Victory this evening would give oxygen to the potential for a very rare double as the UCC hurlers are in Fitzgibbon Cup final action on Saturday against Mary Immaculate College Limerick (Carriganore, 2.45pm).

UCC last appeared in both the Sigerson and Fitzgibbon Cup finals in 2013. The hurlers did their part on that occasion, but defeat to Dublin IT scuppered the college’s double bid.

Saturday’s fixture represents UCC’s first Fitzgibbon Cup final since the 2013 win, the intervening six years the longest the college has gone without reaching the decider.

UCC GAA development officer John Grainger reveals that several hard questions were asked in the wake of last year’s Fitzgibbon Cup quarter-final annihilation at the hands of UL (4-18 to 0-8). Last year, overall, was a disappointing season for the college’s flagship teams as Billy Morgan’s Sigerson footballers were well beaten at home to NUIG, also at the quarter-final stage.

That the respective UCC teams have bounced back to come within two hours of a double the college last managed in the spring of 1988 did not stem from any significant change — personnel or otherwise — enforced over the past 12 months.

“A lot of people would have questioned where the hurling club was going after last year’s defeat,” said Grainger.

“We stuck to our principles which we have had all along, those principles being that we are there to enjoy the games and to realise that students have various pressures on them so there is nothing to be gained by adding to them. Neither the Sigerson nor Fitzgibbon management strayed from our ethos which prioritises player welfare, which is very, very important, and building a team spirit.

“The fact that the lads have qualified for the Fitzgibbon final speaks volumes for the amount of work put in by people behind the scenes in the GAA club over the last number of months.”

That UCC are back within touching distance of Sigerson silverware has a lot to do with one man. Brought in as manager in 2009, Billy Morgan, who won two Sigerson medals in the mid-60s with UCC, has guided the college to six finals (including tonight), winning two (2011 and 2014).

Speaking after the semi-final win over NUIG on Sunday, captain and half-back Cian Kiely remarked that Billy Morgan is “the Sigerson in UCC”.

“He is a fantastic man. He is always there for all of us players. He is a true and proud Corkman, but he will work for any person on the team, doesn’t matter where you are from. We want to win it for everyone in UCC, but especially Billy,” stressed Kiely.

This is a sentiment echoed by Grainger.

“He commands huge respect in the dressing room from players from all different counties.

Billy has stuck to the values that we place on our Gaelic football teams; we don’t care where people come from, we don’t have any parish. The thing that binds us together is the skull and crossbones crest. That is our flag.

Each player who pulls on the red and black jersey, according to Kerry centre-forward Seán O Shea, is acutely aware of the history embedded in the shirt.

“Hard work and to work for each other is what Billy instils in us. We are representing UCC and we are wearing the skull and crossbones, we know the tradition that has gone with that,” said O’Shea.

Both the man himself, Morgan, and Kiely know how difficult the challenge they face this evening will be.

“St Mary’s are a fantastic team. We saw that two years ago. We know they are going to bring it on Wednesday night,” said Kiely.

Morgan added: “They play a very defensive game, are very well organised and are very hard to break down. The semi-final is the kind of game that will stand to us.”