If they were cruel, perhaps words along the lines of biting the hand that feeds would be uttered in his direction, but Mark O'Sullivan - captain of the UCD team that includes two full internationals in their midst - doesn't expect such mischief when he faces up to his own club-mates in the Barton Shield semi-final this morning, an encounter which gives an edge to the start of the Bulmers All-Ireland Cups and Shields finals at Newlands Golf Club.

O'Sullivan, bred and nurtured on Galway Golf Club's seaside course at Salthill, is - as far as his Galway brethren are concerned - in the rival camp on this occasion.

As a golfing scholarship student in Belfield, he was required to throw his hat in with UCD, but, once the decision was taken, O'Sullivan, an Irish youths' international, proceeded to play a key role in their march to the national finals of this great golfing festival.

And the prospect of going head-to-head with his home club is a challenge that O'Sullivan is relishing. "I've been taking a bit of stick from them over the past few weeks," he acknowledged, "but it has all been friendly.

"They understand the position I am in. I've been playing for UCD in these competitions for the past couple of years and I believe that we have got the team to win this year."

Indeed, it is a quite extraordinary statistic that UCD has never managed to win either the Barton Shield or the Irish Senior Cup down the years. This year, though, with full internationals Justin Kehoe, winner of the South of Ireland, and Mark Campbell, who knows exactly the position O'Sullivan is in today as he ensured his home club Stackstown's defeat in the Leinster finals of the Barton Shield, along with O'Sullivan and boys' international Paul McDonald, UCD have a formidable looking team.

UCD face Galway, winners of the competition two years ago, in the second of the Barton Shield semi-finals. The opening semi-final will see a very experienced Cork team take on City of Derry, who have never won this title. David Jones has returned from college in the United States to spearhead City of Derry's assault.

While the Barton Shield - the final is due to be played at 2.30 - is the only competition that reaches a conclusion today, the semi-final matches in the Irish Junior Cup and the Pierce Purcell Shield are also down for consideration.

In today's Pierce Purcell Shield title semi-final, defending champions Roe Park take on Kanturk - who are seeking their first green pennant - while the other match will involve Rathdowney and Gort.

The Irish Junior Cup will be fought out by Ballyclare, Portumna, Curragh and Harbour Point, all seeking to win this competition for the first time.