David Ames insists his loyalty still lies with Ireland — but has yet to set a date for when he will end his self-imposed international exile.

Ireland’s men’s hockey team were left seething yesterday after the board of the Irish Hockey Association withdrew them from next month’s Champions Challenge I in Argentina.

A small area of Bray was celebrating the town’s second Olympic medal in three days on Saturday as Fergus Kavanagh helped Australia to men’s hockey bronze with a 3-1 win over Great Britain.

Ireland’s narrow Olympic qualification miss was put into further perspective last night as they swatted aside London-bound South Africa 4-2 in the Celtic Cup at Lisnagarvey.

Alert Ryan Tubridy, engage Ian Dempsey, trouble Ray D’arcy and dispatch Paul Collins from barracks; we may have another bandwagon to mobilise.

He’s not on Twitter or Facebook, but John Jermyn can’t resist swiping his girlfriend Louise’s smartphone from time to time to see what his Irish international hockey team-mates are up to.

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.

THE days where an Irish club might be seen at the finals weekend of the biggest club competition in world hockey might be some way off yet, but there will nonetheless be some local interest as the EuroHockey League draws to a close this weekend.

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).

DUTCH superstar Laurence Docherty has backed the decisions by former Ireland internationals Iain Lewers and Mark Gleghorne to switch their allegiance to Great Britain.

ONE of the top figures in Ulster hockey has said he looks forward to seeing its young stars in the green of Ireland, after the issue of Ulster’s U18 players being encouraged to declare for Great Britain was seemingly put to bed.

CONCERN is growing within Irish hockey circles that talented young Ulster-based players may be lost to Great Britain.

Ireland 1 England 1

AS ONE of the Irish heroes of their opening 1-1 draw with reigning European Champions Spain on Sunday, 19-year-old goalkeeper David Harte says that confidence levels have surged throughout the side.

IF IT might reasonably have been expected that the Irish men’s and women’s teams would deliver thin gruel in their European Championship openers against Spain and England respectively, it transpired that the men at least delivered some haute cuisine here in Belle Vue yesterday.

IRISH hockey veterans Paddy Brown and Jason Black are here at the World Cup qualifiers with the aim of finally tasting serious top level competition and closing out their careers on a high, but the scent of the World Cup finals is equally enticing for the younger members of the squad.

IRELAND have arrived in Rome ahead of their European Nations Trophy campaign which begins on Sunday.

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.

CORK HARLEQUINS’ reign as All- Ireland club champions came to an end at Lough Moss Leisure Centre on Saturday, when they were beaten 4-2 by Ulster Senior League winners Annadale (6-3 on aggregate).