Cliodhna Sargent says Ireland will again put their bodies on the line today as they bid to realise their Olympics dreams.

Ireland 2 USA 0: Ireland will take aim at a place in the 2016 Olympics with confidence tomorrow after stunning world number five USA 2-0 in Valencia yesterday.

Ireland’s Olympic qualification campaign is already ahead of schedule following a stunning 4-1 success over South Africa on day one of World League 3 in Valencia yesterday.

Darren Smith will hope to sign off with a flourish as Ireland’s women begin their Olympic qualification campaign in Valencia today.

Ireland’s senior women will lose coach Darren Smith after June’s Olympic qualifiers — regardless of whether they get to Rio or not.

Life is good for both Ireland’s senior teams as they begin the final preparation phase for their Olympic qualification campaigns.

Captain Megan Frazer believes Ireland’s World League 2 performances show how far they have come under Darren Smith’s tutelage.

Ireland proved far too strong for Turkey to complete their World League 2 pool games with a huge 13-0 win, with Clare woman Naomi Carroll netting four times at Belfield.

Ireland coach Darren Smith admits there is plenty of scope for improvement as his side continue their Olympic qualification campaign with a clash with Turkey at UCD today.

Ireland’s senior women have moved into their final phase of preparation for their Olympic qualification campaign after selecting their squad for next month’s World League 2 yesterday.

HOCKEY: Ireland made it three from three with a 4-0 win at Alexandra College yesterday in their final test match against Scotland.

As a first time mother?

Irish hockey’s future reaches a critical juncture this weekend, with clubs set to vote on whether to expand the national league.

Ireland senior women’s coach Darren Smith praised his side’s improvement over a short space of time despite going down 3-0 to New Zealand in the Electric Ireland Four Nations final in Dublin this week.

Ireland’s women will be spared a €65,000 trip to Uruguay after they were yesterday awarded the hosting of World League 2 — the penultimate tournament on their Olympic qualification journey.

Ireland’s women claimed Champions Challenge I silver for the first time, but gold eluded them as USA claimed a 3-1 final victory in Glasgow.

It was a memorable afternoon for Irish hockey as both national sides produced quarter-final victories at the Champions Challenge I in Malaysia and Scotland yesterday.

Ireland’s men will feel the heat when they get their Champions Challenge I campaign underway against favourites New Zealand in Kuantan, Malaysia today (8am Irish time).

Cork Harlequins hope Rachael Kohler and Karen Bateman can continue to defy Father Time as they face a make-or-break Irish Hockey League clash with Ards at Farmer’s Cross tomorrow (1.30pm).

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.

Ireland have followed the lead of Europe’s major hockey nations by withdrawing their U16 boys and girls sides from European competition.

Andrew Meredith has called on Irish businesses to dig deep to support hockey after the senior men narrowly escaped relegation from Europe’s top tier.

Holland’s ‘Mr Backhand’ lived up to his name to break Irish hearts as the world number three side snatched a late 2-1 TriFinance EuroHockey Nations Championships win over the green machine in Boom, Belgium yesterday.

The commitment required by dual stars in GAA are well documented but how many of them are also representing their country in another sport too?

Irish senior women’s coach Darren Smith says he is willing to support high performance hockey in Munster — but that the drive must come from within the province.

Some of Ireland’s most established international hockey players were left reeling yesterday after being dumped from Darren Smith’s squad ahead of August’s European championships.

Ireland women’s coach Darren Smith admitted his side must sharpen their attack after they failed to qualify for World League 3.

Ireland’s World Cup qualification hopes are hanging by a thread after they were stunned 2-0 by Belarus at the World League 2 in Valencia yesterday.

New Irish senior women’s coach Darren Smith has hinted he may veer away from a centralised training system when he takes charge next month.

Seven months of searching is finally over for Irish hockey after New Zealander Darren Smith was yesterday named as the new senior women’s national coach.

Despite Gabriel Byrne’s scathing comments the Irish film star joined a gathering at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre last night for one of the most eagerly awaited musicals of recent years.

Legal action has not diluted Anglo: The Musical’s fierce caricatures of the players in our economic crash, says Padraic Killeen

It might considered too painful a subject for parody by some folk but the country’s baddest of bad banks is set to get a new lease of life with Anglo — The Musical.

There was a busy night's action in the Cadbury's Under-21 Football Championship with matches three of the four provinces.

HEARTS target Chris Porter consigned the Edinburgh club to defeat at Fir Park as Motherwell continued their return to form last night.

MOTHERWELL manager Mark McGhee launched a scathing attack on his own players following their 2-1 defeat by Rangers, insisting it was the worst performance of his stewardship at Fir Park.

Dustin the Turkey tonight failed to get Ireland through to the 53rd Eurovision Song Contest final.

Motherwell 1 Rangers 1

A puppet will represent Ireland in this year's Eurovision song contest, TV viewers decided last night.

Dustin The Turkey has tonight been chosen by a public vote to represent Ireland in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Serbia in May.

A PUPPET could represent Ireland in this year’s Eurosong, it emerged yesterday.

A puppet could represent Ireland in this year’s Eurosong, it emerged today.

RANGERS manager Walter Smith is confident Daniel Cousin will eventually win over the Ibrox support after claiming his seventh goal of the season against Motherwell yesterday.

Rangers 3 Motherwell 1