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.

Cork Harlequins are emerging as the primary challengers to Hermes-Monkstown in the women’s EY Hockey League after notching a third successive win on the road.

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 will hope to add some consistency to a rollercoaster EY Hockey League campaign when they host Pembroke Wanderers on Saturday.

UCC provided the sole bright note for Munster sides in the Irish Hockey League, winning 2-0 against Ballymoney to get their campaign back on track.

Cork Harlequins claimed their 17th women’s Munster Senior League title in 19 seasons with a comprehensive 4-0 dismantling of Catholic Institute at Rosbrien yesterday.

Saturday will likely be remembered as the day Munster’s hopes of producing an Irish Hockey League finalist died, with all four teams suffering defeat.

The first round of the Irish Hockey League quickly descended into a nightmare for the majority of Munster sides, with Catholic Institute’s 3-1 win over Greenfields the sole bright spot.

Cork Harlequins and Fermoy both made big moves at opposite ends of the table to set up a grandstand finale to the Munster women’s Division 1.

Catholic Institute roared back into Munster title contention as two stunning goals helped them see off UCC 2-0 at Rosbrien on Saturday.

The Christmas and New Year break comes to an abrupt end for many of Munster hockey’s top stars with some vital leagues games down for decision tomorrow.

Leeside again proved a happy hunting ground for Banbridge as they dismantled Cork Church of Ireland 4-1 at Garryduff on Saturday.

Jane Fonda will receive the American Film Institute’s 42nd Life Achievement Award, one of Hollywood’s most prestigious career honours.

Almost half of adults in Ireland will be obese by 2030 if action is not taken, a Oireachtas Committee was told today.

Saturday is ‘moving day’ for the Masters at Augusta but this was ‘moving weekend’ in the Irish Hockey League with several sides making big statements of intent.

A campaign that promised so much has come off the rails somewhat for UCC’s women, but all is not lost as they face a crucial Easter Saturday Munster Division 1 clash with Catholic Institute (Mardyke, 1pm).

Cork Harlequins came from nowhere to halt Catholic Institute’s Munster title march with a shock 2-1 win at Garryduff on Saturday.

Cork Harlequins’ hopes of retaining their Munster men’s title will likely rest on their crunch clash with Cork Church of Ireland at Farmer’s Cross tomorrow (12.30pm).

Irish head coach Andrew Meredith has labelled the International Hockey Federation (FIH) as “amateurish” on the eve of the World League round two in Delhi following a late decision to adjust the tournament parameters.

Catholic Institute stormed back into title contention as they shattered Cork Harlequins’ 100% record with a 5-1 win at Rosbrien on Saturday.

Cork Church of Ireland gave UCC a lesson in clinical finishing as their 3-1 win at the Mardyke all but extinguished the students’ flickering title hopes.

Three Rock Rovers came to Cork with six Irish Hockey League debutants, a clutch of teenagers and little in the way of form — but still left Garryduff with a 2-0 victory that all but ends Church of Ireland’s qualification hopes.

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

They say you don’t win titles at Christmas — but if you’re Catholic Institute, you can certainly win them in January.

CORK’S finest are running out of time to catch Catholic Institute, after the Limerick side showed off their clinical short corner conversion ability with a 5-1 win over UCC at The Mardyke on Saturday.

LOUISA HEALY and Megan Frazer will make their first international appearances in over 18 months later this month following their inclusion in Gene Muller’s panel for Ireland’s tour to South Africa.

LIMERICK schoolgirl Eimear Ryan notched her first hat-trick in senior club hockey as her Catholic Institute side stunned Cork Church of Ireland in a 12-0 Munster league rout at Rosbrien on Saturday.

BANDON will look to be the fly in Cork Harlequins’ ointment in a clash that is likely to end the losers’ faint title hopes at Harlequin Park tomorrow (12pm).

CORK CHURCH of Ireland were left to rue a couple of early defensive howlers as their title ambitions were taken out of their hands by Cork Harlequins on Saturday.

AS Munster’s sole side with a win in this season’s Irish Hockey League, Ger O’Carroll’s Catholic Institute will be looking to progress their play-off claims tomorrow against winless Old Alex.

FAST becoming Munster hockey’s answer to Everton — and not just because they wear blue — Ashton are a fine example of how to make the best of their resources.

RÓISÍN UPTON’S whirlwind 12 months came to a fitting end at the Burlington Hotel on Saturday night, as she was named U18 Female Player of the Year at the sixth annual ESB Electric Ireland Irish Hockey Awards.

Kelly Osbourne has a new boyfriend.

THE Garryduff trophy cabinet is bulging under some strain this morning after Cork Church of Ireland amazingly claimed victory in four men’s cup finals in less than 48 hours.

CORK Church of Ireland have a chance for instant redemption as they visit bitter rivals Cork Harlequins for the second time in eight days, this time in tomorrow’s Peard Cup final (Harlequin Park, 2.30pm).

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.

CATHOLIC INSTITUTE threw a major spanner in the works in the race for semi-final spots in the women’s Irish Hockey League by stunning Loreto 2-1 at Rosbrien on Saturday.

CORK HARLEQUINS were left cursing themselves for going to sleep at the start of extra-time, allowing Cork Church of Ireland to plunder a golden-goal victory in Saturday’s Munster Senior Cup semi-final at Farmer’s Cross.

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).

JOHN JERMYN has returned to the international fold ahead of Ireland’s series of friendlies against the Netherlands in Seville, but there is still no sign of his Cork C of I club-mate David Hobbs in the squad.

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.

CATHOLIC INSTITUTE can take a giant step towards breaking Cork Harlequins’ Munster women’s league hegemony if they defeat UCC at Rosbrien tomorrow (1pm).