Major changes are afoot in the Irish Hockey Association (IHA) after it was revealed that both chief executive Angus Kirkland and high performance director Dave Passmore stepped down from their respective roles.

Denis Pritchard will be particularly interested in how Ireland’s women fare for their clubs in this weekend’s final round of the Irish Hockey League, after he was this week appointed interim national coach.

Gene Muller offered no excuses as a second Irish Olympic hockey dream went up in smoke within seven days when Belgium proved an all-round superior force in Kontich yesterday.

Another Irish hockey Olympic dream was dashed yesterday after the women's side fell 4-1 to Belgium at the Athlon FIH Road to London Olympic qualifier final in Kontich today.

At the headiest of times for Irish hockey, the agony and ecstasy of the national sides chasing their Olympic dreams was put harrowingly into perspective this week.

Gene Muller hailed Ireland’s women’s win over Spain yesterday in Kontich, Belgium as the “biggest result” of his tenure as his side now look forward to a play-off on Sunday for an Olympic berth.

John Jackson has proved himself one of the most eloquent and thoughtful Irish hockey players when a dictaphone is thrust in his direction.

Ireland's drag-flickers found their groove to ensure it's two wins out of two at the Athlon FIH Road to London Olympic qualifier in Beerschot, Belgium after a 3-0 win over Russia today.

Ireland's women survived an early fright to get their Athlon FIH Road to London campaign underway with a 5-1 win over France in Beerschot, Belgium today.

Ireland coach Paul Revington insists playing for a draw against Malaysia in their crunch final pool clash at the Electric Ireland FIH Road to London Olympic qualifiers in UCD tomorrow (3pm) is not an option.

There were few surprises as Ireland’s coaches revealed their hands for this month’s Olympic qualifiers, but fitness concerns could give Paul Revington and Gene Muller sleepless nights yet.

John Jermyn faces into a crucial week in his race to be fit for Ireland’s Olympic qualification tournament in Dublin next month.

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.

MEGAN FRAZER looks set to answer Ireland’s call once more after being named as America’s best university field hockey player.

MYSTERY again surrounds the future of Irish hockey’s inter-provincial tournaments after the Irish Hockey Association (IHA) confirmed the senior and junior tournaments will not take place during the 2011/12 season.

OPPORTUNITY knocks for two of UCD’s leading lights as Ireland senior women’s coach Gene Muller has opted to shake things up for his side’s trip to Argentina next month.

CORK’S Julia O’Halloran is the big absentee from Gene Muller’s latest Irish centralised training panel announced yesterday.

IRELAND continue to be European hockey’s great entertainers but ultimately saw their slim Olympic qualification hopes dashed by the Netherlands, who claimed a 7-4 victory in a topsy-turvy EuroHockey Nations Championship tie in Germany yesterday.

NO goals and no points is the chilling statistic worrying Ireland’s senior ladies after they fell to two 3-0 defeats to Germany and Belgium on the opening weekend of the EuroHockey Nations Championships in Germany.

IRELAND’S men and women tip off their European championships campaigns this weekend both hoping to cause a major surprise and nick an Olympic place in the process in Moenchengladbach, Germany.

IRELAND fell to a solo penalty corner strike for the second successive 1-0 win for Spain as Lola Riera’s 45th minute drag-flick did the damage in Belfield last night.

MIRIAM CROWLEY has been handed a chance to prove her international credentials at the highest level, after she was the bolter named in Gene Muller’s squad for the EuroHockey Nations Championships in Moenchengladbach, Germany later this month.

PAKISTAN hitman Sohail Abbas gunned down Ireland in the UCD Four Nations final on Saturday — but then insisted he’s never seen Paul Revington’s side in better nick.

IRELAND breathed a sigh of relief last night after they ground out a 1-0 victory over Azerbaijan at a drenched UCD to ensure they will earn a chance to grab fifth place in the Champions Challenge I.

JEAN MCDONNELL has been handed the chance to prove her Irish international credentials after she was named in an 18-strong squad for next week’s FIH Champions Challenge I in Dublin.

CELTIC CUP glory continues to elude Ireland’s senior women, but coach Gene Muller nonetheless has plenty of positives to take from his side’s first tournament of 2011.

SOME of world hockey’s big hitters will descend on Dublin next month as University College Dublin becomes the focal points for two top-class tournaments.

IRELAND’S senior women begin a hectic summer schedule in Scotland over the June Bank Holiday Weekend, as they bid to annex the Celtic Cup for the first time since 2006.

PEMBROKE WANDERERS are charged with the task of causing one of the biggest upsets in EuroHockey League history when they take on Spain’s Club de Campo at Bloemendaal, near Amsterdam, today (11am Irish time).

Knee problems forced Ireland’s most capped hockey player out of the international game, but Eimear Cregan told Alan Good the future of the sport is bright.

ÁINE CONNERY looks set to be given the chance to resurrect her Irish international hockey career, after she was confirmed as a participant in the team’s central preparation programme (CPP) yesterday.

IRELAND’S bid to secure Olympic qualification was dealt a significant blow yesterday, after vastly experienced defender Bridget Cleland (McKeever) announced her retirement from international hockey.

IRISH hockey’s U21 interprovincial tournament is to be scrapped this season, as part of a restructuring of the oft-maligned annual competitions.

THE Irish Hockey Association yesterday gave the green light to controversial plans to centralise the women’s senior hockey team in Dublin for 10 months.

EIMEAR CREGAN could overtake fellow Munster woman Rachael Kohler as the most capped Irishhockey player of all time this month.

IRELAND senior women’s coach Gene Muller has finally confirmed plans to centralise the team to Dublin from this October will go ahead.

IRELAND coach Gene Muller believed only three of his squad of 16 performed to standard as his side were thrashed 3-0 by Malaysia in Santiago yesterday, virtually ending their World Cup dreams at the first hurdle.

THIS week’s Champions League semi-final first legs will go ahead as scheduled despite the current restriction on European air travel due to the volcanic ash cloud.

AUDREY O’FLYNN faces into the biggest test of her fledgling international career next month after she was yesterday named in Gene Muller’s 18-strong Ireland squad for the World Cup Qualifiers in Chile.

IRELAND’S senior women’s squad touched down in Nice, France yesterday ahead of this weekend’s Celtic Cup tournament, knowing many are in the last-chance saloon as they bid to secure a place in the squad for next month’s World Cup qualifier in Chile.

ONE of Irish hockey’s most influential coaches has added his voice to the growing dissatisfaction within the sport with Ireland senior women’s coach Gene Muller’s plans to base the national squad in Dublin on a full-time basis.