A week after the Sigerson Cup was sorted out for another year, the Bus Eireann Fitzgibbon Cup takes centre stage this weekend under the auspices of Waterford IT. The hurling tournament could hardly be more different than its football equivalent.
For a start, the Fitzgibbon has - probably wisely - decided to retain its four-team format rather than run three days' competition by staging the quarter-finals as part of the weekend.
This may deprive the competition of some atmosphere - although the fact that the hosts are both holders and favourites makes that unlikely this year - but it places less strain on the teams and enhances the prospects of a good final. The forecast for weekend is good and it may not be necessary to relocate tomorrow's final to Carrigeen from Walsh Park.
Unlike the Sigerson a week ago, the line-up in the Fitzgibbon semi-finals has a familiar look with three of last year's teams again reaching this stage and all of them boasting relatively unchanged teams - although UCD have made a couple of significant acquisitions.
Outsiders this time around are Limerick IT whose fine win over DCU has given the college a first appearance in the semi-finals and they face Waterford IT at 12.30 in Mount Sion's ground. Deprived of Clare's Ger Considine, whose knee injury is set to rule him out of today's match, LIT will be very much up against it when they take on the hosts.
To have reached this stage remains a significant achievement for Derry O'Donovan's team who have had to build their growing reputation in both football and hurling without even a single pitch to their name, although that state of affairs is due to be remedied next season.
Waterford have lost Dave Bennett from the side which defeated UCC in last year's final, but all the other big influences are still there. Henry Shefflin's prolific scoring has been a vital part of the team's weaponry over the last three years and other luminaries include Tipperary dual player Declan Browne, whose opportunism in front of goal made such an impact in last year's final.
His county colleague Eamonn Corcoran had a good debut season for Tipperary last year and was Man of the Tournament in last year's Fitzgibbon.
The second semi-final is a repeat of last year's between UCC and UCD. The Cork side won it but not without moments of anxiety. Since then, UCD have improved with the arrival of former UCC Fitzgibbon winner Sean O'Neill and Galway senior Conor O'Donovan. The team has matured and demonstrated its credentials in tight corners with a deeply impressive away win over UL after extra-time in the first round.
There aren't be too many better centrefield pairings than O'Neill and Tipperary's Paul Ormonde and the attack is lively enough to capitalise on a decent supply.
UCC proved last year that tradition makes a difference in these competitions. Totally out-gunned by Waterford, they still hung in and made a match out of what looked like it was going to be a rout. The unsinkable and prolific Johnny Enright is still aboard as is All-Ireland medallist - and all-round entertainer - John Browne at the back.
Enright could create a piece of history by captaining UCC to the title just two years after his brother Eddie led the college to their last Fitzgibbon.
The second semi-final is in the De La Salle grounds at 2.30 and the sneaking suspicion here is that UCD may have learned enough to reverse last year's semi-final result. Whoever does emerge is set to be underdogs against the hosts but the final will be closer than last year's.
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