CORK C of I and Harlequins both picked up significant victories in their respective bids to become the first Munster sides to reach the men’s Irish Hockey League play-offs last Saturday on home soil.

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.

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

A BLEAK weekend for Munster hockey saw all five of its representatives soundly beaten during the opening round of the Irish Hockey League.

ALL four men’s semi-final places are still up for grabs as the pool stages of the inaugural Irish Hockey League look set to reach a dramatic conclusion tomorrow.

TREBLE-CHASING Railway Union will hope to put one foot in the semi-finals of the Irish Hockey League tomorrow as they take on Cork Church of Ireland at Garryduff (2pm).

BANDON pulled off the shock result of the hockey season sofar as they downed Cork Harlequins 1-0 to advance to the women’s Munster Senior Cup final.

IRELAND senior men’s interim coach Dave Passmore believes the young players in his squad will be in for a serious test as they take on Argentina in the first of an international double-header at Belfield tonight (7.30pm).

THREE ROCK ROVERS and Annadale also finished the year on a winning note yesterday by winning their respective annual St Stephen’s Day provincial cup finals.

LAST WEEK’S fine victory at the Tri-Nations men’s hockey tournament in Cork proved to Ireland coach Dave Passmore that the Irish team has great potential as it continues its preparation for the European Nations Trophy in Rome from September 11-17.

Annadale’s David Smyth has returned to Ireland’s squad for a tri-nations event against Canada and Italy after an 18-month absence.

LISNAGARVEY are kings of Irish club hockey after yesterday completing a club championship and cup double.

SHELL-SHOCKED is the only way to describe Harlequins women’s hockey side at the end of their All-Ireland Club Championship qualifier on Saturday.

Ireland's new men’s hockey coach Dave Passmore has included five uncapped players in his 28-man training squad which will travel to Spain later this month.

Cup favourites Annadale breezed into this afternoon’s draw for the Men’s Irish Senior Cup quarter finals, with a 4-0 win over leading Leinster outfit Pembroke Wanderers at Lough Moss yesterday.

Ireland's men booked themselves a play-off for ninth place in the European Nations Cup after hammering Switzerland 5-2.

Ireland’s preparations for September’s European Nations Cup continue with a quadrangular tournament in Vienna next week.

LISNAGARVEY, favourites to win the Irish Senior Hockey Cup in Belfield today (2.30 pm), were yesterday described by Harlequins’ coach, Stephen Jackson, as the “aristocrats of Irish hockey”.