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).

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.

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.

The Irish women’s date with destiny edges ever closer with the Energia Park stage all set for their Olympic qualifier showdown with Canada.

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.

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.

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

Ten months on from the World Cup, 15 of Ireland’s silver medal winners finally get to show off their wares in front of an expectant home crowd, starting with a double-header this weekend.

In a week of famous comebacks, Cork Harlequins are savouring one of their own as they won the Irish Senior Cup for just the second time at Grange Road on Saturday.

Lorna Bateman won one of the few titles her father Ivan did not as the goalkeeper produced a shoot-out masterclass to land a second Irish Senior Cup crown for Cork Harlequins.

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 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 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.

Ahead of their historic World Cup finals weekend, Stephen Findlater looked at some things you may not know about our hockey heroes.

Megan Frazer has been included in Graham Shaw’s squad of 18 players for next month’s World Cup in London despite concerns over her fitness.

Cork Harlequins found national glory out of reach for the second season running as Loreto’s corner efficiency saw the Dubliners come from behind to land the EY Champions Trophy.

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.

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.

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.