UCC continued their habit of doing things the hard way but eventually progressed to a second successive Irish Hockey Trophy final with a 3-2 win over South Antrim at the Mardyke on Saturday.

IT was a profitable trip south for UCD on Saturday, as their men and women came away with big wins from Bandon and Cork Harlequins respectively to advance in the Irish Senior Cup.

UNIVERSITY College Cork will contest their first ever national senior final after coming from behind to see off Clontarf 2-1 in a fraught Irish Hockey Trophy semi-final at the Mardyke on Saturday.

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).

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.

Mitchel McLaughlin is standing down as the chairman of the Northern Assembly Finance and Personnel Committee as part of a reshuffle announced by Sinn Féin today.

CORK hurling may have its high-profile problems at intercounty level but for two clubs, these are glory days.

The DUP and Sinn Féin were making significant gains in the Northern Ireland Assembly Elections.

The Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was accused today of undermining decency and democracy in his defence of legislation which will keep people suspected of offences in the North out of jail.

Reg Empey will today face a request from his closest leadership challenger, Alan McFarland, for an urgent meeting over his refusal to go into government with Sinn Féin ahead of the next Assembly Election.

The Ulster Unionist Party must return to its original Assembly commitment to keep Sinn Fein out of government until the IRA disarms and disbands, South Antrim MP David Burnside insisted today.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair was expected to be challenged today to name a date for a comprehensive review of the Good Friday Agreement.

The future of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive today remained in the balance as pressure mounted on the cross community Alliance Party to re-designate its Assembly members as unionists in a bid to save the institutions.

Democratic Unionist Assembly member the Rev William McCrea said it was clear from the latest de Chastelain report that the IRA had no intention of disarming.

A man whose son was gunned down by the IRA in retaliation for the killing of eight of its members in Loughgall is standing in the local government elections, it emerged today.