The UCC Gaelic football carnival hits the television screens and sports pages again this weekend. For all the denunciations of the students' participation in the quintessential parish tournament, this much is undeniable: they have infused the thing with colour.

If reigning champions Crossmaglen - who play UCC this Sunday - embody solemn, clannish pride, then the students stand proudly as . . . what?

The champions of Richard and Judy and other daytime TV heroes? The only semi-finalists who know the lyrics to every Radiohead track? The one set of footballers in Ireland who can play on Sunday and maybe lie in on Monday morning?

In some circles, there has been growing annoyance at UCC's refusal to leave this competition to the teams which can trade on tales about growing up alongside one another and of how the whole town has been painted purple in honour of the occasion.

When the college side had the temerity to win the Cork county championship last year, it was sniffily noted that the team comprised mostly Kerry players, with a Limerick man thrown in for good measure. Corkonians were thin on the ground. And, it was argued, was it any wonder the college side won things when they had hundreds if not thousands of broad-shouldered young men to chose from, all of whom had plenty of hours to kill?

How could poor parish sides, they asked bitterly, already stripped of young men through emigration, the Celtic tiger and other pestilences, be expected to cope against this collegiate army?

"There has always been some criticism of our participation in this," UCC manager Des Cullinane allowed.

"But to be honest, I think some clubs try and pinpoint our presence as the reason behind their own lack of success. But we haven't won all that many championships, so it doesn't really stand up.

"But it has to be said, the amount of encouragement we have been receiving around Cork for the build-up to this game has been fantastic, and I think that since the Doonbeg game people have begun to appreciate the kind of football we favour."

In the bleak afternoons before Christmas, UCC alone illuminated the GAA calendar. Having scraped a draw in the Munster club final against a prosaic Doonbeg side, they played as if they were the sport's saviours in the replay. It was an exhibition in perfectionism, all clever angles and direct kicking.

"Well, we have speed and good forwards and we basically try to move the ball as quickly as possible. No point in hanging around with it," said Cullinane.

"We did play at a peak that day - our form dipped a bit subsequently in the Sigerson tournament, we were appalling against Trinity and should have been beaten. But I think we have the sharpness back now."

Cullinane is a city native who entered UCC in 1980 and stayed on to pursue a Masters in history. A former UCC player, he has at various times assumed all roles within the club and, by now, UCC is as much his home club as, for instance, Crossmaglen is Joe Kernan's.

Cullinane cheerily admits that busloads of UCC supporters will leave from Killarney, Listowel and Limerick, but he reckons attitudes in Cork have been softening as this adventure has gained momentum.

"The Sigerson is a great competition but it is a private thing, doesn't attract much attention. I think that as the build-up for this game intensified, people looked at the effort we put in and began to see that this looked like an attractive game. And it is on paper, but who can tell . . . we might go out the next day and pull and drag all over the place." As coach to the Cork Under-21 team, Cullinane developed a strong knowledge of underage stars across the province. Therefore, he was well acquainted with the Kerry lads who enrolled in UCC and had no qualms about sticking them in.

"They'd been breaking my heart for three years so it's about time they did the business for me. But to players like Paul Galvin and Eamon Fitzmaurice and lads from junior home clubs, it is such a privilege to be playing in an All-Ireland club semi-final. This means as much to them as anyone."

This game would have made an intriguing final. Word has filtered down to the campus that the hunger in Crossmaglen remains ferocious.

"Football is obviously a strong part of the community there, given the locality. They are a remarkable team. I went to see them in the All-Ireland final last year and they just hung in there and then won the thing. Very resilient. But I suppose we have a good record in tight games as well. It will be close, I'd say.

"In some ways, there is less pressure on us. Cross are the champions. If we win on Sunday, we'll be on the beer Sunday night. If we lose, we'll be on the beer Sunday night."

Hmmph. Typical students.