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.

With the hockey community glued to events at UCD, the Irish women have snuck in under the radar as they begin their Athlon FIH Road to London campaign in Belgium against France at Beerschot today (12.30pm Irish time).

ALEX SPEERS has set her sights on becoming the first skipper to lead the Irish women’s hockey team to the Olympics, after she was named as the senior side’s new captain this week.

Motorola has confirmed plans to close its Bathgate plant in West Lothian, where more than 3,000 workers make mobile phones.