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Pembroke, Insta, Garvey and Monkstown into ISC final

The changing of the guard continues at the top table of the women’s game as Pembroke and Catholic Institute will contest the women’s Irish Senior Cup final in late April having led the way in the EYHL.

The latter will be looking to win the title for the first time while Pembroke have not won the cup since 1975.

Insta left it late on Sunday afternoon in Rosbrien to turn things around as UCD – winners of three of the last four editions of the cup – looked set to be the first club to win in Limerick this season thanks to a Hannah McLoughlin penalty corner strike.

But two goals from Naomi Carroll in the last 10 minutes saw Institute turn the game on its head for a 2-1 success in front of a big home crowd. It will be their third final appearance, their most recent coming in 1984.

UCD came out of the traps quicker and scored a corner in the seventh minute through McLoughlin and they kept up an intense level of pressure through the second quarter but the hosts hung tough.

The Limerick side found their feet in Q3 and ramped up their game significantly in the closing stages. A super ball from Ciara Moloney picked out Carroll to deflect into the top corner and they had a string of good chances before taking the vital one with two minutes left, a passing movement which Carroll took to her left and cracked in on her reverse.

Pembroke, meanwhile, showed no hangover from their EYHL celebrations on Saturday as they beat Pegasus 2-0 at Serpentine Avenue with Orla Macken and Gillian Pinder’s penalty stroke in the second half making the difference.

Catholic Institute’s Anna Horan, Muireann Scanlon and Roisin Upton celebrate. Picture: Max Fulham

On the men’s side, reigning champions Lisnagarvey were pushed to the absolute limit at the unfamiliar Beaufort surrounds as they beat Glenanne in an epic shoot-out.

Jonny Lynch’s goal put Garvey in control but Richard Couse levelled in the fourth quarter to send the game to the shoot-out which went all the way to 8-7 before Daniel Nelson slotted the winner.

Monkstown will be Garvey’s opponent. They looked to be coasting when Jeremy Duncan scored twice in the first half, adding to one from Lee Cole to make it 3-0 against Cookstown but the Co Tyrone side – who ply their trade in the Ulster Premier Division – grabbed goals from Calum Anderson and Michael Kerr to give the Dubliners a real fright.

The two finals will take place on April 30 in Belfield.

Men
Irish Senior Cup semi-finals: Glenanne 1 (R Couse) Lisnagarvey 1 (J Lynch), Lisnagarvey win shoot-out 8-7; Monkstown 3 (J Duncan 2, L Cole) Cookstown 2 (C Anderson, M Kerr)

Women
Irish Senior Cup semi-finals: Catholic Institute 2 (N Carroll 2) UCD 1 (H McLoughlin); Pembroke 2 (O Macken, G Pinder) Pegasus 0

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Pembroke take women’s EYHL title as playoff and relegation places confirmed

Women’s EY Hockey League – day 18 round-up
Pembroke 1 (A Naughton) Muckross 0
Aisling Naughton’s spectacular second minute goal was enough to get Pembroke the 1-0 win against Muckross they needed win the women’s EY Hockey League for the first time.

Earlier in the day, Catholic Institute beat Belfast Harlequins 2-1 at Deramore Park to take the league down to the last fixture to determine the destination of the title.

It meant Pembroke had to get a victory against a side fighting for their lives to try and escape relegation. And the Serpentine Avenue hosts got off to a dream start when Naughton dove full length at the left post to turn in Ellen Curran’s excellent ball.

From there, Pembroke dominated the play in the first half but a tough of over-eagerness meant an insurance goal proved elusive with Rachel O’Brien hitting the post and a number of other chances bouncing across the face of goal.

That ratcheted up the tension in the second half as any Muckross break-out had the potential to scupper the celebrations and, with lots on the line, the green and whites found some rhythm.

But Pembroke finished strong, controlling the final quarter as Aoife Glennon – an immense talent between the posts – kept out a range of shots from different angles.

“It’s just phenomenal to be able to finish it off like this, at home, in front of our crowd; absolutely buzzing,” Naughton said afterwards with the club landing the title for the first time having never breached the top four before in the EYHL.

“It is quite momentous. When a few of us joined a few years ago, we had a goal to bring the club to this level and we have a built a squad of not just 18; there’s 26 or so. And this is testament to that because we only played two matches at full fitness.

“We were delighted to get that early goal; we had plenty of chances and Muckross made it really difficult for ourselves. But we did have too many chances and we really do need to make sure of it if we are here again! But one’s enough!”

It also brings with it a guaranteed European ticket while for Muckross it means a drop back to EYHL Division 2.

Belfast Harlequins 1 (K Larmour) Catholic Institute 2 (R Upton, L Clery)
Catholic Institute can console themselves with a direct ticket to the EY Champions Trophy semi-final after a break-out performance in the regular season, finishing second overall.

Their win was built around goals from Roisin Upton and Leah Clery but they were also left with jangled nerves as Katie Larmour getting one back for Belfast Quins.

