Paddy Brown's road in Waterford city is completely blocked this morning following a crash.

Ireland 1 England 1

HAVING BEEN forced to swallow the unexpectedly bitter pill of a defeat to France which undid all their good work at the European Championships, Ireland’s men will face England today in a bid to avoid relegation from the top level of European hockey.

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.

Ireland men’s coach Dave Passmore has named his 18-man squad for the EuroHockey Championships in Manchester this month, keeping faith with 15 players who featured at last year’s World Cup qualifiers.

THE Irish men’s international hockey season has a tough opening weekend with three tests against Scotland at Instonians’ newly laid water-based pitch in Belfast.

Ireland 1 Japan 2

MUCH in the same way as international soccer teams play to different patterns, so it is in world hockey and the Irish team attempting to qualify here for the World Cup finals in Germany next September, face a Japanese side today with a style alien to anything they are used to.

Ireland 2 Pakistan 2

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.

IRISH coach Dave Passmore refused to be disheartened by yesterday’s 5-1 loss to England - and believes his team will bounce back from the defeat.

COACH Dave Passmore is confident the Irish men’s hockey team are in peak condition for their attempt to qualify for September’s World Cup in Germany.

Ireland 2 Austria 1

THE Irish men’s hockey team today stand on the brink of attaining their goal at the European Nations Hockey Championships, but dodgy floodlights at the Tre Fontane Stadium in Rome may frustrate their ambitions.

Ireland 1 Wales 1

THE extension of Bandon’s Irish Senior Cup odyssey to the penultimate stage illustrates the deep pride of a competitive group of young men as they bid for an improbable prize by defeating the holders, Instonians, in Bandon today (1.30).

Ireland have included two debutants in their squad for tomorrow evening’s match against Belgium in Dublin.

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