Britain's Katharine Merry, golden girl of the track across the water, runs her first serious 400m for nearly two years following serious injury sustained during the 2001 season when she was at the time the fastest woman over the distance in the world.

She made a dramatic return to top flight competition when running a sizzling relay leg for Great Britain in the recent Super Cup final in Florence but bypassed a clash against the USA and Russia over the weekend to concentrate on the Cork race where the opposition will be formidable.

Ireland's bronze medal winner from the European Indoor Championships Karen Shinkins will be hoping to rediscover her best form in Cork in the lead up to the upcoming World Championships in Paris while both Italian champion, Daniela Perpoli, and the Hungarian, Barbara Pethran have both run 51.85.

Ronetta Smith, Jamaica, has already run 51.56 this year and the other athletes from England, Lesley Owusu and Kim Walls are in top form at present.

Young UCD medical student, Joanne Cuddihy from Kilkenny has already broken Caroline O'Shea's long standing national junior record for 400m this year and could further lower the record as she moves up in elite company on the new track at the Mardyke.

However all eyes, particularly the British media, are likely to be on Merry, bronze medallist at Sydney 2000, who has run under 50 seconds for the distance and if she is in that sort of form could seriously challenge the Meeting record for 400m set by the former Russian Olympic champion, Olga

Brygina, way back in 1987.