Four champions will be crowned in the 2025 AIG Ladies HEC Championships over the course of Friday and Saturday – with the showpiece AIG O’Connor Cup Final down for decision on Saturday afternoon.
The AIG HEC, Lagan and Moynihan Cup Finals were contested on Thursday, while Friday will see the AIG O’Connor, Lynch and Giles Cup finalists confirmed, with the Donaghy Cup Final also down for decision.
The AIG O’Connor, Lynch and Giles Cup Finals will be played on Saturday.
On Friday, the AIG O’Connor Cup Semi Final between UCC and UG will get underway from 1pm.
Beaten finalists last year UCC will be aiming to go one better this time.
Standing in their way at the semi-final stage are University of Galway, who have Kilkerrin-Clonberne’s AIB All-Ireland Club winner Eva Noone in their ranks.
Noone was player of the match at Croke Park in December as Kilkerrin-Clonberne made it four titles in a row and now she is aiming for third-level glory.
In 2005, UG were then NUI Galway when they contested an O’Connor Cup decider, losing out to UCD.
In recent times, UCC have contested finals in 2022 and 2024, losing out on both occasions, while you have to go back to 2012 for their last title win.
They have some quality about them again this year, including Offaly’s Roisin Ennis and Tipperary’s Emma Morrissey, who was in the colours of winners DCU Dóchas Éireann in the 2024 showpiece.
Dara Kiniry is part of a Cork squad pushing hard for promotion from Division 2 of the Lidl National League, while Waterford’s Brid McMaugh is another well-known inter-county star.
Later in the afternoon on Friday, DCU DÉ will face UU Belfast in the other AIG O’Connor Cup Semi Final.
DCU Dóchas Éireann head for Finals weekend aiming for a third successive AIG O’Connor Cup success.
Success in 2024 marked a sixth title win for DCU DÉ, who will be well fancied to make that seven, and three-in-a-row.
From goalkeeper to corner forward, DCU DÉ are well stocked, with Meath goalkeeper Robyn Murray between the sticks, through to Roscommon’s Aisling Hanly, named at number 15 on the official programme.
Kildare pair Laoise Lenehan and Ruth Sargent are the full-back and centre back anchors, while there’s huge firepower in an attack that includes Meath ace and captain, Emma Duggan, Mayo’s Maria Cannon and Offaly’s Kate Kenny, scorer of 1-10 and player of the match in the final two years ago.
But University of Ulster (Belfast Campus) will be in no mood to roll over at Queen’s University.
There’s plenty of inter-county experience in their ranks, too, including an impressive looking half-back line containing Antrim pair Sarah O’Neill and Ciara Brown, and Monaghan’s Amy Garland.
Amy’s twin sister, Lauren, lines out in attack while Sarah O’Neill’s sister, Maria, is listed at full-forward.
Also on Friday is the AIG Donaghy Cup Final between ATU Galway v Marino. Throw in there will be at 5pm.
UU Magee v UCD 2 and MTU Cork v DKIT will both get underway at 11am in the AIG Lynch Cup semi-finals.
In the AIG Giles Cup semi-finals, UCD will face DCU DÉ2 at 1pm and MICL will face MU at the same time.
Following Friday's game, the AIG Lynch Cup Final will kick off at 11am; the AIG Giles Cup Final will start at 1pm; and the AIG O’Connor Cup Final will take place at 3pm.
