QUEEN'S and Ulster University may be missing from this year's O'Connor Cup weekend but there is certainly plenty of Ulster interest in the finale of the competition, which gets underway today at Cork IT.
There are 11 players from five Ulster counties playing for three of the four colleges competing. Donegal's Kate Keaney is the sole Ulster representative for defending champions University of Limerick while DCU, who are managed by former Jordanstown boss Gregory McGonigle, have Sinead Greene from Cavan and are captained by Monaghan's Laura McEnaney.
NUI Galway have four Donegal players - Niamh Friel, who is the captain, sisters Catherine and Rose Boyle and Emer Gallagher - as well as Anna Finnegan from Antrim, Tyrone's Orla Mallon, Monaghan's Abbie McCarry and Chelsi Curran from Cavan.
UL are favourites to retain their title, but just as Queen's found out in the final last year, it is an incredibly hard crown to defend and any team from the four could come up trumps.
The semi-final pairings see University College Cork play DCU at 12pm with NUI Galway coming up against the champions at 3.30pm with the final set for tomorrow at 3.45pm.
The four qualifying teams had to come through group stages, which saw UL and UCC top their respective groups with three wins from three, with DCU and NUI Galway the runners-up having lost just one game to UL and UCC respectively.
UL and UCC are favoured to make it through to the final but neither side will be taking their opposition for granted.
For DCU captain Laura McEnaney, in her final year, this is her last chance to get her hands on the O'Connor Cup. The Monaghan student has been in fine form for her county so far this year and she can have a big influence on her side this weekend as she goes for, as she says herself, her a last roll of the dice.
"I was part of the DCU team who lost the semi-final last year and the final [to Queen's] the year before so I know exactly what it feels like to be on the losing side of it, so please God this year it will be different," she said.
"That said, we are only focussing on what we have the power to control and that is UCC on Friday. We haven't looked at UL or thought about them; we have to get over the first hurdle first which will not be easy."
On the other side of the draw, UL's Kate Keaney (above) will come up against her Donegal county teammates and friends on the NUI Galway team and she knows there is no room for complacency.
"The O'Connor Cup is a very difficult competition to win, as every year there are a few surprises and when it comes to the weekend, all teams are very much on a level playing field," she Keaney.
"All previous results go out the window, and it's down to what happens on the day. NUIG are our only focus however. They have a great young team, with some very experienced players and I also know how good the Donegal girls are."
For all but one of the NUI Galway team, O'Connor Cup weekend is a new experience but one that Niamh Friel and her team-mates relish.
"It's an All-Ireland semi-final, so of course we're all very excited and a wee bit nervous. There's a group of us in final year and we've been talking about getting to O'Connor Cup the past four years."