Needing a win to keep their title hopes alive, they started off brilliantly with Upton nailing a penalty corner drag-flick for her 13th of the competition this season.

But Quins, needing a win to secure their own fate at the time, were in no mood to lie down and they played their part in a corner exchange of an end-to-end first quarter. Clery doubled the advantage off the back of an outstanding run from Naomi Carroll but Larmour made sure there was no room for comfort with a corner goal; 2-1 at half-time.

And that was how it remained throughout the second half with Quins going closest to nicking one, hitting the post in the fourth quarter while they had two corners on the final whistle.

Insta, however, held on for a nervy win which meant Pembroke had to win their last game while Quins had to wait to see how Muckross fared. In the end, Quins stayed up on nine points.

UCD 0 Pegasus 2 (A Speers, L McKee)
Pegasus earned a home EY Champions Trophy quarter-final berth with two first half goals giving them the points against UCD.

Pegs were up and running nice and early. They had already gone close from a couple of corners before Lucy McKee broke the deadlock in the sixth minute – Shirley McCay’s ball up the middle was controlled on the 23-metre line and the forward weaved in and out of a couple of tackles before thumping home.

They moved two clear midway through the second quarter from their fourth penalty corner, a sweet move with McCay’s slap deflected in by Alex Speers.

Pegasus’s Emma Quinn. Pic: Adrian Boehm

UCD had a huge amount of pressure in the second half, running up five penalty corners, but each one was well dealt with by Megan Todd and her corner team while they also kept out a number of shots from the edge of the D to maintain their clean sheet and the three points.

For UCD, the result was just about enough to see them make it into the playoffs and a quarter-final rematch against Pegasus, edging out Railway Union on goal difference.

Old Alex 1 (S Robinson) Railway Union 1 (Z Delany)
Old Alex got enough from this tie to secure their place in the EY Champions Trophy quarter-finals at the expense of Railway Union who could have potentially overhauled them with a victory at Milltown.

It was an incredibly tight match, befitting how close things have been in mid-table all the way through the campaign. Railway had the early pressure with a high press working well before Alex broke out with Nikki Evans almost linking up with Mikayla Power.

Kate Dillon’s touch was well dealt with by Holly Micklem as Q1 ended scoreless and it remained that way through Q2 as Lena Tice’s corner slap was cleared and Evans had an effort snuffed out.

Into the second half, Kate Lloyd’s volley was repelled by Micklem’s left boot but it was Alex’s turn to camp in Railway territory and when Power won a corner, they went in front with Sarah Robinson deflecting in a Tice slap from the top.

Needing a win, Railway got their lifeline before the end of the third quarter when a bouncing past made it to Zara Delany at the far post to finish off.

Alex looked the more likely in the early staged of Q4 to score next with Evans and Abbie Russell firing shots but Railway remained a threat and had the big moments in the last few minutes. The Milltown side survived, though, and finish in fifth place and a date with Loreto in the playoffs.

Cork Harlequins 1 (M Barry) Loreto 5 (C Hamill 3, S O’Brien, Y Pratt)
Cork Harlequins welcomed Loreto to Cork for the final match of their 2021/22 EHYL 1 season with the Dublin team prevailing in a hard fought and enjoyable encounter.

Loreto were without Hannah Matthews, but otherwise had a full strength side for Paul Fitzpatrick to choose from. Joy O’Kelly replaced the injured Lorna Bateman in goal for Harlequins.

The halftime score of 0-0 resulted from an even game in which neither side found their composure in the circle.

The first goal was all important, and it was Loreto made the breakthrough with a skillful individual finish on the reverse from the dangerous Chrintina Hamill.

Harlequins had a chance to pull level from the flick spot in the 42nd minute, however Elizabeth Murphy’s strong stick save kept Loreto ahead. In fact, Hamill increased the Dublin side’s lead with a stroke in the 48th minute and completed her hat-trick a minute later to move the tie beyond Cork Harlequins.

Two further strikes for Loreto in the final quarter and a Michelle Barry consolation at the death meant a final score line of 5-1 to the visitors.Cork Harlequins finish the season at the bottom of the EYHL while Loreto have a quarter-final to prepare for.

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Lisnagarvey close in on men’s EYHL title with big win over Monkstown

Men’s EY Hockey League – day 17 round-up
UCD 2 (J Menelaou, J Filgas) Banbridge 3 (J McKee, L Witherow, D Finlay)
Banbridge ground out an important three points at Belfield against a gutsy UCD who showed up well despite having little left to play for this term bar pride. It keeps the Ulster club in contention for a possible top two spot and direct qualification for the EY Champions Trophy semi-finals.

Bann went in front in the eighth minute when Jonny McKee flicked in from a penalty corner switch to the right. The students replied quickly with Josh Fligas rebounding from the third wave of a messy penalty corner.

