Andrew Meredith will depart Irish hockey next week after his turbulent tenure as senior men’s coach was ended “by mutual consent” last night.

New captain John Jackson admits Ireland have their sights set on crushing the TriFinance EuroHockey Nations Championships dreams of near neighbours England next week.

Andrew Meredith believes Ireland’s wild geese must come home if they are to challenge at world hockey’s top level.

IAN Sloan claimed Irish hockey has little chance of long-term success as he and David Ames rocked the sport by announcing their defections to England.

Former Irish men’s senior coach Paul Revington has hit back at suggestions that he and his management team were the root cause of a €37,500 overspend that almost saw Ireland withdraw from the Champions Challenge I.

Irish hockey chiefs claim former coach Paul Revington and his management team were responsible for a €37,000 overspend that leaves the national body facing a potential financial “crisis year” in 2013.

Ireland 0 Japan 3

Ireland captain Ronan Gormley yesterday hailed the “world class” appointment of Andrew Meredith to the senior men’s national post.

Irish hockey chiefs were last night attempting to salvage the wreckage of the decision not to send the men’s national team to next month’s Champions Challenge I in Argentina.

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.

John Jermyn wrote himself into the history books in style as Ireland cruised through the opening round of the new FIH World League in Cardiff over the weekend.

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.

Paul Revington left the Irish hockey public with more questions than answers over his departure after admitting his tenure as senior men’s coach had reached “the point of no return”.

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.

A raft of Munster men will get their first taste of senior international hockey when Ireland A take on England A next weekend in Dublin.

Irish hockey yesterday lost one of its crown jewels with the resignation of Paul Revington as senior men’s coach.

Ireland men's hockey coach Paul Revington is to step down this summer after more than three years in charge.

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.

Ireland’s Olympic dream was snatched from them in the cruellest fashion yesterday, as the tale of the tape gave Korea a contentious winner with just nine seconds to go to stun a packed Belfield into silence yesterday.

Ireland's men's hockey team are excited by the prospect of making history rather than being weighed down by its burden, according to coach Paul Revington as they face into one of the biggest games of their careers 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.

Ireland overcame a potential banana skin in work-manlike fashion as they dispatched Chile last night to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for a first Olympics since 1908.

Ireland wasted a slew of chances but nonetheless got the job done with a workmanlike 3-0 win over Chile at the Electric Ireland FIH Road to London Olympic qualifier at Belfield tonight.

Ireland star Eugene Magee insists nerves aren't a problem for his side as they approach the business end of the Electric Ireland FIH Road to London Olympic qualifier in Dublin.

Ireland star Eugene Magee insists nerves aren't a problem for his side as they approach the business end of the Electric Ireland FIH Road to London Olympic qualifier in Dublin.

It says a lot about where Ireland are and where they want to be that last night’s draw with world number six Korea at the Electric Ireland FIH Road to London Olympic qualifier at a sold-out Belfield was met with disappointment by coach and players alike.

Six points and a goal difference of plus 17 from two games represents a decent weekend’s work for Ireland’s senior men at the Electric Ireland FIH Road to London Olympic qualifier, but they will get a first real test of their mettle against Korea tomorrow night (6pm).

Ireland 12 Ukraine 0

Ireland 6 Russia 1

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.

After a spectacular 2011, Ireland’s men will hope they can continue the momentum and qualify for the Olympic Games for the first time.

The next week will be a make-or-break one for the Irish senior men’s hockey squad as they bid to qualify for the London Olympics.

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.

John Jermyn handed Irish coach Paul Revington a boost ahead of March’s Olympic qualifiers as he made an emphatic return to action, notching five goals as Cork Church of Ireland scored a 6-1 win away to Bandon.

IRELAND were again left frustrated despite recording another positive result at Bisham Abbey yesterday, drawing 2-2 with Great Britain.

IRELAND senior men’s coach Paul Revington received a deserved early Christmas gift yesterday when he was named as one of world hockey’s best coaches for 2011.

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.

IRELAND’S senior men’s London 2012 hopes received a huge boost yesterday as the International Hockey Federation (FIH) confirmed Dublin will host an Olympic qualification tournament from March 11-18.

PAUL REVINGTON is refusing to get carried away despite watching his ever-improving Ireland senior men’s side rout Russia 8-2 to retain A division status at 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.

THEY both support Manchester United and list Roger Federer as their sporting idol — but twin brothers Conor and David Harte also have plenty of less superficial things in common.

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.

PARIS continues to be a happy hunting ground for Ireland’s giant-killers, who thumped world number 11 Argentina at the INSEP Five Nations tournament yesterday.