The 2021/22 Energia All-Ireland Cup quarter-final draw has been made, with several entertaining matchups on the horizon in the competition.
Blackrock College and Railway Union will go head-to-head for a spot in the final four – both teams have had recent success in the competition.
Blackrock were the champions in 2017 and 2019 while Railway won the crown in between those successes in 2018.
The pair met in the competition in 2016 in a match where Blackrock emerged victorious but five years later, in what could be the tie of the round, the fixture could go any way.
Galwegians came through a tough test against non-league opposition when they beat Kerry in Tralee at the weekend.
They’ll face a similar challenge in the last eight with a trip to Belfast to take on Queen’s University.
Wicklow and Ballincollig were both non-league sides the last time this competition was played and showcased their development with wins against Co. Cavan and OLBC respectively.
Their reward for their progression is a pairing together in the quarter-final brackets.
Cooke will await the winners of the round of 16 match between Old Belvedere and UL Bohemian after the game was postponed.
The Energia All-Ireland Plate will be contested by the four teams knocked out of the cup quarter-finals, meaning that the loser of the postponed round of 16 fixture will not be able to compete for it.
However, the Energia All-Ireland Shield exists as a competition for teams that lost in the Cup’s Round of 16. It commences with quarter-finals – the loser of Old Belvedere v UL Bohemians will enter this competition.
Kerry receive a bye first up and will visit the winners of Malone v Tipperary in the semi-finals.
The team that loses the cup game between Old Belvedere and UL Bohemian also has a bye and will have home advantage against the winners of Co. Cavan v OLBC.
Quarter-final games will be played on the weekend of January 8th, 2022, with fixture details to be confirmed.
Quarter-Finals
Energia All-Ireland Cup
Wicklow v Ballincollig
Queen’s University v Galwegians
Railway Union v Blackrock College
Old Belvedere/UL Bohemian v Cooke
Energia All-Ireland Shield
Co. Cavan v OLBC
BYE v Kerry
Malone v Tipperary
Old Belvedere/UL Bohemian v BYE