Luke Witherow restored the Co Down club’s lead from a brilliant end-to-end move, set in motion by Peter Brown and McKee’s lovely interchange on halfway.

Luke Witherow celebrates his goal for Banbridge. Pic: Adrian Boehm

But Jay Menelaou got a slightly fortuitous touch to Kevin O’Dea’s crash ball into the D to make it 2-2 at half-time with the students threatened a big shock.

Bann, though, moved in front for a third and final time early in the second half when McKee’s shot was well saved by Matthew O’Brien Holohan but only as far as David Finlay. From a tight angle, he roofed his shot.

McKee and Finlay were frequent threats throughout the tie but O’Brien Holohan was equal to those efforts. When the goalkeeper stepped out for an extra outfielder, it did open a golden chance for McKee when he robbed the ball on halfway but he chipped over on his backhand.

Lisnagarvey 5 (T Chambers 3, M McNellis, M Nelson) Monkstown 1 (L Cole)
Troy Chambers’ hat trick put Lisnagarvey within touching distance of the men’s EY Hockey League title with a breath-taking 5-1 win over Monkstown at Comber Road.

Town went into the tie off the back of six successive victories and they went in front when Lee Cole’s corner shot snuck in.

But Garvey have been in outstanding form in recent weeks and Chambers got them back on terms before half-time and four second half goals saw them spin into a big lead.

Mark McNellis smoked in a shot from a penalty corner breakdown to start the goal-rush; Chambers found space to tomahawk in the next and Matthew Nelson’s back post finish put them well and truly out of range.

Chambers completed his treble in the closing minutes as Garvey move five points clear of Three Rock Rovers in second place.

Annadale 3 (A McAllister, S Pinion, T Robson) Pembroke 2 (C Hynes, A Sothern)
Three Annadale goals in the first 22 minutes helped propel them to safety and within range of snatched a playoff place on the findal dat of the season. For Pembroke, it means they have to beat UCD in the final round of matches and then hope Corinthian don’t do likewise later next Saturday against YMCA.

Dale went ahead from their first attack of note, Callum Robson’s sharp hit on the turn getting a touch in front of the goalkeeper from Adam McAllister after a swift break-out.

Spencer Pinion then pushed in a low corner shot in the seventh minute and it was almost three a couple of moments later when Tim Cross’s shot went just wide.

The game was still barely 10 minutes old when Julian Dale got to a bouncing ball first before Sam Hamill and batted his volley wide just before colliding with the out-rushing goalkeeper as both sides threw everything into the first quarter. Pembroke had three corners to no avail.

Annadale, however, moved three clear when stopper Tom Robson received a corner on his open side and then hit into the left corner.

In the second half, an excellent Ilko Dartsch save denied McAllister a fourth before the Pembroke fightback started in earnest. A long overhead was missed by a defender in the left corner and Dale controlled and forced the ball across where Cillian Hynes got the final touch.

Big chances abounded with Hamill getting the best of a one-on-one chance while McAllister rounded Dartsch but his shot was deemed high and dangerous when it hit Philip Forster on the body with a shot which looked to be heading wide.

Sothern was credited with Pembroke’s second four minutes from the end amid some aerial pinball to make it 3-2 but Dale closed ranks to see out their second win of the campaign against Pembroke.

YMCA 2 (G Glutz, A Meates) Three Rock Rovers 4 (R Spencer 2, E Jennings, A Empey)
Three Rock Rovers moved back up to second in the men’s EY Hockey League as Ryan Spencer and Ali Empey goals in the last 20 minutes saw off YMCA at Wesley.

After a couple of early corners, Rovers went in front via Spencer who finished off from around the p-spot following a baseline run and pull-back.

YM stepped up in the second quarter and had a couple of corner chances go close but Rovers came on strong just before the big interval with Empey’s aerial skills leading to a big chance which goalkeeper Cameron Larkin did well to snuff out. The second goal arrived, though, when Evan Jennings cleaned from a corner on the hooter for 2-0.

The Y, though, were back level in jig-time in the second half when Grant Glutz scored a penalty corner and then Andrew Meates got a beautiful touch to Sam Hyland’s reverse-stick cross for 2-2.

The hosts, however, saw Meates and Ben Chadwick simultaneously sent to the sin-bin and Rovers got back in front in their absence, Empey – in his first game of 2022 – scored via a defensive deflection.

And Empey played a perfect pass to Spencer who was all alone at the top of the YM circle to get the insurance goal.

Glenanne 5 (S O’Donoghue 2, S Boucher 2, R Couse) Corinthian 2 (A Sutton, C Futcher)
Glenanne picked up their 10th win of the season to leave Corinthian with a nervous final day of the men’s EY Hockey League to look forward to next Saturday as they look to survive the drop.

The Glens got off to a great start with Shane O’Donoghue scoring a corner in the third minute and they were 2-0 up via Richard Couse with only eight minutes played.

