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.

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.

Cork Harlequins, Catholic Institute and Cork C of I all grabbed the results they wanted to make it a perfect weekend for Munster hockey on the national stage.

Cork C of I’s women dug deep to grab the women’s Irish Hockey Trophy title with a spectacular second-half comeback, rising from 2-0 down to beat Galway’s Greenfields 4-2.

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 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.

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.

An international summer of over 80 matches at each level tips off in earnest with perhaps the biggest of the challenge games, Olympic silver medalists Germany, coming to Pembroke tomorrow and Saturday.

UCC missed out on possible promotion to the women’s EY Hockey League in frustrating fashion at the Mardyke as they ended the round-robin in third place.

Opportunity knocks on Sunday as the men’s and women’s Munster Senior Cup finals take place at Garryduff with the potential for new names to claim the trophy.

Ireland coach Adam Griggs admitted his side were well below their best after Scotland secured a surprise victory in yesterday’s Women’s Six Nations Championship at Donnybrook.

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

While there are plenty of miles still to travel, UCC’s away day in Limerick looks a potential decider for the students in women’s Munster Division One when they meet Catholic Institute at 1pm at Rosbrien on Saturday.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Glen Rovers’ quest for a third Cork SHC title in a row will begin against Bride Rovers in the 2017 preliminary round.

Munster U18 coach Chris Blaney is leading calls for the boys interpros to be moved from its November slot after cold weather again played havoc with the tournament.

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.

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.

Relegation trouble looms for two of Munster’s EY Hockey League sides after a pivotal weekend in both the men’s and women’s competitions.

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.

Cork Church of Ireland were left wondering what might have been after being pegged back from winning positions against powerhouses Monkstown and Banbridge in the EY Hockey League this weekend.

Cork Church of Ireland and UCC marched into round two of the men’s Irish Senior Cup but the alarming decline in Cork Harlequins’ fortunes continues.

Cork Church of Ireland will be keen to show they’re more than a one-man team as they look to stay top of the EY Hockey League with victory over Annadale at Garryduff on Sunday (2pm).

UCC’s ladies and Cork C of I’s men made emphatic opening day statements in the new-look EY Hockey League, with big wins over Greenfields and Cookstown. Alex O’Grady and Niamh O’Leary were among the new faces on target for College in a 4-0 success in Galway that puts them top of the pile after the first round.

Bandon are seeking an unusual Irish cup double this weekend as they descend on Belfield for the women’s Irish Junior Cup and men’s Irish Hockey Trophy finals.

Hockey: Profligacy is an issue for Ireland but it’s still a case of a job well done so far.