Karen Bateman’s brace ended Catholic Institute’s hopes of another Munster Senior Cup final upset as she guided Cork Harlequins to a 2-1 success at Garryduff yesterday.

Cork Harlequins are quietly moving back into contention in the women’s EY Hockey League after a 7-0 dismantling of Greenfields moved them up to third place.

Banbridge’s reign as Irish Senior Cup holders came to an abrupt end while there were also big successes for non-EY Hockey League sides on a turbulent cup weekend.

Since the demise of the senior interprovincial tournament, its junior counterpart has taken on ever-increasing relevance and it again comes to Cork this weekend.

Hockey: Cork Harlequins will aim to stay in the hunt for a wide open women’s Irish Senior Cup when they welcome Pegasus to Farmer’s Cross tomorrow (1.30pm).

Catholic Institute will get another major test of their title credentials this weekend as UCC come calling to Rosbrien.

Cork Church of Ireland’s men and Cork Harlequins’ women both got their Irish Hockey League campaigns back on track with vital wins on Saturday.

Lisnagarvey staged the greatest comeback in EuroHockey League history to help them overcome long odds and advance to the last 16.

Family ties are hardly unusual in hockey but rarely is it a generational thing — unless you’re Joan and Emma Dobson.

MIRIAM CROWLEY has been handed a chance to prove her international credentials at the highest level, after she was the bolter named in Gene Muller’s squad for the EuroHockey Nations Championships in Moenchengladbach, Germany later this month.

A MEMORABLE weekend could be in store for Munster hockey with three sides seeking maiden Irish cup titles, while there are a slew of pivotal ties as the leagues approach their finales.

LIMERICK proved a happy hunting ground for Lurgan College once more as they claimed overall victory on a remarkable final day of the Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls Championships at Crescent College Comprehensive.

BANDON’S gut-wrenching loss to Three Rock Ladies was the only bit of bad news on a productive day for Munster women’s hockey in Irish competitions.

THREE ROCK ROVERS will hope Leeside continues to be a happy hunting ground for them as they come calling to Farmer’s Cross for an Irish Junior Cup quarter-final clash with Cork Harlequins tomorrow (2pm).

PEGASUS’ love affair with the women’s ESB Irish Senior Cup continued as they moved ominously into the quarter-finals after seeing off Loreto 2-0 at Queens University on Saturday.

ALEX SPEERS has set her sights on becoming the first skipper to lead the Irish women’s hockey team to the Olympics, after she was named as the senior side’s new captain this week.

CORK C of I and Cork Harlequins all but kissed goodbye to any lingering hopes they might mount a challenge for a men’s Irish Hockey League semi-final spot, after suffering heavy defeats at home to Dublin opposition on Saturday.

CORK Church of Ireland are determined to honour their tragic late player/coach Andy Chambers by doing the business on the pitch in their re-fixed Irish Senior Cup clash with Kilkeel at Garryduff tomorrow (2pm).

THE country’s top hockey clubs are fighting battles on dual fronts this weekend, with vital league clashes mixed in with the novelty of the start of their Irish Junior Cup campaign.

AN emphatic 5-1 Irish Trophy victory over last season’s quarter-finalists Catholic Institute kick-started UCC’s season in style at the Mardyke on Saturday.

THE fight to lay claim to some of the oldest silverware in world hockey begins this weekend, as the men’s and women’s Irish Senior Cup gets underway.

CATHOLIC INSTITUTE have an instant opportunity to bounce back from their Munster Senior Cup final defeat to Cork Harlequins in midweek, as they lock horns with Greenfields in the Irish Trophy final at Belfield on Sunday (1.30pm).

IRELAND’S senior men’s squad is more than 300 caps lighter in terms of experience following yesterday’s decision by Glenanne duo Stephen Butler and Graham Shaw to bring the curtain down on their international careers.

EACH of Munster’s three representatives in the women’s Irish Hockey League will be seeking capital gains this weekend as all face tricky trips to Dublin for the second round of the competition – where they will renew acquaintances with former team-mates.

IRISH international captain Eimear Cregan made a goalscoring return to the colours of Cork Harlequins as they moved into pole position to close on a 14th consecutive women’s Munster Senior League title with a 3-2 win over Cork C of I at Garryduff on Saturday.

RAILWAY UNION will be hoping to translate their league form onto the national stage when they visit Cork to cross swords with UCC in an intriguing double-header at the Mardyke tomorrow (12pm).

IRELAND senior women’s hockey coach Gene Muller is hoping his players will give him plenty of food for thought in this weekend’s three-game series against Canada at Belfield.