IT hosts to make the most

Fitzgibbon Cup:Carlow Institute of Technology have announced a number of additional events surrounding this weekend's Fitzgibbon Cup, the hurling competition for third-level colleges. It's the first time for the Carlow college to stage the event and they intend to make the most of it, starting with a seminar tomorrow evening entitled "Hurling - A Vision for the Future".

Among the panellists will be GAA president Nickey Brennan; former Kilkenny star DJ Carey; Liam O'Neill, the chairman of the Leinster Council, Paraic Duffy, the GAA's player welfare manager; Paudie Butler, the GAA's national hurling co-ordinator, and Eoin Garvey, manager of the Carlow senior hurling team.

It will chaired by RTÉ commentator Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, with a 7.30pm start in the main Carlow IT lecture theatre. It takes a questions and answers format, and admission is free.

There will also be a display of several innovations in relation to the coaching of skills of hurling, including Waterford's Paul Flynn displaying his novel ball gun, and Tony McEvoy on an innovative hurling grip.

On the field, the Fitzgibbon Cup gets under way on Friday afternoon with the semi-finals. Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) will play NUI Galway at 12.30pm, followed by Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) against the University of Limerick (UL) at 3pm. The Ryan Cup (Division Two) and the Fergal Maher Cup (Division Three) finals are on the same days.

The surprise team at this stage are DIT, who last Thursday beat the well-fancied St Patrick's of Drumcondra by 2-10 to 0-15 to reach the semi-finals for the first time.

Dublin's Kevin O'Reilly, who made such an impact in the opening National Hurling League tie against Kilkenny, scored 1-8, all from the placed ball, with his 21st-minute penalty helping to see off the team that included Kilkenny's James Cha Fitzpatrick.

There's another first for a hurling team on Sunday when Robert Emmett's attempt to become the first London club to win an All-Ireland club title. Before their semi-final victory over Clare champions Clooney-Quin, the farthest any London club had gone were the semi-finals. The London champions face Connacht champions Killimordaly in the intermediate final, preceded by the junior final that features Danesfort against Clooney Gaels.

In football, the intermediate and junior grade get special treatment as the Croke Park floodlights are turned on for their finals on Saturday.

The junior final sees Duagh of Kerry play Greencastle of Tyrone, which starts at 6pm, followed by another Kerry team, Ardfert, against Derry challengers Eoghan Ruadh at 8.0.

Fitzgibbon Cup schedule:Friday - Semi-finals: DIT v NUI Galway, IT Carlow Pitch, 12.30; LIT v UL, IT Carlow Pitch, 3.0; Final: Saturday, Dr Cullen Park, 3.0.