Corinthian – who were without Peter Caruth, Robbie Clarke and Ben Murphy – did cut the gap with Andrew Sutton scoring his second goal of the season before half-time.

But the game was over early in the second half with Shannon Boucher scoring in both the 39th and 40th minutes. Chad Futcher got one back but O’Donoghue’s stroke copper-fastened the Glens win.

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Pembroke buzzing after women’s EYHL goes down to the wire

Aisling Naughton’s spectacular second minute goal was enough to get Pembroke the 1-0 win against Muckross they needed win the women’s EY Hockey League for the first time.

Earlier in the day, Catholic Institute beat Belfast Harlequins 2-1 at Deramore Park to take the league down to the last fixture to determine the destination of the title.

It meant Pembroke had to get a victory against a side fighting for their lives to try and escape relegation. And the Serpentine Avenue hosts got off to a dream start when Naughton dove full length at the left post to turn in Ellen Curran’s excellent ball.

From there, Pembroke dominated the play in the first half but a tough of over-eagerness meant an insurance goal proved elusive with Rachel O’Brien hitting the post and a number of other chances bouncing across the face of goal.

That ratcheted up the tension in the second half as any Muckross break-out had the potential to scupper the celebrations and, with lots on the line, the green and whites found some rhythm.

But Pembroke finished strong, controlling the final quarter as Aoife Glennon – an immense talent between the posts – kept out a range of shots from different angles.

“It’s just phenomenal to be able to finish it off like this, at home, in front of our crowd; absolutely buzzing,” Naughton said afterwards with the club landing the title for the first time having never breached the top four before in the EYHL.

“It is quite momentous. When a few of us joined a few years ago, we had a goal to bring the club to this level and we have a built a squad of not just 18; there’s 26 or so. And this is testament to that because we only played two matches at full fitness.

“We were delighted to get that early goal; we had plenty of chances and Muckross made it really difficult for ourselves. But we did have too many chances and we really do need to make sure of it if we are here again! But one’s enough!”

It also brings with it a guaranteed European ticket while for Muckross it means a drop back to EYHL Division 2.

For Catholic Institute, they can console themselves with a direct ticket to the EY Champions Trophy semi-final.

Their win was built around goals from Roisin Upton and Leah Clery but they were also left with jangled nerves as Katie Larmour getting one back for Belfast Quins.

Pegasus secured a home quarter-final berth with a 2-0 win over UCD with the students scraping into a rematch with the Ulster side as Railway Union could not do enough against Old Alex to break into the playoffs, a 1-1 draw.

Old Alex will meet Loreto who eased by Cork Harlequins 5-1 with a hat trick from Christina Hamill.

** Fuller round-up to be posted in due course

Women’s EY Hockey League: Pembroke 1 (A Naughton) Muckross 0; Belfast Harlequins 1 (K Larmour) Catholic Institute 2 (R Upton, L Clery); Old Alex 1 (S Robinson) Railway Union 1 (Z Delany); Cork Harlequins 1 (M Barry) Loreto 5 (C Hamill 3, S O’Brien, Y Pratt); UCD 0 Pegasus 2 (T Doherty, K Magee)

Pembroke goalscorer Aisling Naughton celebrates with Emily Beatty. Picture: Max Fulham

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Methody land Kate Russell title after thrilling Salerno finale

Methodist College Belfast won the Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls Championships for the second time as Jiwon Hong struck what proved to be the vital goal against Salerno at Dangan.

The tournament went down to the wire with Methody needing just a draw in the final game of the competition but a win for Galway hosts Salerno could have seen them nick the title.

And they put themselves in the frame as they led twice with Grace Walsh putting them 1-0 up only for Ruby Tindall to tie things up. Then a spectacular Anna Costello penalty corner early in the second half against had Salerno dreaming of bringing the title back to Connacht for just a third time in its 42 year history.

But Hong snagged the equaliser for Methody to make it 2-2 and they held on for that key result to stay clear in the round-robin table after two intense days.

Overnight, there was a three-way tie on four points with Holy Child Killiney with Crescent Comp and Kilkenny College looking to make a late charge.

It was the Limerick side who started off the day with Holly Doupe and Sarah Fitzgerald putting their first win on the board with a 2-0 success against the cats.

Game two was a thriller with both Salerno and Holy Child remaining unbeaten following a 2-2 draw.

Roisin Heaney finished off an outstanding goal, created by by Ailbhe Folan’s long run, and Folan also netted for the hosts with Olivia Napier and Alex Purcell getting the Killiney efforts.

That opened the door for Methody to jump into the lead when they won 2-0 against Kilkenny, Jen Lamont and Sophie Moffett on the mark.

Crescent guaranteed themselves a medal when Charlotte Horan’s penalty corner goal put them 1-0 to the good against Holy Child.

What shade everyone would get, though, was all to be decided in the final game where Methody added to their 2016 success in memorable fashion.

Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls Championships
Friday results: Crescent Comp 2 (H Doupe, S Fitzgerald) Kilkenny College 0; Salerno 2 (R Heaney, A Folan) Holy Child Killiney 2 (O Napier, A Purcell); Kilkenny College 0 Methodist College Belfast 2 (J Lamont, S Moffett); Crescent Comp 1 (C Horan) Holy Child Killiney 0; Salerno 2 (G Walsh, A Costello) Methodist College Belfast 2 (J Hong, R Tindall)

Final Standings: 1. Methodist College Belfast 8pts (+3) 2. Salerno 6pts (+2) 3. Crescent Comp 6pts (0) 4. Holy Child Killiney 5pts (0) 5. Kilkenny College 1pt (-5)

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Garvey and Town showdown pivotal in men’s EYHL title race

On the penultimate match weekend of the men’s EY Hockey League regular season, Lisnagarvey can potentially win the title should they get the best of Monkstown and Three Rock falter against YMCA.

The former is the meeting between the two sides currently on the best runs with Garvey picking up 19 from the last available 21 points to set themselves clear at the top of the table.

Town, meanwhile, have won all of their league games in 2022, making it six in succession for Eddie O’Malley’s side. They have done so despite a number of absentees with David Nolan, Nick Dee and Jazze Henry missing last weekend’s 4-1 win over YMCA, opening up an opportunity for John O’Hara and Josh O’Neill to make their first team debuts.

They have been defensively tenacious with David Fitzgerald exceptional between the posts last weekend against YM who created a number of big chances that required his full attention.

The sides served up a thriller at Rathdown before Christmas with Town winning 4-3 but Garvey have not lost since hit steamroller mode, scoring 18 times in the last four games. Ben Nelson is in line for a return to action.

Rovers will be keenly interested in the outcome from this tie while hoping to fulfill their half of the title-chasing bargain when they go to YMCA in a repeat of St Patrick’s Day’s Mills Cup final.

For the Y, they have missed Matthew Walker at the base of their defence with his foot in a protective boot. Their main issue has been giving opponents a big start, going 3-0 inside 21 minutes in that cup finals and 2-0 behind against Town last Saturday inside four minutes.

Both times, they rattled their south Dublin rivals but only after they had a big deficit to make up.

At the bottom, there is lots to ponder once again. Perhaps the central tie in this regard is Annadale’s hosting of Pembroke. The Ulster side will go mathematically safe if they emulate their result at Serpentine Avenue before Christmas when they won out 4-0.

It would be quite a turnaround for Dale to do that. Between early February 2019 and late October 2021, they endured 30 winless EYHL games in succession through the pandemic years but that result allied to two successes against UCD has them on the verge of staying up.

Pembroke will benefit from the return of Julian Dale after suspension and their comeback point against Corinthian a week ago has kept them in touch with Dale and Corinthian.

For the reds, they were kicking themselves that they could not see home their lead against Pembroke with only 40 seconds remaining. They will be further stymied with Peter Caruth likely to miss this week’s tie with Glenanne at St Andrew’s.

Glenanne, meanwhile, have an exceptionally busy spell on their agenda. After this game against Corinthian, they host Lisnagarvey on Sunday in the Irish Senior Cup semi-final and then play Three Rock Rovers on March 30th in their refixed league game.

Saturday 26th March 2022
Men’s EYHL Division 1: Annadale v Pembroke, Lagan College, 1pm; Glenanne v Corinthian, St. Andrews, 1.30pm; Lisnagarvey v Monkstown, Comber Road, 2pm; UCD v Banbridge, Belfield, 1pm; YMCA v Three Rock Rovers, Wesley College, 2.15pm

Sunday 27th March 2022
Men’s Irish Senior Cup, semi-finals: Glenanne v Lisnagarvey, St Andrews, 1.30pm; Monkstown v Cookstown, Rathdown, 4pm

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Hockey Ireland welcomes Richard Fahey as interim CEO

Hockey Ireland is delighted to welcome Richard Fahey to the role of interim Chief Executive Officer for the organisation.

Richard will commence in the role from Monday 28th March, succeeding Jerome Pels who is moving from the role he has held since January 2017 to take up an equivalent position with England Boxing.

Richard has held several senior management posts within Irish sport over the past twenty years, most recently as Chief Executive of Tennis Ireland.

He was formerly Director of Club Licensing and Facility Development at the Football Association of Ireland, providing him with experience in both individual and team sport environments. Richard is also a board member at the Dublin City Sport and Wellbeing Partnership.

During his time with Tennis Ireland, tennis enjoyed a significant growth in participation as he drove improvements in governance, built relationships with clubs and helped develop new competitive opportunities for players.

He has also played a key role in facilitating the development of tennis and football facilities at local and regional level across the country including the FAI National Training Centre at the National Sports Campus.

A key task for Richard will be to build on the work done to date by Jerome and all the team in Hockey Ireland and to bring a new perspective and experience to our sport as we continue our journey to deliver for our players, coaches, umpires, volunteers and clubs.

