Kinsale’s Conor Harte has overcome a knock to take up a place in the Irish men’s squad for next month’s World League semi-final tournament in Johannesburg, the main qualifier for the 2018 World Cup.

“Bloody delighted!” That was David Harte’s simple assessment as Ireland claimed their first win in an Olympic hockey tournament since 1908 in helter-skelter fashion, seeing off Canada 4-2.

UCC defeated Cork Harlequins for only the second time in a decade to give their EY Hockey League survival hopes a major boost.

Ireland will be hoping to add another chapter to their remarkable underdog story when they meet hockey powerhouse the Netherlands in today’s Unibet EuroHockey Championships semi-finals in London (1.15pm).

Ireland enhanced their reputation as the coming team in world men’s hockey by reaching a European championships semi-final for the first time yesterday.

Hockey: Ireland 4 Malaysia 1

Frustration abounded for the Irish men as they lost 2-1 to hosts Belgium in their final World League Round 3 group match in Antwerp.

Ireland coach Craig Fulton will be taking on some familiar faces this afternoon as his men’s senior team play South Africa on day one of the London Cup.

HOCKEY: Ireland is waiting to hear if Monkstown and Banbridge have done enough to win back the country’s EuroHockey League place after both claimed overall wins in European competition last weekend.

Peter Caruth proved his worth to Monkstown as his goals fired them to another Irish Hockey League success at Havelock Park yesterday.

Saturday will likely be remembered as the day Munster’s hopes of producing an Irish Hockey League finalist died, with all four teams suffering defeat.

Madness reigned in Rotterdam on Saturday night as Ireland hit six unanswered goals in half an hour to retrieve a four-goal deficit against France and salvage the wreckage of their World League 3 campaign with an unlikely 6-4 victory.

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 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 Olympic dream died in agonising fashion at Belfield today as they were undone by a Korean winner in the final seconds of the Electric Ireland FIH Road to London final, going down 3-2.

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.

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.

Ireland 1 Korea 1

Ireland 12 Ukraine 0

Ireland 6 Russia 1

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

CORK Church of Ireland came up short in their attempts to honour tragic former player/coach Andrew Chambers with an Irish Senior Cup win, going down 4-2 at home to Lisnagarvey.

CORK C of I and Harlequins both picked up significant victories in their respective bids to become the first Munster sides to reach the men’s Irish Hockey League play-offs last Saturday on home soil.

IRELAND’S senior men gave coach Paul Revington plenty more to chew on as they came away from Lille with the Champions Challenge II title in the bag following a 4-2 final defeat of France.

IRELAND turned on the style to blitz Russia 4-0 and top their pool on goal difference from hosts France at the Champions Challenge II in Lille yesterday.

JOHN JERMYN has returned to the international fold ahead of Ireland’s series of friendlies against the Netherlands in Seville, but there is still no sign of his Cork C of I club-mate David Hobbs in the squad.

A BLEAK weekend for Munster hockey saw all five of its representatives soundly beaten during the opening round of the Irish Hockey League.

CORK HARLEQUINS will be keen to prove they are not a national force on the wane by making life difficult for holders Pembroke Wanderers as the second round of the men’s Irish Hockey League swings into action tomorrow.

IRELAND’S hockey coach Paul Revington has described the loss of two key players on the eve of his side’s World Cup qualification campaign as ‘a body blow’.

IRELAND senior men’s coach Paul Revington is hoping consistency of selection will help his side spring a major surprise when they get their World Cup qualification campaign underway in Argentina next month.

PEMBROKE WANDERERS captain Alan Giles has earned a surprise call-up to the Irish senior men’s squad for next month’s EuroHockey Nations Trophy in Wrexham.

ULSTER needed to draw on all their guile and experience to wrest the senior men’s interprovincial title back from Leinster at Garryduff yesterday, as they claimed a thrilling 5-5 draw with hosts Munster that will live long in the memory.

NEW Ireland senior men’s hockey coach Paul Revington gets his first chance to see his new charges in action later this month as Scotland arrive for a three-game series.

IRELAND senior men’s interim coach Dave Passmore believes the young players in his squad will be in for a serious test as they take on Argentina in the first of an international double-header at Belfield tonight (7.30pm).