Both the Irish senior women and men got one of their preferred draw for the Olympic qualifiers as they both face battles with Canada in the next two months for a ticket to Tokyo 2020.

Katie Mullan’s 58th-minute winner secured fifth place for Ireland from the women’s EuroHockey Championships in Belgium as they beat Russia 3-2.

After a shaky opening, Dancer reverted to a high press and it paid instant dividends. Diminutive defender Beth Barr continued her hot streak in front of goal with an 11th minute tap in from McCay’s powerful cross for 1-0.

Ireland’s men produced a stunning late two-goal salvo to draw 3-3 with Scotland to just about keep their European Championships campaign alive in Antwerp.

Ayeisha McFerran has been passed fit to play some part in the women’s EuroHockey Championships which get underway next weekend in Antwerp.

While an Olympic play-off place was achieved, Ireland’s FIH Series finals campaign ended on a deflated note as Korea struck three times in the closing quarter to silence a soldout crowd at Banbridge.

Ireland’s Road to Tokyo took a big leap forward as they saw off the Czech Republic with plenty to spare in their FIH Series’ semi-final at a drenched Banbridge.

Cork Harlequins enjoyed a sublime weekend with the men landing the Munster Division 1 crown while the women earned an Irish Senior Cup final spot.

Irish coach Alexander Cox says his side may need to employ a defensive strategy if they are to get something from their opening World Cup tie against champions Australia.

Minority sports crave that moment that propels them into the national sporting consciousness. Think Katie Taylor at London 2012 and the O’Donovans in Rio 2016. Hockey Ireland’s Phil Oakley swears that after Irish ’s exploits at the Cricket World Cup in 2007, he saw lads using hurleys to play cricket in Mayfield on Cork’s northside.

Ahead of their historic World Cup finals weekend, Stephen Findlater looked at some things you may not know about our hockey heroes.

A heavily-deflected Giselle Ansley goal took some of the wind out of the Irish women’s sails but the upshot of their 1-0 loss to England at Lee Valley has probably provided the perfect scenario for Thursday’s World Cup quarter-final.

London’s Lee Valley is fast becoming a mecca for Irish hockey as it once again witnessed one of the greatest ever moments in Irish hockey history.

Ireland's women have qualified for the World Cup quarter-finals for the very first time.

Megan Frazer has been included in Graham Shaw’s squad of 18 players for next month’s World Cup in London despite concerns over her fitness.

The Irish U21 women’s side had their status in the top tier of European competition assured thanks to an EHF executive board decision this week which keeps alive their hopes of playing in the 2020 Junior World Cup.

UCC’s ladies and Cork C of I’s men made emphatic opening day statements in the new-look EY Hockey League, with big wins over Greenfields and Cookstown. Alex O’Grady and Niamh O’Leary were among the new faces on target for College in a 4-0 success in Galway that puts them top of the pile after the first round.

Captain Megan Frazer believes Ireland’s World League 2 performances show how far they have come under Darren Smith’s tutelage.

Ireland senior women’s coach Darren Smith praised his side’s improvement over a short space of time despite going down 3-0 to New Zealand in the Electric Ireland Four Nations final in Dublin this week.

Ireland’s women claimed Champions Challenge I silver for the first time, but gold eluded them as USA claimed a 3-1 final victory in Glasgow.

Conor O’Kelly, outgoing president Munster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association (MBIHA), has warned the province cannot afford to neglect the running of the game after it took two meetings to elect new management.

Cork Church of Ireland will be all out to prove to Irish coach Andrew Meredith their players deserve a better crack at international recognition as they take on YMCA in a vital Irish Hockey League clash at Serpentine Avenue tomorrow.

Katie Mullan and Nicola Gray are the two newcomers to retain their place in the Irish women’s panel from last week’s Wales’ series as they complete their formal match practice in Scotland from September 7-9.

The club hockey season is a distant memory for the majority of the country’s players, but those sides hoping to find a backdoor route to next year’s Irish Hockey League must tog off one last time this weekend before the summer break.

CLIODHNA SARGENT could be set to get an early Christmas present this weekend — her 100th Irish senior cap.

AS Munster’s sole side with a win in this season’s Irish Hockey League, Ger O’Carroll’s Catholic Institute will be looking to progress their play-off claims tomorrow against winless Old Alex.

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

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.

OPPORTUNITY knocks for Bandon and UCC as they bid to bolster Munster’s Irish Hockey League (IHL) representation next season by succeeding at this weekend’s wildcard playoffs at Garryduff in Cork.

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.