Richard said: “I am very much looking forward to commencing my role as interim Chief Executive Officer of Hockey Ireland and working closely with the staff, the Board and with everyone involved in Hockey on the island of Ireland to further develop this wonderful sport”.

Hockey Ireland chairman Trevor Watkins added: “Hockey Ireland are very pleased to welcome Richard to lead us in what is an exciting time for our sport. Richard’s skills and experience are a perfect fit for Hockey Ireland. The Board looks forward to working with Richard as we continue to implement our strategy and take advantage of the opportunities before us.”

The search for a permanent CEO will be advertised shortly on the Hockey Ireland and Sport Ireland website.

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Pembroke and Insta vye for a first women’s EYHL title

By Saturday evening, the women’s EY Hockey League will have a new champion with either Pembroke of Catholic Institute taking the laurels for the first time.

At different points in the season, Pembroke looked like they might have had it wrapped up at this stage but Insta gave them something to think about last Saturday with their 4-1 win at Rosbrien to send the title chase to a final day.

For Pembroke, they remain in the box seat with a two-point lead and a home date against ninth-placed Muckross. Last week, they had a half-dozen players unavailable with their backline completely rejigged in the absence of Leah McGuire, Isy Delamer, Amy-Kate Trevor and Hayley O’Donnell.

Last week was, incredibly, the first time Pembroke had conceded more than one goal in a game this term. With a more settled line-up, coach Gavin Groves will ease back into their rhythm once again to land the title for the first time.

For Insta, they are guaranteed their best ever finish in the EYHL simply by virtue of the fact this will be their first complete season in the top tier.

The influence of Olympians Róisín Upton and Naomi Carroll cannot be understated; they are both among the top three goalscorers in the league, offering threats from set pieces and play, respectively.

But focusing on that duo is just part of the story. The second goal in last Saturday’s 4-1 win over leaders Pembroke was a pitch-length, training ground move of smooth movement and team interplay.

Leah Clery’s tireless running up top, Laura Foley’s ability to ghost by players and the assurance of Christine O’Shea in defence are all pivotal.

If they win their lunchtime game at Belfast Harlequins (12.45pm, Deramore Park), Insta will have a – potentially temporary – one-point lead in the rankings.

Then, they will hope to be active Muckross supporters for an afternoon, wishing on the relegation-threatened side can deny Pembroke a victory (2.30pm, Serpentine Avenue).

They form exciting parts of a final day of the campaign with something on the line for nine of the ten teams due to the new playoff format. Muckross and Belfast Quins’ fate is also wrapped up in those ties with the Dubliners needing a win to have a chance to avoid the drop – by the time they hit the turf, they will know their equation and what is possible.

Pegasus are already assured of a playoff spot but they will be hoping to upgrade their guaranteed quarter-final spot to a semi; for this to happen, they need Insta to falter and then win over UCD.

The students, though, will know what they need in the last game of the season (starting at 2.50pm at Belfield) to get into the playoffs themselves.

Railway, seventh, can put fifth-placed Old Alex’s playoff hopes in jeopardy if they pick up a win at Milltown in a potential barnstormer. Loreto, meanwhile, will look to pin down a home quarter-final if they can lock down the points at home against Cork Harlequins.

Sunday, meanwhile, sees the women’s Irish Senior Cup semi-finals take place. Holders UCD are going for a fourth title in five editions of the competition but they need to be the first side this season to win at Rosbrien as they go to Catholic Institute – they did draw there on the opening day of the season, the one blemish to Insta’s home record.

Pembroke host Pegasus in a repeat of the 1975 final, the year the Dublin 4 side last won the title.

Saturday, March 26th
Women’s EYHL Division 1: Belfast Harlequins v Catholic Institute, Deramore Park, 12.30pm; Cork Harlequins v Loreto, Farmers’ Cross, 12.45pm; Old Alex v Railway Union, Milltown, 1.30pm; Pembroke Wanderers v Muckross, Serpentine Avenue, 2.30pm; UCD v Pegasus, Belfield, 2.50pm

Sunday, March 27th
Women’s Irish Senior Cup, semi-finals: Catholic Institute v UCD, Rosbrien, 1pm; Pembroke v Pegasus, Serpentine Avenue, 4pm

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Salerno, Holy Child and Methody lead way after day one

Hosts Salerno hold a narrow edge after day one of the Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls Championships in Dangan, leading the group on goal difference after a tightly fought series of fixtures.

The Salthill side got off to a dream start when Sinead Burke scored just a couple of minutes into the tournament against Kilkenny College but the sides ultimately shared a 1-1 draw with Julie Greene equalising.

Salerno later backed that up with a 2-0 win against reigning champions Crescent College Comprehensive thanks to goals from Ciara Dunne and Ailbhe Folan.

