Cork sides C of I, Harlequins, and UCC all moved very much into the shake-up for the EY Hockey League Division 2 playoffs with strong performances over the weekend.

In one of the busiest club weekends of the season, the return of the men’s U21 — or more accurately U23 — interprovincial tournament slips into action on Sunday at Garryduff.

With each team from the EY Hockey League providing at least one player to Sean Dancer’s latest Irish panel, it means there will be a 35-day gap between rounds 15 and 16.

UCC and Waterford carry the Munster flag on the national stage this weekend in their refixed Irish Hockey Trophy quarter-final with plenty of scores to be settled.

Munster will have its largest representation for any Irish panel in many years next week when eight players travel with the U18 squad to Lilleshall for a series with England.

Limerick represent Munster for the second successive year in the men’s National Indoor Trophy, hoping to spring an ambush on the code’s big guns at Galway’s Kingfisher Hall on Sunday.

John Jackson hailed the Irish men’s bronze medal at the EuroHockey Indoor Championships III in Santander as “the start of something bigger and better” for the discipline.

Cork C of I emerged from the Farmers Cross fog with a 3-1 semi-final win over Harlequins to set up a St Stephen’s Day Peard Cup final showdown with Bandon.

Both Catholic Institute and Cork Harlequins will be without key figures for their big EY Hockey League showdown at Rosbrien tomorrow (12pm).

All four Munster sides in action on the national stage had tough weekend as Cork Harlequins, UCC, and Cork C of I’s men and women suffered defeats.

C of I travel to Lisnagarvey, the toughest possible draw, looking to take down a side in breathtaking form.

With the winter break just a couple of weeks away, new research from chartered physiotherapist Huw Rees says this is a key phase for Irish hockey clubs to manage after a spate of injuries last spring.

Ireland’s women will meet the Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, India and South Africa in the group stages of the Olympic Games following confirmation of the final entrants on Saturday.

Roisin Begley’s final second strike helped Catholic Institute secure a little piece history as they landed their first ever win in the women’s EY Hockey League, beating Belfast Harlequins 3-2.

Stephen Findlater Hockey

Cork C of I and Harlequins start the long road in pursuit of a place for Munster at the top table of the national league stage with their maiden games in EY Hockey League Division 2 tomorrow.

Julian Dale’s last-minute goal earned Cork Harlequins a memorable 2-1 win over Corinthian in the Irish Senior Cup as the Munster Division One side knocked out EY Hockey League opposition at Farmers’ Cross.

Cork C of I and UCC face off in eye-catching Irish Senior Cup derby at Garryduff tomorrow (2.30pm) with a quarter-final place on offer.

Munster hockey’s biggest derby returns for the first time in four seasons as Cork C of I and Harlequins face off on the opening day of men’s Division One tomorrow.

Cork Harlequins, Catholic Institute and Cork C of I all grabbed the results they wanted to make it a perfect weekend for Munster hockey on the national stage.

Cork C of I’s women dug deep to grab the women’s Irish Hockey Trophy title with a spectacular second-half comeback, rising from 2-0 down to beat Galway’s Greenfields 4-2.

Gareth Grundie has taken on the role of Irish women’s interim head coach in recent weeks as the Olympic qualifier preparations kick up a gear.

Cork Harlequins enjoyed a sublime weekend with the men landing the Munster Division 1 crown while the women earned an Irish Senior Cup final spot.

Stephen Findlater Hockey Ireland chief executive Jerome Pels admits they face an onerous task in their efforts to retain world-class coaching talent.

If Catholic Institute’s women continue their remarkable perfect record for the season, they will be crowned Munster Division One champions on Sunday evening.

A last-second Hannah Matthews strike saw Cork Harlequins leave Grange Road with their hearts broken, and helped move Loreto back to the top of the women’s EY Hockey League.

Cliodhna Sargent’s penalty corner strike powered Cork Harlequins into the Irish Senior Cup semi-finals as they snatched a late 2-1 win over Muckross.

Ireland’s women finished on a high in Santiago with a 3-0 victory over their Chilean hosts in the final game of a four-match series.

Irish coach Graham Shaw rang the changes as they drew their first game since the World Cup - a scoreless tie against Chile.

Irish coach Alexander Cox says his side may need to employ a defensive strategy if they are to get something from their opening World Cup tie against champions Australia.

Catholic Institute face the biggest test to their impressive early-season credentials with tomorrow’s trip to Monkstown.

Caoimhe Perdue’s strike gave Cork Harlequins a big lift as they defeated Muckross at Farmers’ Cross to get them back in contention for a top-four EY Hockey League play-off place.

Irish coach Alexander Cox is set to make his first significant squad announcement next Tuesday as the men’s hockey World Cup in India comes into view.

Cork won the battle of the Harlequins in the women’s EY Hockey League as Darren Collins’ Farmers Cross outfit beat their Belfast counterparts 3-0 in Deramore Park to give a massive confidence boost to the new-look side.

Dave Egner has divided loyalties this weekend as the Cork Harlequins side he plays for face the UCC team he coaches in the Irish Hockey Trophy.

John Jermyn is set to receive the perfect send-off to his international hockey career this evening as he lines out one last time for Ireland at his home ground of Garryduff against France.

John Jermyn is set to receive the perfect send-off to his international hockey career this evening as he lines out one last time for Ireland at his home ground of Garryduff against France.

An international summer of over 80 matches at each level tips off in earnest with perhaps the biggest of the challenge games, Olympic silver medalists Germany, coming to Pembroke tomorrow and Saturday.

UCC missed out on possible promotion to the women’s EY Hockey League in frustrating fashion at the Mardyke as they ended the round-robin in third place.

Cork Harlequins’ remote hopes of overhauling UCD in the women’s EY Hockey League were ended in emphatic fashion.

Cork Harlequins women will have to adjust their plans at short notice with the news that the EY Champions Trophy play-offs have been switched at short notice from Banbridge to Grange Road in Dublin.

While the EY Hockey Leagues could both be decided this weekend, the Munster focus will be on who can potentially join the elite division with UCC’s men and Catholic Institute’s women starting out their play-off journeys.

Opportunity knocks on Sunday as the men’s and women’s Munster Senior Cup finals take place at Garryduff with the potential for new names to claim the trophy.

Bandon’s drive for a treble continues with their men hot favourites to overcome Ashton in a Munster Senior Cup semi-final.

Naomi Carroll’s goal 15 minutes from time saw Cork Harlequins record another marquee win on the road as they beat Ulster’s finest, Pegasus, 2-1 at Queen’s in the women’s EY Hockey League.

Cork C of I’s youth section will play a crucial role in keeping them competitive in the men’s EY Hockey League according to club legend John Jermyn.