DEREK RYAN and Aisling McArdle return to Dublin this week to defend the national squash titles they won so easily a year ago. But while the men's event would appear to be about who finishes where in the lower placings, McArdle may find that her task this weekend is a good deal more arduous than it was 12 months ago.

The event's organisers only secured sponsorship from The Quays Bar at the last minute. They have had to rely on the calendar, rather than cash, to assemble almost all of the country's leading players. With only Laura Lynch, Graeme Stewart and the injured Olivia French absent, they have done remarkably well.

McArdle, though, who is returning from Australia to compete, faces a growing challenge to her recent supremacy from local players. Last year's semi-finalists Anna McGeever and Madeline Perry are both growing in experience and Irish number two Louise Finnegan is playing some of the best squash of her career.

Finnegan has not fared well in her previous meetings with the defending champion, but feels that having spent a good deal more time on her game over the past six months since finishing her studies, she may now be ready to mount a serious challenge to her rival.

I'm a lot fitter and playing very well, so the very least I'd be looking for is for it to be a very good match if we meet in the final. In the past, she has destroyed me in the finals, but I don't think it's beyond the bounds of possibility this time that I could upset her," she said.

Finnegan certainly showed the sort of form that would trouble her friend at the recent European Champion of Champions tournament when she beat both the Spanish and Danish number ones. Her participation in mens' competitions - in the league and at tournaments has helped to develop her strength for what she feels "will probably be my best shot at the title".

Having dropped only six points in last season's final against Stevie Richardson, Derek Ryan's position is further strengthened this year by the fact that the northerner has just moved to London and has played little over the past few months.

Richardson is seeded to play Willie Hosey in the semi-finals, and it is the Canadian-based Carlow-man, who has won this title 10 times over the years, who would, if he were to win that match, seem more likely to provide Ryan with a real challenge in the final.

Ryan's form has steadily improved in recent weeks and it is difficult to imagine him failing to win his third national title on Sunday afternoon. However, the strange psychological edge that Hosey has displayed, not to mention the remarkable cunning he has shown in previous finals with the Dubliner, might once again go a considerable way towards evening things up between the old rivals.

"It would certainly be nice to play him, although I couldn't see us having another one of those five-set finals - well, I hope not anyway. I've been in touch with him a lot, though, and he says he's been playing quite a lot and he's all set."

Whoever he comes up against, though, Ryan admits that he should come away with the title. He is hoping to use a victory here as a launch pad for a renewed assault on the World Tour in January when he heads off to the United States for the first two ranking tournaments of the New Year.

"I know at this stage I should win. I actually feel that I'm playing well at the moment. It will help that I'll be relaxed too, it's not as if I'm off on the other side of the world desperate for ranking points and it's nice to be playing in Dublin where my friends and family can come along because that doesn't tend to happen too much anymore."

If an appearance in Dublin by Ryan is something of a rarity these days, it is still not nearly so uncommon as the sight of Sutton's Ken Flynn on court in his native city.

Flynn has had his differences with Irish squash over recent years, most notably over their policy towards international team selection. As a result, the 30-year-old Dubliner has declined to play in the nationals for several years.

This week, though, having returned for the event from his current base in Canada, he describes the previous problems as "water under the bridge" and says that he is keen to get involved with the game here again and, he hopes, add to his 64 international caps.

"I'd love to play for Ireland again. I wouldn't come back for this event if I wasn't serious about that. I know I'm going on 31, but look at Willie Hosey. I honestly believe that you are as old as you feel and I've kept myself pretty fit. I've been playing a good few tournaments and so I'm feeling good."

I think the seeding is wrong but I've been out of town so I think they just forgot about me," he said.