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.

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.

Mick McCarthy recently admitted Troy Parrott is a ‘shoo-in’ for a call-up to the senior squad if he figures regularly for Spurs this season

The owners of Belvedere have kept this beautiful property close to its original design with period restoration, writes Trish Dromey

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 single tackle in a rugby match has rarely generated such debate and controversy as the one the virtually unknown Fineen Wycherley rocked World Player of the Year Johnny Sexton with in the opening minutes of the Munster-Leinster Guinness PRO14 game at Thomond Park in December.

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.

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.

An Garda Síochána received almost €1.5m from promoters and organisers to police some of the largest events held in the country last year — but received no external payment towards the cost of providing security for the Pope’s visit.

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.

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.

A spectacular second-half performance from Railway Union saw them claim the IRFU Women’s All-Ireland Cup following a comprehensive 33-3 victory over UL Bohemians, the defending cup champions and league leaders at Dubarry Park on Saturday.

Glenstal Abbey head coach Sean Skehan is optimistic the school can finally break their duck in the Clayton Hotels Munster Schools’ Senior Cup when they meet CBC Cork in tomorrow’s decider at Musgrave Park (4pm).

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.

Cork City boss John Caulfield believes League of Ireland suspension rules need to be changed in the wake of Graham Cummins controversial weekend sending off.

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.

Although there was no great surprise in news of his retirement, already the cavity in the Ireland team created by Wes Hoolahan’s absence is being sorely mourned.

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.

Hockey

Are our youngsters coached right? Should they play less competitive football? Or more? Is the cross-channel route to the top of the game viable any longer? And can the League of Ireland provide a feasible alternative? In the second part of his look at our supply line of footballers, Larry Ryan canvasses more opinion from around the Irish game.

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.

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.

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.

Former footballer Richie Sadlier has called for greater supports for players when they retire from the game as he admitted to contemplating suicide after he was forced out due to a hip injury in 2003.

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.

Cork Constitution 16 Old Belvedere 10: Cork Constitution had to come from behind to secure victory against a brave Old Belvedere outfit in this tightly contested Ulster Bank League Division 1A tussle at Temple Hill on Saturday.

Cork Constitution 31 Lansdowne 13: The relief in Cork Constitution ranks was palpable as they picked up a valuable first home win of the Ulster Bank League season to lift themselves clear of the bottom at Temple Hill on Saturday.

Republic of Ireland 5 Czech Republic 2: The scoresheet told the feel-good story, the team sheets the political one.

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.

Insideat coelis animo sed corpore terris — Let the mind be in heaven while the body dwells upon the earth. CC Roscrea Motto

Ashton and Catholic Institute will size each other up yet again in an overly familiar Munster Senior Cup semi-final clash at Rosbrien tomorrow (1pm).

Limerick’s ladies enjoyed one of the biggest victories of their short history as they dumped UCC out of the Munster Senior Cup on penalties on Saturday.

Despite their respective defeats at the weekend, both Old Belvedere and Garryowen hang onto their top four spots in the Ulster Bank League — after the weekend fixture schedule was decimated by the weather, UCD proved too strong for Belvedere and won 20-12 at the Belfield Bowl, while Clontarf defeated Garryowen at Castle Avenue and eased to a bonus point win on a 39-25 scoreline.