It used to be the fixture you couldn’t afford to miss in Munster; Cork’s greatest rivals going hammer and tongs.
In a small sporting community, the meeting of Cork Harlequins and Cork Church of Ireland always had much to offer. Brothers and best friends on opposite sides of the fence, off-field ties temporarily forgotten; supporters you wouldn’t otherwise see from one end of the season to another coming out of the woodwork.
Above all, it offered high-octane, high-quality hockey. The late 1990s and 2000s were especially memorable; Ashton School and Bandon Grammar School both produced All-Ireland winning teams and a glut of Irish internationals who also graced the Quins and C of I teams that won Irish Senior Cups in 2006 and 1999 respectively.
The landscape is somewhat different now, and not for the better. The sides meet at Garryduff tomorrow (3pm) with champions C of I not even sure whether Quins will be their greatest rival in Munster this season.
Recession has taken some of both clubs’ top players out of Cork, while Quins are currently grappling with a mass exodus that saw nine first-teamers depart in the off-season, and are without a recognised goalkeeper – 44-year-old Ivan Bateman donned the pads for last week’s 4-0 win over C of I B, but the club are still looking for a longer-term solution.
Those who watched Quins capitulate 6-0 to C of I in March’s Munster Senior Cup final will fear the worst tomorrow. They still have a core of the side who won a shock Irish Senior Cup as recently as 2012 in situ however, and those remaining stalwarts, such as Jason Black, Paul Lombard, John Hobbs and David Egner, are too proud to go down without a fight.
The other top-tier men’s game also carries plenty of interest as UCC get their campaign underway with a smattering of new faces.
Neil Welch has lost the services of talismen Andy Gray and Kieran Healy but Gary Wilkinson is an addition of the highest quality as he lines out against his childhood club for the first time. Sam Thompson, David Doherty, Dave Treacy and Stuart Miller are among those also likely to see some gametime, but all will have a battle on their hands to earn a starting berth.
Meanwhile, the first six-pointer of the women’s season takes place at the Mardyke tomorrow (12pm) as Catholic Institute visit UCC. Both outfits will be eyeing Quins’ title having finished second and third respectively last season.
Insta crashed to a 3-0 home loss to the students this time last year which suggested a changing of the guard, but College couldn’t follow up on that promise and the Limerick girls gained revenge with a 2-0 Munster Senior Cup final victory.
Eimear Cregan’s retirement and Katie Campbell’s Erasmus year in Holland are among a number of departures that have weakened Insta’s hand, but they’ve looked imperious in putting 17 goals past UL and Bandon in their first two games.
UCC have lost key performers in Olivia Roycroft, Kate Murphy and Emma White but gained a trio of Ashton starlets plus experienced ex-Trinity and Pembroke defender Ailbhe Coyle and Fermoy’s Ciara Sexton.
Elsewhere, C of I go hunting a third win in as many games in Bandon, having dispatched Limerick and Fermoy so far. Eddie Kirwan has a fine blend at his disposal with Emma Rumley and Emma Barber the shining young lights in a side that has quality in all three lines.
Champions Quins are another side blooding plenty of youngsters this season; they visit a Fermoy outfit doing likewise after seeing some key players leave during the summer, while key midfielder Maeve Murphy will be out until December as she goes travelling.
Limerick visit Ashton with both sides keen to get off the mark after conceding five in their first outings last weekend, although both showed their goalscoring potential too and it could be a cracker on the Boreenmanna Road. Defender Karen Coombes is a big loss for Ashton though as she recovers from a broken toe.
Men’s Div 1: Cork C of I v Cork Harlequins, Garryduff, 3pm; Cork C of I B v UCC, Garryduff, 1pm.
Women’s Div 1: UCC v Catholic Institute, Mardyke, 12pm; Bandon v Cork C of I, Bandon Grammar, 12pm; Fermoy v Cork Harlequins, Loreto Fermoy, 12pm; Ashton v Limerick, Ashton School, 3.30pm.
The landscape is somewhat different now, and not for the better. The sides meet at Garryduff tomorrow (3pm) with champions C of I not even sure whether Quins will be their greatest rival in Munster this season.
Recession has taken some of both clubs’ top players out of Cork, while Quins are currently grappling with a mass exodus that saw nine first-teamers depart in the off-season, and are without a recognised goalkeeper – 44-year-old Ivan Bateman donned the pads for last week’s 4-0 win over C of I B, but the club are still looking for a longer-term solution.
Those who watched Quins capitulate 6-0 to C of I in March’s Munster Senior Cup final will fear the worst tomorrow. They still have a core of the side who won a shock Irish Senior Cup as recently as 2012 in situ however, and those remaining stalwarts, such as Jason Black, Paul Lombard, John Hobbs and David Egner, are too proud to go down without a fight.
The other top-tier men’s game also carries plenty of interest as UCC get their campaign underway with a smattering of new faces.
Neil Welch has lost the services of talismen Andy Gray and Kieran Healy but Gary Wilkinson is an addition of the highest quality as he lines out against his childhood club for the first time. Sam Thompson, David Doherty, Dave Treacy and Stuart Miller are among those also likely to see some gametime, but all will have a battle on their hands to earn a starting berth.
Meanwhile, the first six-pointer of the women’s season takes place at the Mardyke tomorrow (12pm) as Catholic Institute visit UCC. Both outfits will be eyeing Quins’ title having finished second and third respectively last season.
Insta crashed to a 3-0 home loss to the students this time last year which suggested a changing of the guard, but College couldn’t follow up on that promise and the Limerick girls gained revenge with a 2-0 Munster Senior Cup final victory.
Eimear Cregan’s retirement and Katie Campbell’s Erasmus year in Holland are among a number of departures that have weakened Insta’s hand, but they’ve looked imperious in putting 17 goals past UL and Bandon in their first two games.
UCC have lost key performers in Olivia Roycroft, Kate Murphy and Emma White but gained a trio of Ashton starlets plus experienced ex-Trinity and Pembroke defender Ailbhe Coyle and Fermoy’s Ciara Sexton.
Elsewhere, C of I go hunting a third win in as many games in Bandon, having dispatched Limerick and Fermoy so far. Eddie Kirwan has a fine blend at his disposal with Emma Rumley and Emma Barber the shining young lights in a side that has quality in all three lines.
Champions Quins are another side blooding plenty of youngsters this season; they visit a Fermoy outfit doing likewise after seeing some key players leave during the summer, while key midfielder Maeve Murphy will be out until December as she goes travelling.
Limerick visit Ashton with both sides keen to get off the mark after conceding five in their first outings last weekend, although both showed their goalscoring potential too and it could be a cracker on the Boreenmanna Road. Defender Karen Coombes is a big loss for Ashton though as she recovers from a broken toe.
Men’s Div 1: Cork C of I v Cork Harlequins, Garryduff, 3pm; Cork C of I B v UCC, Garryduff, 1pm.
Women’s Div 1: UCC v Catholic Institute, Mardyke, 12pm; Bandon v Cork C of I, Bandon Grammar, 12pm; Fermoy v Cork Harlequins, Loreto Fermoy, 12pm; Ashton v Limerick, Ashton School, 3.30pm.