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.

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.

Kinsale must plan without star player John Murphy for tomorrow’s Munster AIG Barton Shield semi-final in Tramore.

Three brilliant Cork athletes were recognised recently at The Echo Women in Sport Awards at the Cork Airport Hotel, the associate sponsors.

Mallow’s James Sugrue takes a healthy three-hole advantage into the final 18 holes of his British Amateur Championship final clash with Scotland’s Euan Walker at Portmarnock this afternoon.

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

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

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.

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.

The death has occurred, at the age of 89, of Loyal Goulding, Ardmahon House, Well Road, Cork, and one of the great characters of Cork and Irish golf for many years.

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.

Fixture information and cancelled events this weekend.

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

Katie Mullan and Lena Tice struck to earn Ireland a 2-0 win over Spain in Malaga yesterday.

Conor Harte has added to the growing volume of Irish hockey players calling for a proper winter break following another weekend of widespread cancelations.

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

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.

While Cork C of I are the only Munster side in the men’s EY Hockey League, the Garryduff outfit view tomorrow’s game with Dublin’s Pembroke (Garryduff, 2.30pm) as their main derby for the season.

Seldom will a ridiculous 23-0 result in the Oceania Cup mean so much to those 17,000 kilometres away but Australia’s crushing of Papua New Guinea proved the outcome that confirmed the Irish women’s team will go to the 2018 World Cup.

UCD claimed the women’s EY Hockey League in dramatic fashion as Lena Tice struck two penalty corners to inflict a first defeat of the league season on Hermes-Monkstown, leap-frogging their Dublin rivals on the final day of the campaign.

Emma Buckley looks set to continue a trend of young Ireland senior debutants as the Mount Mercy College student is poised to win her first cap next week.

Rebecca Barry is hoping there is more glory around the corner on her road less travelled, as she chases the rare distinction of consecutive Irish Senior Cups with different clubs.

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

Last Saturday morning, Naomi Carroll left her home in Cratloe, Co. Clare and pointed the car in the direction of Cork, where her Harlequins team saw off Pembroke Wanderers 3-0 to keep their EY Hockey League title challenge alive.

Cork Harlequins, despite playing two games in just over 24 hours, advanced to the Irish Senior Cup final for the first time in 15 years.

The goal may be the same, but the motivation is very different for Crescent College Comprehensive and Ursuline Convent Thurles as they contest today’s Munster Senior Schoolgirls Cup final in Fermoy (2.45pm).

Graham Shaw has his sights set on World Cup qualification after his Ireland side cruised to a World League 2 title in Kuala Lumpur.

Ireland’s women are on course to progress to the next phase of their 2018 World Cup qualification campaign as they make light work of their opponents at World League 2 in Malaysia.

Ireland’s hopes of World Cup qualification have been dealt a serious blow after captain Megan Frazer was ruled out for up to nine months.

The ever-growing gap between the EY Hockey League and the provincial leagues was evident as big scorelines littered the women’s Irish Senior Cup first round on Saturday.

Bandon were again left to wonder what might have been after their hopes of EY Hockey League qualification were scuppered by Instonians.