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.

An inspired Catholic Institute secured a first win over Pegasus in their 110-year history on Saturday.

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.

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.

Ireland will start their Olympics campaign against South Africa.

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

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

Cork’s two leading lights C of I and Harlequins have set about their task of restoring a Munster presence in the EY Hockey League’s top tier in the best possible fashion.

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.

Michael Houghton says he has hit upon a framework that will play a key role in building a long-lasting dividend from Irish hockey’s recent successes.

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.

Dave Passmore has announced the first Irish women’s indoor international squad since 1990, naming a 14-player panel for a December trip to Durban, South Africa for six test matches.

Ireland women's hockey team created history on Sunday night as they qualified for the Olympics for the first time, after their dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Canada.

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.

Naomi Carroll will make her long-awaited return to Catholic Institute colours as she hopes to play a leading role in the Rosbrien side’s maiden year in the EY Hockey League.

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.

Ayeisha McFerran has been passed fit to play some part in the women’s EuroHockey Championships which get underway next weekend in Antwerp.

The 126-time international has been part of each major ranking tournament with the Green Army since 2015, culminating in last summer’s World Cup silver medal.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Ciara Moloney’s pair of penalty corner goals saw Catholic Institute win the first part of a potential cup double this week as they annexed the Munster Senior Cup at Garryduff on Easter Monday.

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.

Cliodhna Sargent’s last-minute penalty corner smash has kept Cork Harlequins’ outside chances of EY Hockey League glory alive.

Following the cancellation of the Irish women’s series against Scotland in midweek, Cork Harlequins hope to have a quintet of internationals back for the visit of Hermes-Monkstown in the EY Hockey League.

UCD showed the sharper touches in the key exchanges to forge four points clear of Cork Harlequins with a 2-0 win over their nearest women’s EY Hockey League rivals at Farmer’s Cross.

It proved a case of two steps forward, one step back for Catholic Institute in the Munster Women’s Division One title race as no sooner had they cracked open the race with UCC they were pegged back by Cork C of I.

Hockey

While there are plenty of miles still to travel, UCC’s away day in Limerick looks a potential decider for the students in women’s Munster Division One when they meet Catholic Institute at 1pm at Rosbrien on Saturday.

Ireland’s women have been dealt a reasonably favourable pool in the women’s World Cup next July with their date with India looking to be the crucial one if they are to make the knock-out phases.

Dave Passmore has received clearance to run an ongoing women’s U21 programme from Hockey Ireland.

Cork Harlequins are the last remaining unbeaten side in the women’s EY Hockey League as they swept to a 3-0 win over Pembroke Wanderers in Dublin. The result keeps them within a point of leaders UCD.

Naomi Carroll’s hat-trick saw Cork Harlequins sweep aside Trinity 5-1 in the women’s EY Hockey League, boosting the Farmer’s Cross club into a share of top spot.

Cork man Conor Harte hammered the final nail in Banbridge’s Euro Hockey League coffin for this season as his drag-flick completed a 6-2 win for Royal Racing Club de Bruxelles.

The Irish U21 women’s side had their status in the top tier of European competition assured thanks to an EHF executive board decision this week which keeps alive their hopes of playing in the 2020 Junior World Cup.

Cork Harlequins ended UCD’s incredible 20-game unbeaten run in Belfield as Roisin Upton and Naomi Carroll struck for an excellent 2-1 win to open up the delayed women’s EY Hockey League.

Ursulines Thurles’ hopes of a first Subway All-Ireland Schoolgirls title since 1996 are all but dead as Kilkenny College and Banbridge Academy led the way on the first day of the national championships at Havelock Park yesterday.

It was moving day at both ends of the men’s EY Hockey League with a slew of surprise results on Saturday.