It puts them on four points, the same tally as both Methodist College Belfast and newcomers Holy Child Killiney who drew 0-0 in their opening game. Both followed up with 1-0 wins, Methody defeating Crescent 1-0 courtesy of a Sasha Tindall goal while Killiney got their first win against Kilkenny on the same scoreline.

Day two opens up in Galway with Crescent against Kilkenny before a potentialy defining game between Salerno and Holy Child at 11am.

Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls Championships (all at Dangan, Galway)
Thursday results: Salerno 1 (S Burke) Kilkenny College 1 (J Greene); Methodist College Belfast 0 Holy Child Killiney 0; Crescent Comp 0 Salerno 2 (C Dunne, A Folan); Kilkenny College 0 Holy Child Killiney 1 (L Schwer); Crescent Comp 0 Methodist College 1 (S Tindall)

Friday fixtures: Crescent Comp v Kilkenny College, 9.30am; Salerno v Holy Child Killiney, 11am; Kilkenny College v Methodist College, 12.30pm; Holy Child Killiney v Crescent Comp, 2pm; Methodist College v Salerno, 3.30pm

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Galway awaits for the 2022 Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirl Championship

After two years hiatus, the Kate Russell All-Ireland Championship returns with the five regional champions battling it out in the 41st edition of the marquee competition at NUIG’s Dangan on Thursday and Friday. 

It features three previous winners of the title with 2019 champs and holder Crescent Comprehensive; 2018 victors Kilkenny College and 2016’s Methodist College Belfast all tasting success in recent times. 

At the other end of the spectrum, Leinster’s Holy Child Killiney are a newcomer to this stage having won their provincial final for the first time after 75 years of hockey in the school while host school Salerno are looking to have the trophy in Connacht for the first time since 2009. 

The action gets underway on Thursday morning at 9am with five matches running through the day and five more on Friday with the winner decided on a round-robin group basis. 

Find out more about the sides here: 

Crescent Comprehensive (Munster champions) 

The reigning champions by virtue of their 2019 success, Crescent have enjoyed a super season to daye. They had a 100% record in the North Munster league and eagerly await the league semi-final in Limerick where they face Mount Mercy.  

This league form provided momentum to overcome Munster contenders Scoil Mhuire in the quarter final of the cup 5-2. In the semi-final, Crescent overcame a dogged Ursuline Thurles side 3-1 before needing a near faultless performance in the final to overcome Mount Mercy 2-0.  

Munster champions Crescent

Goals have been shared throughout the forward line between Amy Connolly, Seodhna Dervan and captain Holly Doupe with Sarah Fitzgerald, Aoibheann Collins and Jodie Keane leading the charge from both midfield and defence. 

Squad: 1. Trixie Pearce GK 2. Ingrid Cussen 3. Jodie Keane 4. Maria Campbell 5. Amy Connolly 6. Aoibheann Collins 7. Bronagh Byrne 8. Holly Doupe C 9. Jane Moore 10. Eimear Cowhey 11. Sarah Fitzgerald 13. Charlotte Horan 14. Seodhna Dervan 15. Ciara Brennan 16. Ali Clein 17. Hannah O’Byrne 20. Anna Campbell 22. Faye Luby GK (12. Róisín O’Brien – travelling reserve) 

Coach: Cathal Duggan, Assistant Coach: Gary Kirby, Manager: Miriam O’Callaghan. Other: Sean O’Callaghan 

 

Holy Child Killiney (Leinster champions) 

The school won their first ever Leinster Senior Cup title earlier this year, edging out Newbridge College in the final to make them the one newcomer this week to the top table in the Kate Russell Championship. The group has been incredibly committed and has a unique team spirit that been a significant factor in the team’s successes so far.  

This was backed up by winning the Claudia Tierney following a second-place finish in league group having lost out to eventual winners Wesley 1-0. Captain Alex Purcell has provided a constant threat in midfield while twins Sophie and Katie Meir play pivotal roles. The team has kept seven clean sheets in all competitions with Emma McCann, Millie Jerman and goalkeeper Cathy Green providing great stability at the back.  

Squad: 1 Cathy Green (Gk) 2 Katie Meir 3 Rachel Jackson 4 Jessica O’donovan 5 Emma Mccann 6 Alex Purcell (C) 7 Sophie Meir (Vc) 8 Jenny Baily 9 Sarah Mcfarland 10 Isabelle Napier 11 Lucy Schwer 12 Millie Jerman 13 Heather Miles 14 Aliya Davis 15 Olivia Napier 16 Sive Mcloughlin 17 Hannah Murphy 25 Hannah Gerlitz (Gk) 

Head coach: Simon Lowry; assistant coach: Jess McGrane; goalkeeping coach: David Fitzgerald 

Holy Child Killiney. Pic: Adrian Boehm

Jesus & Mary Secondary School, Salerno (Connacht champions) 

Salerno has a proud history of competing in the Kate Russell tournament as Connacht champions, representing Connacht this year having done so in 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018 and would have done so in 2020.  

