Holidays? UCC's Michelle O'Sullivan has had little experience of them this year. When she returned from Zimbabwe in August, where she was on international duty at the World Cup Qualifying tournament, she went straight back to work in the Food and Chemistry lab at UCC, having used up all her "days off" playing hockey. Last weekend, she helped Munster to a second place in the Senior Interprovincial Championships in Galway. This weekend? "We have a double weekend, would you believe - Harlequins first, a top of the table clash, and Waterford on Sunday. Then we're off to Belfast for the Intervarsities, we've another league match the Sunday after and the Irish Senior Cup the following week. You wouldn't want to socialise, would you?"
O'Sullivan's spirits were at least raised by Munster's form in Galway, form, she hopes, the Southern clubs can maintain when the Irish Senior Cup gets under way in a fortnight.
"The results hadn't been the best for Munster the last two years, so this was obviously a dramatic improvement," she said. "But we had been training and playing very well prior to the tournament, so we knew we had come on a lot since last year.
"The future definitely looks good for Munster hockey, especially when you consider our under-16s and under-18s won their Interpros last season. It will be interesting now to see how our teams do in the Irish Senior Cup. It's okay saying your province is doing well, but you have to bring your clubs through, too, and, if an All-Ireland league comes in, our clubs have to be able to compete against the best."
The prospect of the introduction of an All-Ireland league (to be played over four weekends in the season) may strengthen in the coming weeks as the four branches gather to discuss the concept, proposed by the Irish Ladies' Hockey Union.
O'Sullivan would welcome the idea, and insists it could only strengthen Irish hockey as a whole and, specifically, benefit clubs in Munster where the league lacks the strength-in-depth of its Ulster and Leinster counterparts.
For now, her thoughts are on tomorrow's meeting with old rivals Harlequins. "It's unfortunate that College starts back so late - Harlequins are on a bit of a roll with all their great wins (their last a 9-0 victory against Bandon, and not Waterford - as the report stated two week's ago - as one understandably disgruntled Waterford supporter pointed out recently) while we've only had two games under our belts. So they will think they will have the advantage over us . . . but they'll be in for a bit of a shock."
For the Intervarsities, in Belfast next Tuesday to Thursday, UCC have been drawn in the same group as holders Trinity. "It's definitely the toughest group, it will be difficult, but I feel whoever comes out of that group will definitely win the Chilean Cup, without a doubt."
The Irish Junior Cup starts tomorrow, with holders Pegasus II taking on North Kildare in Palmerstown.
Meanwhile, in the StatoilsponsoredLeinster Senior League, Irish international Carol Devine comes up against Railway Union for the first time since leaving the Park Avenue club to join Hermes during the summer.
IRISH JUNIOR CUP - First Round: Portadown II v Glenanne II, Edenvilla Park, 2.30; Parkview v Enniscorthy, Valley Leisure Centre, 1.0; Collegians II v Pembroke Wanderers II, Upper Malone, 2.30; North Kildare v Pegasus II, The King's Hospital, 2.30; Galway II v Old Alexandra II, Dangan, 2.0; Kilkenny v UCC II, Scanlan Park, 2.0; UCG v Wexford, Dangan, 12.0; Ashton v Church of Ireland II, Harlequin Park, 1.0.
LEINSTER LEAGUE - Senior A: Trinity v Old Alexandra, Belfield, 10.0; Loreto v Pembroke Wanderers, Belfield, 11.30; Clontarf v Muckross, Dardistown, 1.30; Hermes v Railway Union, Belfield, 2.20; Genesis v Glenanne, Loughlinstown, 3.30. Senior B - Tomorrow: Railway Union II v Muckross II, Park Avenue, 12.0; Loreto II v Aer Lingus, Beaufort, 1.0; UCD v Hermes II, Belfield, 1.0. Sunday: Diocesan v Corinthian, High School, 1.30; Avoca v Maids, Loughlinstown, 2.30.
MUNSTER SENIOR LEAGUE - Tomor- row: Lansdowne v Catholic Institute, Univ of Limerick 1.0; Harlequins v UCC, Harlequin Park, 2.30. Sunday: UCC v Waterford, Mardyke, 2.0.
ULSTER SENIOR LEAGUE - Section One: North Down v Ards, Ards Leisure Centre, 1.0; Owls v Coleraine, Valley Leisure Centre, 4.0; Knock v Collegians, Upper Malone, 4.0; Pegasus v Portadown, Upper Malone, 2.30; Victorians v Randalstown, Olympic Leisure Centre, 4.0. Section Two: Omagh v Ballymoney, Omagh Leisure Centre, 2.30; Enniskillen v Banbridge, Irvinestown, 2.30; Civil Service v Queen's, Stormont, 1.0; Friends v Grosvenor, Jordanstown, 2.30; UUJ v RUC, Jordanstown, 1.0.
