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.

A campaign that promised so much has come off the rails somewhat for UCC’s women, but all is not lost as they face a crucial Easter Saturday Munster Division 1 clash with Catholic Institute (Mardyke, 1pm).

Ireland 0 Japan 3

Lisnagarvey staged the greatest comeback in EuroHockey League history to help them overcome long odds and advance to the last 16.

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.

The past should prove an inspiration rather than a burden for Cork Harlequins as they bid to become the longest odds Irish Senior Cup winners in some time.

Munster may not have had a team at the business end of the Irish Hockey League but some of the province’s exiles made key contributions to a dramatic finals weekend at Comber Road in Lisburn.

It’s been a fallow few seasons for Cork Harlequins in national competitions, but they continued to roll back the years in stunning style on Saturday to see off Banbridge 2-1 and progress to the Irish Senior Cup semi-finals.

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 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.

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

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

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

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 continue to be European hockey’s great entertainers but ultimately saw their slim Olympic qualification hopes dashed by the Netherlands, who claimed a 7-4 victory in a topsy-turvy EuroHockey Nations Championship tie in Germany yesterday.

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.

IAN SLOAN gets another chance to continue his remarkable development into a top-class international hockey star after he was named in the Irish squad for next week’s INSEP Five Nations in Paris.

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’S tournament hoodoo against France almost resurfaced before Eugene Magee saved the day with the last touch of the match in a 2-2 Champions Challenge II draw in Lille yesterday.

THE feelgood factor for Irish hockey continued last night in Belfield as a second quarter blitz saw a sixth win in four days for the country’s senior teams as they beat China 4-2.

SUZANNE BEANEY apparently never retired from international hockey — her last appearance in an Irish jersey came in 2006 — but there’s little doubting the Pegasus hotshot is still one of the best forwards in the business.

ANNADALE’S stunning elimination of Glenanne in Tallaght on Saturday has resulted in one of the most open men’s Irish Senior Cups in recent years, as the competition heads for the quarter-final stage.

CORK Church of Ireland are determined to honour their tragic late player/coach Andy Chambers by doing the business on the pitch in their re-fixed Irish Senior Cup clash with Kilkeel at Garryduff tomorrow (2pm).

COOKSTOWN pulled off the shock of the first round of the men’s Irish Senior Cup on Saturday, dumping 2009 champions Pembroke Wanderers out with a 2-0 win at Coolnafranky.

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 and UCC face season-defining clashes tomorrow as they bid to progress to the last four of the Irish Hockey League.

IRELAND will be once again on the outside looking in at a major tournament after Argentina dashed their slim hopes of qualifying for next year’s World Cup with a crushing 4-0 win in Quilmes.

IRELAND’S hopes of becoming the first winners of the Champions Challenge II on home soil were left in tatters last night as Poland claimed a final victory on penalty strokes at Belfield last night.

NEW Irish coach Paul Revington saw his new charges rack up a 3-1 victory against an ill-disciplined Scotland last night at Banbridge, but what he can draw from the game is hard to judge.

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).

IRELAND aim to defeat tournament favourites Pakistan in this morning's Hockey World Cup qualifiers, to keep alive their hopes of making the finals in Germany, in September.

Ireland 2 Egypt 3

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.

Ireland 1 England 5

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 4 England 6

Seventeen of Ireland’s leading young sporting talents were honoured today at the Irish Examiner National Junior Sports Stars Awards in association with TV3.

Seventeen of Ireland’s leading young sporting talents were honoured today at the Irish Examiner National Junior Sports Stars Awards in association with tvthree.