PREVIEWS: Can University of Limerick win the Yoplait O'Connor Cup for a 14th time?

FOUR champions will be crowned in the 2023 Yoplait Ladies HEC Championships over the course of Friday and Saturday – with the showpiece Yoplait O’Connor Cup Final down for decision on Saturday afternoon (4.15pm – live on Spórt TG4 YouTube).

DCU Dóchas Éireann, University of Galway and TUS Midwest won the HEC, Lagan and Donaghy cups respectively on Wednesday at the spectacular University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome and now attention switches to the concluding stages of the Yoplait Moynihan, Lynch, Giles and O’Connor Cup competitions.

Three of the four Yoplait O’Connor Cup semi-finalists are previous winners, namely current holders University of Limerick, DCU Dóchas Éireann and Queen’s University, Belfast, while TU Dublin, Giles Cup Finalists last year, are also in the race for glory.

The semi-final line-up will see University of Limerick, aiming for a 14^th title, up against Queen’s University, Belfast, with DCU Dóchas Éireann taking on TU Dublin in a local derby.

The Yoplait Moynihan Cup Final will also be played on Friday, as well as the Yoplait Lynch and Giles Cup semi-finals, before the stage is set for Yoplait Lynch, Giles and O’Connor Cup Finals on Saturday.

Both Yoplait O’Connor Cup semi-finals and the Yoplait Moynihan, Lynch and Giles Cup Finals will be live-streamed on the LGFA’s Facebook Page: http://bit.ly/2OvUJ2D and on the LGFA’s Official YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2Wg57AJ, while the Yoplait O’Connor Cup Final will be live-streamed on the Spórt TG4 YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/live/YNqufy-nIfM

Yoplait O’Connor Cup Semi-final Previews: 

Friday March 10

DCU DÉ v TU Dublin – University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome, 2.30pm – Ref: S Curley (Galway)

DCU Dóchas Éireann are the current Division 1 champions and will fancy their chances of making it back to a first Yoplait O’Connor Cup Final in five years.

Their opponents in the last four are TU Dublin, the 2022 Yoplait Giles Cup Finalists who have qualified for the O’Connor Cup semi-finals for the first time.

A remarkable 7-5 to 3-16 quarter-final victory over UCC sent them TU Dublin through and they won’t and they won’t fear Friday’s opponents.

In their ranks, they have players of the calibre of Meath’s Katie Newe and Dublin’s Caoimhe O’Connor, who captains the team, while Cavan’s Niamh Keenaghan is another key player in attack.

Rachel Brennan and Ellen Gribben are two other players with recent senior inter-county experience for Dublin and manager Billy Quane has put together a nicely-balanced outfit.

For DCU, meanwhile, Dublin goalkeeper Abby Shiels is their last line of defence, with Tipperary’s Anna Rose Kennedy captaining the team from midfield.

In attack, Mayo pair Maria Reilly and Tara Needham are players to look out for, while Offaly’s Róisín Ennis is another key star in the half-back line.

The vastly-experienced Peter Clarke is heading up the DCU DÉ management team and he was involved too back in 2018 when DCU won the last of their four O’Connor Cup titles.

Clarke was also the mastermind behind the three-in-a-row wins from 2009-2011.

QUB v UL – University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome, 4.30pm – Ref: J Murphy (Carlow)

University of Limerick are current holders and very much the recent competition specialists.

If UL can win the Yoplait O’Connor Cup again, they’ll be crowned champions for a 14^th time.

A semi-final win over Queen’s University, Belfast, would secure an eighth successive Final appearance for UL and they’ve only lost two deciders in that spell – with 2016 winners UCD and 2018 champions DCU Dóchas Éireann both managed in those years by Peter Clarke, who’s DCU DÉ supremo this weekend.

On paper at least, UL look like the team to beat again. Their half-back line is particularly impressive, containing Cork’s Erika O’Shea and Galway pair Nicola Ward and Aoife Molloy, the team captain.

Mayo’s Ciara Needham and Clare’s Aisling Reidy will anchor the midfield, while UL joint-managers DJ Collins and Niall O’Meara will look to the likes of Galway’s Ailish Morrissey, Laois ace Erone Fitzpatrick and in-form Kerry captain Síofra O’Shea for attacking inspiration.

Queen’s, captained by Armagh’s Grace Ferguson, will have to be at their very best to cause an upset but they have plenty of talent in their own ranks.

Fermanagh’s Bláithín Bogue was the 2022 TG4 Junior Players’ Player of the Year, while Armagh’s Niamh Reel has been in good form for promotion-chasing Armagh in Division 2 of the Lidl National League.

Queen’s have some pedigree too in this competition, winning it 2013 before losing out to UL a year later.

If UL do manage to retain the silverware, they’ll secure three-in-a-row, and a sixth title in eight seasons.

2022 Yoplait Ladies HEC O’Connor Cup Weekend Fixtures 

Friday 10^th March 2023

Venue: Grass Pitches, Connacht GAA Centre of excellence, Cloonacurry, Bekan, Claremorris, Mayo, F12 WF21.

Yoplait Ladies HEC Championship Lynch Cup Semi Final, DCU DÉ (3) v ATU Donegal, 3pm

Yoplait Ladies HEC Championship Lynch Cup Semi Final, UCC (2) v MTU Cork, 3pm

Venue: University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome, Cloonacurry, Bekan, Claremorris, Mayo, F12 WF21.

Yoplait Ladies HEC Championship Giles Cup Semi Final, DCU DÉ (2) v UU, 11am

Yoplait Ladies HEC Championship Giles Cup Semi Final, Maynooth University (MU) v MTU Kerry, 12.30pm

Yoplait Ladies HEC Championship O’Connor Cup Semi Final, DCU DÉ v TU Dublin, 2.30pm*

Yoplait Ladies HEC Championship O’Connor Cup Semi Final,  UL v QUB, 4.30pm*

Yoplait Ladies HEC Championship Moynihan Cup Final, ATU Sligo v DKIT, 6.30pm*

Saturday 11^th March 2023

Venue: University of Galway Connacht GAA Air Dome, Cloonacurry, Bekan, Claremorris, Mayo, F12 WF21.

Yoplait Ladies HEC Championship Giles Cup Final, 12.00pm

Yoplait Ladies HEC Championship Lynch Cup Final, 2.00pm

Yoplait Ladies HEC Championship O’Connor Cup Final, 4.15pm

Behind the scenes coverage and updates from the various weekend fixtures will be available via LGFA and Ladies HEC social media channels. Use the hashtag #AlwaysBelieve to join in the conversation.

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A digital match programme containing all squad lists is available by clicking here.