Munster Hockey’s first series of provincial fixtures could go the same way as last Saturday’s national EY Hockey League with a blanket set of postponements looking imminent.

Joey Carbery and Darren Sweetnam played in last year’s Ulster Bank final before going on to great things this season, writes Donal Lenihan.

Never in the history of Irish schools rugby has there been such a scene as witnessed in Musgrave Park yesterday when the Clayton Hotels Munster Junior Cup tie between Presentation Brothers College Cork and St Munchin’s College was hit by three serious injuries and ultimately abandoned after just nine minutes of play.

Update - 7.56pm: The players who received treatment following this incident have now been released form hospital and are making their way home to Limerick. 

Monkstown Golf Club’s Jim Long has been elected as the new chairman of Munster Golf at the Munster Branch Annual Delegates Meeting.

When it seemed referee Jerome Garces had formally concluded the week-long obsequies for Anthony Foley with a shrill final whistle on Saturday, Axel’s comrades took to Thomond’s famed turf for one last farewell to one of the greats of Munster and Irish rugby.

It would be easy to blame a lousy season on the pitch for the miserable reading Munster Rugby’s accounts made for delegates at last Thursday’s annual general meeting.

Participation numbers continue to drop, but the Munster Branch of the GUI celebrated another good year in 2015, with Gary Hurley, John Murphy, and clubs Tramore and Dooks presented with awards during the annual delegates’ meeting at the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow, last week.

Hockey could cease in Munster next month if volunteers aren’t found to oversee the running of the sport.

Munster Rugby chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald expects Paul O’Connell to make a final decision on his next career step in the coming fortnight, having today announced that the Irish captain will be released from his IRFU Munster contract following the Rugby World Cup.

The SEAT Munster Schools Junior Cup final between Crescent Comprehensive and Christian Brothers College has been put back from St Patrick’s Day to the original date of March 19.

The fixture rows dogging Irish hockey have made their way to Munster after Ireland vice-captain Cliodhna Sargent waded into the debate. 

Scrap the academy and give power and resources back to the clubs and you will help to solve some of the problems besetting Munster Rugby, writes Charlie Mulqueen

Cork Church of Ireland remain on course to defend their Peard Cup crown, but only after another stern examination from traditional rivals Cork Harlequins.

Two rival coaches have railed against the decision to play Saturday’s Munster Senior Cup semi-final clash on a secondary pitch at Thomond Park (2pm).

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.

The importance of securing a home European quarter-final for Irish provinces extends well beyond the field of play, Munster’s annual financial report has revealed.

The Munster team may eventually be based solely in Limerick but provincial branch chiefs have underlined their commitment to Cork and the rest of the province as it prepares for construction to be begin on its single training base.

Munster Rugby chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald has called for a motorway to be built between Cork and Limerick.

Garryowen FC have lodged an appeal with the Munster Branch after losing Friday night’s Munster Senior Cup final to a penalty landed by Cork Constitution full-back Chris Quinn with the last kick of extra-time.

The first steps to remove a controversial anomaly in golf’s handicap system were taken at this week’s Golfing Union of Ireland Munster Branch AGM at the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow.

The many hundreds who turn up to support Waterford Castle, Limerick, Tralee, Cork, Adare Manor, Tramore, Muskerry, Ballybunion, Doneraile and Nenagh in next weekend’s Munster finals of the Irish Senior and Junior Cups and Barton Shield have a treat in store.

Munster hockey players harbouring international ambitions were left reeling after it emerged that regional training for the Irish international men’s squad will no longer take place in Cork.

The Irish Hockey League breaks more new ground this weekend as each side will play back-to-back fixtures for the first time.

A rugby club’s team-building weekend, featuring sports psychologists and nutritionists, was jeopardised when an unscheduled cup match was drop-kicked into Sunday, but after a legal scrum the match was kicked out again — by court order.

The president of the Munster Branch IRFU, Stan Fuller and honorary secretary, Frank Byford stated yesterday that the Munster Branch, following legal advice and having discussed the matter at length, have decided to readmit Kilfeacle & District RFC to Division 1 of the Munster Junior League for this season.

Munster Rugby could be set for a legal battle over plans to introduce a one-year qualifying period before newly enrolled students can play in the Munster Schools Senior Cup.

It is an issue that is currently dividing rugby folk across Munster and threatens to surface across Ireland but there are plenty of solutions to the issue of Munster Senior Schools Cup contenders recruiting players at the expense of rival schools, clubs and inter-provincial youth teams.

Munster Rugby are still deciding on the best location for their long-awaited single training base although a decision is due by the end of the month, according to sources.

Munster Rugby chief executive Garrett Fitzgerald last night promised a programme of “cutbacks and savings” as the Munster Branch unveiled a projected deficit of more than €1 million for the year ending June 30, 2012, at its Annual Delegate Meeting in Cork.

There is a brand new trophy for the Avonmore Munster Schools’ Junior Cup winners this season, the silverware presented by Castletroy College, winners of the double in 2008.

The popularity of boys’ hockey in Munster continues to bounce back, after almost 300 Cork schoolboys were introduced to the sport yesterday.

FORMER schools stars Conor Murray, Mike Sherry and Tommy O’Donnell were amongst those in attendance at the launch of theAvonmore Munster Schools Senior and Junior Cup competitions at the University of Limerick yesterday.

FALLING golf club membership is set to continue in Munster, the GUI Branch’s annual delegates meeting has been told.

THE death has occurred of Billy Hurley, a former President of the Munster Branch, IRFU, and one of the best-known and popular sporting figures in the province for many years.

LEINSTER Rugby chiefs are ‘monitoring’ the weather conditions sweeping across the country but are confident this evening’s Heineken Cup game against Clermont Auvergne at the Aviva Stadium (5.45pm) will not be impacted by the cold snap.

THE Irish Hockey Association (IHA) has taken preemptive action in postponing this weekend’s Irish Hockey League games, it emerged yesterday.

EVEN though 21,314 of the 22,770 people who bought tickets for Tuesday night’s visit of the Australians to Thomond Park turned up in spite of the atrocious conditions, and the occasion was regarded as a huge success, there is little possibility of a similar kind of game taking place at the venue for at least two years.