LIMERICK schoolgirl Eimear Ryan notched her first hat-trick in senior club hockey as her Catholic Institute side stunned Cork Church of Ireland in a 12-0 Munster league rout at Rosbrien on Saturday.

BANDON will look to be the fly in Cork Harlequins’ ointment in a clash that is likely to end the losers’ faint title hopes at Harlequin Park tomorrow (12pm).

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 Church of Ireland have a chance for instant redemption as they visit bitter rivals Cork Harlequins for the second time in eight days, this time in tomorrow’s Peard Cup final (Harlequin Park, 2.30pm).

UNIVERSITY College Cork’s off-field woes continue with the news they have been docked two women’s Irish Hockey League points for fielding an ineligible player.

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.

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.

CATHOLIC INSTITUTE have an instant opportunity to bounce back from their Munster Senior Cup final defeat to Cork Harlequins in midweek, as they lock horns with Greenfields in the Irish Trophy final at Belfield on Sunday (1.30pm).

FIVE teams are in contention for two semi-final berths as the pool stages of the women’s Irish Hockey League come to an intriguing conclusion on Sunday.

CORK HARLEQUINS and UCC will reprise their rivalry for the first time this season tomorrow at Harlequin Park (2pm), with a women’s Munster Senior Cup final berth the reward for the victor.

EIMEAR CREGAN has revealed that the pressure of combining full-time work and training programmes with a thrice-weekly commute to Cork was behind her decision to sign for Catholic Institute.

THE hockey season kicks back into gear tomorrow with the Irish Senior Cup looming into view for most clubs, after an enforced month-long absence.

CORK’S big two meet for the second time in a fortnight this weekend, with Cork Harlequins hoping home advantage can help swing things their way in their Peard Cup semi-final clash with Cork C of I at Harlequin Park tomorrow (12pm).

CORK HARLEQUINS will seek to keep their 100% start to the season intact when they welcome Old Alex to Harlequin Park in the second round of the women’s ESB Irish Senior Cup tomorrow (1pm).

THE opening weekend of this season’s women’s ESB Irish Hockey League will have a distinctly local flavour to it on Leeside, where perennial rivals Cork Harlequins and Cork Church of Ireland will lock horns in Pool A tomorrow (Harlequin Park, 2pm).

PEMBROKE WANDERERS coach Craig Fulton has been forced to name three goalkeepers in his squad as the national champions get their EuroHockey League campaign underway in Barcelona tonight.

A PLAYER eligibility issue involving defending Irish Senior Cup champions Pembroke Wanderers threatens to overshadow the Dubliners’ quest to retain the trophy when they lock horns with Cookstown at Belfield on Sunday (1.15).

CORK CHURCH OF IRELAND are odds-on favourites to retain their men’s Munster Senior League title tonight, as they welcome Cork Harlequins B to Garryduff (6.30pm).

IRISH international captain Eimear Cregan made a goalscoring return to the colours of Cork Harlequins as they moved into pole position to close on a 14th consecutive women’s Munster Senior League title with a 3-2 win over Cork C of I at Garryduff on Saturday.

THE picture regarding one of the most fascinating women’s title races in Munster should be a lot clearer as champions Cork Harlequins meet pretenders Cork C of I at Garryduff tomorrow (2.30pm).

THE latest chapter in the enduring rivalry between Glenanne and Pembroke Wanderers will be written when the Leinster heavyweights clash in the last four of the men’s Irish Senior Cup at Serpentine Avenue tomorrow (2.15pm).

BANDON pulled off the shock result of the hockey season sofar as they downed Cork Harlequins 1-0 to advance to the women’s Munster Senior Cup final.

CORK HARLEQUINS’ ambitions on the national stage will be severely tested tomorrow when they face Ulster powerhouses Banbridge in a re-fixed Irish Senior Cup second round clash at Harlequin Park (2pm).

THE fixture list for the revamped domestic hockey season has been confirmed by the Irish Hockey Association (IHA).

ANDY CHAMBERS wasn’t at all surprised when the draw for the fourth round of the Irish Senior Cup threw up yet another clash between Cork sides Church of Ireland and Harlequins for the third time in the last five years.

Cork Harlequins ‘A’ 6 Cork C of Ireland ‘B’ 0

THE fact that Cork Harlequins have never won the men’s Irish senior cup will be in sharp focus this weekend as the club makes the long trip north to Kilkeel to face the unheralded but obviously well-organised local outfit in this year’s semi-final.

CORK HARLEQUINS secured an Irish Senior Men’s Cup semi-final away to Kilkeel next weekend as two beautifully-executed Richard Gash goals gave them a deserved victory over old rivals Cork Church of Ireland at Farmers Cross on Saturday.

SHELL-SHOCKED is the only way to describe Harlequins women’s hockey side at the end of their All-Ireland Club Championship qualifier on Saturday.

Fred Treacy

Cork Harlequins 2 Knock 0

DESPITE the fact that Cork Harlequins have beaten today’s Irish Senior Women’s Cup opponents Knock in the competition for the past two years, coach Ivan Bateman is taking nothing for granted in the third round encounter at Harlequin Park (hit off 1.30pm).

THE draw for the first round of the Irish Junior Cup pairs cup holders Lisnagarvey II and the 2002 winners Pembroke Wanderers in what should be the match of the round.

MUNSTER bridged an eight years gap when winning the ladies senior hockey interprovincial title at Harlequin Park, Cork - drawing with Leinster and taking the honours in fine style against Ulster and Connacht.

ULSTER were crowned Men’s Senior Hockey Interprovincial winners yesterday following a 3-3 draw with host province Munster, with the issue being decided in the last game of the weekend at Harlequin Park.

MUNSTER ladies will be attempting to end an eight-year wait when the senior hockey inter-provincial tournament is staged at Harlequin Park, Cork, this weekend.