ALL-IRELAND/HURLING: Seán Moran looks at how UL and WIT provided a platform for current Kilkenny and Clare players

Sunday's All-Ireland finalists represent different types of hurling tradition from Kilkenny's aristocratic heritage to Clare's more recent flowering. But one thing they have in common is a stake in one of modern hurling's quiet revolutions.

Since the University of Limerick (then NIHE Limerick) became the first of the new third-level institutions to win the Fitzgibbon Cup in 1989, UL and Waterford IT (formerly Waterford RTC) have between them won half of the 14 titles.

This year's All-Ireland reflects the platform provided to Kilkenny and Clare by UL and WIT. This weekend's Kilkenny team features six hurlers who are WIT Fitzgibbon alumni whereas of Clare's likely line-out four hurled at the same level for UL.

In addition the same institutions can boast a crossover with Kilkenny's Jimmy Coogan - who came on as a replacement in the semi-final against Tipperary and scored the decisive goal - from UL and Clare panellist Gearóid Considine from Waterford IT.

The rise of UL and WIT in hurling heartlands has attracted young players from all around. It has impacted on the traditional universities with UCD no longer having the pick of hurlers from the south east and NUI Galway facing competition in the west and southwest. In recent decades the number of higher education outlets has multiplied and this has opened up the Fitzgibbon to wider competition and enabled far greater numbers to participate.

UL's second Fitzgibbon Cup victory came in 1994 and provided the first showcase for two players who would become among the biggest names of the modern game. Brian Lohan played that weekend in Galway at corner back, the position where he started his senior intercounty career and Seán McMahon was at wing back, as UL's experienced captain Darragh O'Neill was centre back.

"That team created a bit of history by playing extra-time in both the semi-final and final and at the end of it Brian was named man of the tournament that weekend. He was even then a very committed guy," says UL manager John Lenihan. "At that stage they were both starting out and Clare hadn't won anything but they were two very unusual guys. You knew by talking to them after 10 minutes that they were going to succeed in whatever they did and that came out in their hurling."

In recent times David Forde, Gerry Quinn and Conor Plunkett have kept the Clare flag flying in UL. Quinn's controversial injury is almost certain to keep him out of the final but Plunkett is one the favoured options to replace him on the left wing of the defence.

The most famous names in WIT are also hugely significant hurlers in this weekend's final. Henry Shefflin made a seamless transition from successful underage player to senior level and credits Fitzgibbon involvement with helping him take that step. Before him Peter Barry made a name for himself at Waterford and played centrefield with Tipperary's Colm Bonnar in the side that won the 1995 Fitzgibbon.

"The biggest benefit of Fitzgibbon is experience," says Bonnar who is on the faculty at WIT. "Hurlers are brought up in a closed environment in their club or county but at Waterford they get to see different players from other counties and it brings home to them that the hurling world is not just a small place like their county. There's a difference of styles and attitudes and great opportunity to improve."

Among the other Kilkenny players from WIT are right corner back Mick Kavanagh, left wing back JJ Delaney and rookie centrefielder Derek Lyng. His partner and captain is Andy Comerford who in his younger days, 10 years ago, sat on the bench as Waterford won a first Fitzgibbon. The Fitzgibbon community at WIT is close-knit and according to one reckoning a recent first team all lived together in only a scattering of houses so many of them shared accommodation.

"It's such an intense competition," says Bonnar. "Players go hell for leather and give up their Christmas holidays to train. It's six or eight weeks and it takes a lot to go out in those conditions in January and go through the training."

There's hardly an intercounty player who doesn't acknowledge the role of the Fitzgibbon in preparing them for elite intercounty competiton. And whatever way the result goes on Sunday, there'll be more testimonials.