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.

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.

John Jermyn marked his 179th and final international cap in fantastic style as his goal secured Ireland a 1-1 draw against France in Garryduff yesterday.

Ireland’s men begin their 2018 World Cup qualification journey with a new-look panel charged with winning World League 2 in Belfast over the coming week.

Ireland’s sports funding model needs to be altered to help the nation’s hockey teams continue their recent progress, according to senior men’s coach Craig Fulton.

Day Seven of the Olympic Games produced even more history from an Irish point of view, with the medals table reached finally at the end of the opening week.

Your one-stop guide to all the Olympic action featuring Irish athletes.

International hockey will come to Cork for the first time in eight years with a visit by European champions the Netherlands in early July, as preparations ramp up for Ireland’s first Olympic challenge in over a century.

Further recognition of Ireland’s ascension to world hockey’s top table came yesterday when Craig Fulton was named as the International Hockey Federation’s coach of the year.

Irish hockey fans have long claimed national captain David Harte as one of the world’s best goalkeepers, and extra validation came yesterday as he was named as hockey’s top netminder for 2015.

As Irish hockey puts to bed one of the most memorable years in its history, the men’s national team will hope to break even more new ground in 2016.

Craig Fulton believes Ireland’s qualification for the 2016 Olympics in Rio “will change the sport forever” here.

Ireland’s top international hockey players will assemble in the early hours of Sunday morning to find out whether their Olympic qualification dream can become a reality.

Sponsorless, under-funded and waiting on others to decide their Olympic fate — yet the Irish men’s hockey team are one of the country’s most successful Irish national sides in any sport in 2015.

The waiting game begins for Ireland after they concluded their best ever year in international hockey with a remarkable Unibet EuroHockey Championship bronze medal on Saturday.

EuroHockey Championships semi-final: Netherlands 1, Ireland 0

Ireland will be hoping to add another chapter to their remarkable underdog story when they meet hockey powerhouse the Netherlands in today’s Unibet EuroHockey Championships semi-finals in London (1.15pm).

Ireland enhanced their reputation as the coming team in world men’s hockey by reaching a European championships semi-final for the first time yesterday.

Darren Smith will hope to sign off with a flourish as Ireland’s women begin their Olympic qualification campaign in Valencia today.

Ireland’s men can look forward to a summer Olympic qualification campaign after securing their place in June’s World League 3.

Ireland’s men will feel the heat when they get their Champions Challenge I campaign underway against favourites New Zealand in Kuantan, Malaysia today (8am Irish time).

A remarkable fundraising drive by the Irish hockey community had a happy ending as Ireland’s participation in next month’s men’s Champions Challenge I in Argentina was confirmed yesterday.

Ireland's men's hockey team are excited by the prospect of making history rather than being weighed down by its burden, according to coach Paul Revington as they face into one of the biggest games of their careers today.

Alert Ryan Tubridy, engage Ian Dempsey, trouble Ray D’arcy and dispatch Paul Collins from barracks; we may have another bandwagon to mobilise.