day later for their latest O'Connor Cup showpiece. Lasting the full game at midfield, Banville kicked a point over the course of 80 enthralling minutes of university action as DCU ultimately prevailed on a final scoreline of 2-16 to 2-14. Given she is in her fourth and final year of studying to be a primary school teacher at the college, Banville was understandably thrilled to sign off with a third title across two different Gaelic codes in as many years. "It has been an amazing three years. I don't think many players would even get that opportunity to be on Ashbourne and O'Connor Cups. I'm really grateful for that," Banville acknowledged. "160 minutes in two days isn't easy, but it just showed the panel we have as 14 | SPRING 2024 | www.ladiesgaelic.ie