NUI Galway is once again to the fore of hosting third level intervarsity GAA activity when the Camogie Club host the Ashbourne Cup from the 19 to 20 February. The hosting of the prestigious Ashbourne Cup follows NUI Galway's successful hosting of Fitzgibbon 2010, which culminated in ending a 30 year wait for success for the university. The quarter finals of the Ashbourne Cup will take place on 9 February with four mouth-watering ties in prospect. Hosts NUI Galway, who last won the Ashbourne Cup in 1994, take on the reigning champions WIT, who are backboned by a plethora of intercounty stars. The management team of NUI Galway includes Richard McNicholas, who has been involved at underage intercounty level management and under 21 hurler of the year Seamus Hennessy, who is a current scholarship student in NUI Galway. NUI Galway chairperson and club captain Michaela Morkan states, "NUI Galway Camogie Club are once more delighted to host the blue riband of third level camogie, an event that is second only to the All Ireland Senior Camogie title race." The Offaly senior centre back wishes all teams in the Ashbourne and Purcell Cups the very best of luck and looks forward to a weekend of camogie to remember in NUI Galway. The host college last won the Ashbourne Cup in 1994 and boasts a worthy 15 titles won over the years. Gaelic games officer Michael O'Connor welcomes once again the highlight of third level camogie to Galway expressing a wish that all teams in the Ashbourne and Purcell Cups play to their optimum and bring from Galway memories of participation and enjoyment long after the games have ended. NUI Galway President Dr. James J Browne said, "On behalf of NUI Galway I am delighted that the Ashbourne Cup competition will be hosted on our campus this year. The Ashbourne-Purcell weekend is one of the premier events in the camogie calendar and I wish all of the 16 teams taking part a wonderful weekend of sport." Chairman of CCAO third level camogie Shane Darcy said, "It is a very exciting and busy time for all involved in third level camogie. NUI Galway once again will host the second ever joint Ashbourne-Purcell weekend. It promises to be a festival of camogie with 16 teams taking part. I would like to take the opportunity to wish Michael O Connor and his organising team at NUI Galway the very best for hosting the 2011 weekend." President of The Camogie Association Joan O'Flynn said, "The Ashbourne and Purcell Cup Competitions provide plenty of top class camogie action played by players who are fantastic ambassadors for the game of camogie. It is the sporting ambition of all college playing camogie players to win either an Ashbourne or a Purcell All Ireland medal, and the weekend of 19 and 20 February will be no different with the country s leading colleges vying for these prestigious titles. We wish host college NUI Galway well with the event and the competition is sure to provide the city with an economic boost as over 500 players from colleges across the country spend the weekend here." -Ends-