Emma Buckley is hoping a move to Belgium to play with Royal Racing Club de Bruxelles can help her push to become a central player for the Irish women’s senior team.

Seventeen Irish sporting organisations received welcome news yesterday with the announcement that Sport Ireland’s board approved an additional €1.5 million in high-performance funding.

The surreal nature of the Irish women’s run to the World Cup final was encapsulated when Al Jazeera came calling, placing the Green Army’s run right after a Russian military rock festival in a ‘weird wide world’ type segment.

The Irish hockey team are up to eighth place in the latest World Rankings.

Ireland women’s hockey team member Yvonne O’Byrne felt it was “like winning the Lotto” when Sports Minister Shane Ross announced there would be an extra €1.5m for teams

Katie Mullan is hopeful Irish hockey “will get the support we deserve” for the Road to Tokyo following their run to a World Cup silver medal in London.

A homecoming event for the World Cup silver medallists was held in Dublin.

In welcoming the side Minister Ross announced an additional 1.5 million Euro in support to Irish teams competing in major competitions.

Ireland have lost 6-0 to Holland in the final of the women's Hockey World Cup.

Irish pride was strongly on display among Irish Women's Hockey coach Graham Shaw's fellow Glenanne Club members, as they watched this afternoon's final against The Netherlands with huge pride at The Morgue Pub in Templeogue today.

There is a call on the Sports Minister to reimburse the Ireland team who have made it to the women's Hockey World Cup final.

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

The girls in green have progressed to tomorrows decider after beating Spain 3-2 on penalties.

And on it goes. For 10 days now, the Irish women’s seem to continually playing the biggest game of their lives, the biggest since the sport’s formation on the island in 1892.

Ireland will take on Spain at 2pm for a sport in the final.

#COYGIG

By Stephen Findlater

Roisin Upton could scarcely sum up the euphoric mood as Ireland reached a World Cup semi-final for the first time in London last night.

The Irish team is through to the women's hockey world cup semi-finals after a nail-biting penalty shootout against India.

Seven days on from the biggest result in Irish hockey history, the opponent and the venue is the same as Ireland look to make an even more seismic impact.

Ireland face a rematch with India in the Hockey World Cup quarter-finals tomorrow evening as the Asian side eased by the challenge of Italy 3-0 in their crossover tie in London.

A heavily-deflected Giselle Ansley goal took some of the wind out of the Irish women’s sails but the upshot of their 1-0 loss to England at Lee Valley has probably provided the perfect scenario for Thursday’s World Cup quarter-final.

London’s Lee Valley is fast becoming a mecca for Irish hockey as it once again witnessed one of the greatest ever moments in Irish hockey history.

Ireland's women have qualified for the World Cup quarter-finals for the very first time.

Irish skipper David Harte is confident new national coach Alexander Cox can hit the ground running just four months out from the World Cup.

Irish hockey have landed a major coup with the announcement of Alexander Cox as the new senior men’s coach for the World Cup campaign.

Deirdre Duke’s glorious double helped Ireland’s women to a sensational win over the USA in Saturday’s Hockey World Cup opener in London.

“No one really likes things that come easy, do they?”

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.

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.

Ireland have lost their second consecutive game at the women's World Cup in Perth.

England salvaged a 2-2 draw in the second match of their World Cup campaign against South Africa with a penalty corner strike from Mel Clewlow four minutes from time.

Ireland have gone a goal up in their Pool B game at the women's hockey World Cup in Perth.

Ireland have levelled the scores in their Pool B game at the women's hockey World Cup in Perth.

Ireland have gone a goal down against the USA in their Pool B game at the World Cup in Perth.

Ireland are in action again today at the women's Hockey World Cup in Australia after losing 3-1 to England yesterday.