The Leaving Certs in our current senior squad were part of the Under-15 squad who competed in the inaugural June Smith All Irelands in Kilkenny in 2018, finishing third in that tournament. 

They swept to the Palmer Cup this year with a 5-0 final win over Colaiste Iognaid in the final in early March. Among their line-up are captain Leah Ruane, Ailis McDonnell, Grace Walsh, Anna Costello and Isabelle Howard who all represented Connacht in the Under-18 interprovincial tournament this season while Ailbhe Folan has scored in EYHL2 this term. 

Squad: 1. Grace Kavanagh (GK) 2. Ava McGauran 3. Ailbhe Folan (Vice Captain) 4. Joanne O’Flaherty 5. Anna Costello 6. Emma Dillon 7. Ailis McDonnell 8. Leah Ruane (Captain) 9. Sinead Burke 10.Ciara Dunne 11.Amy Keenan 12.Isabelle Howard 13.Sophie Beatty 14.Laoise Medley 15.Roisin Heaney 16.Grace Walsh 17.Lauren O’Flaherty 18.Ella Harte (GK)  

Reserves: • Aoife Summerville • Maeve Moran • Aoibhin Deasy • Anna Harty (injured)  

Coach: Gerry Heaney Assistant Coach/Team Manager: Katie Osborne 

 

Kilkenny College (South East champions) 

Kilkenny College are looking to win their third Kate Russell Championship having landed the trophy in 1994 and 2018. They qualified for the finals stage with a 2-1 victory over city rivals Loreto Kilkenny in the South East final. 

Vicky Ronaldsson is the side’s top goalscorer, working well in tandem with Julie Greene up front. Handcock sisters Amy and Zoe are crucial in midfield along with other South Leinster players including Ava Chamney (captain), Emma Simmons, Sarah Wiilson and Holly Hutchinson in the backs. 

Many of the side play with either the rapidly rising Kilkenny Hockey Club or Naas Hockey Club. 

Squad: 1 Sarah Valentine (Gk) 3 Zoe Handcock 4 Megan Sherwood 5 Sarah Wilson 6 Vicky Ronaldson 7 Holly Hutchinson Vc 8 Ava Chamney C 9 Jill Stephens 11 Lily Grace 12 Amy Handcock 13 Emily Brain 14 Julie Greene Vc 15 Lilly Cooke 16 Emma Simmons 17 Tara Obyrne 18 Molly Mcloughlin Gk 19 Erika Lowe 20 Lucy Pringle 

Coach: Ross Harding; assistant coach: Richard Willis; manager: Lesley Threlfall 

Kilkenny College

 

Methodist College Belfast (Ulster champions) 

Methodist College Belfast, affectionately known as Methody, is enjoying a big sporting year as they won their second girls Ulster Senior Cup title along with the boys senior rugby cup.  

A number of players have achieved representative honours at Ulster and Irish Level; Ella Armstrong, Anna Pim and Enya Darby (Ulster U18) and Erin Pim (Ulster U16) while the multi-talented Amy Hunter hit the world record books in 2021 at just 16 years old as cricket’s youngest international centurion. She scored the winning goal in the Ulster final from a corner variation in their 1-0 victory over Royal School Armagh. 

Their squad has also shown their incredible heart for hockey throughout the season as well as their heart for giving, contributing to various charity projects (such as Charlene’s Project) and supporting an initiative created by co-Captain Anna Pim (At the Heart of the Game).  

Squad: 1. Enya Darby (GK) 2. Amy Hunter 3. Sophie Moffett 4. Adriana Cutrona 5. Ella Armstrong (Co-Captain) 6. Sarah Johnston 7. Anna Pim (Co-Captain) 8. Katy Doherty 9. Jiwon Hong 10. Sasha Tindall 11.Ruby Tindall 12.Zara Bolan 13.Erin Pim 14.Jen Lamont 15.Holly Moffett 16.Emma Campton 17.Rebecca Glass (GK) 

Coach: Fiona McIlwaine; Assistant Coach: Lynne McCluggage; Team Manager: Sarah McGrath

Methodist College Belfast

 

 

Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls Championships 2022 (all at NUIG Sports Grounds Dangan) 

Thursday 24th March 

9.30am Salerno V Kilkenny College 

11am Methodist College Belfast V Holy Child Killiney  

12.30pm Crescent Comprehensive V Salerno  

2pm Holy Child Killiney V Kilkenny College  

3.30pm Crescent Comprehensive College V Methodist College Belfast  

Friday 25th March 

9.30am Crescent Comprehensive College V Kilkenny College  

11am Salerno V Holy Child Killiney  

12.30pm Kilkenny College V Methodist College Belfast  

2pm Holy Child Killiney V Crescent Comprehensive College  

3.30pm Methodist College Belfast V Salerno  

** Each match is 50 minutes in total (4 quarters of 12.5 mins with 2 mins break at quarters and 5 mins at half time) 

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