MARIUS GALLAGHER, the sensibly paced president of the Irish Hockey Union, no doubt will be taking steps to ensure that, next season, the union will not be putting pressure on its branches to complete their league programmes with the same frenzy that has been the ease this term. There seems to be undue haste in naming the teams for the all Ireland play offs.
In Leinster, notably, in the scramble to get all the senior fixtures played before the end of the month, there is the saga of the a.points being awarded to unbeaten Three Rock Rovers for the radical non appearance of Railway Union at Park Avenue as a result of confusion over dates.
At least technically, it will be all over if Three Rock draw with (or beat) Corinthians at Grange Road tomorrow, thus finally closing out Avoca. But there is a split in opinion in Dublin circles as to whether Railway's appeal to still have the Rovers match staged would be more in the spirit of the game, if against principle.
The situation in Ulster is that Lisnagarvey, obliged to fulfil seven matches in two weeks, went under to Newry Olympic on Tuesday and look like losing their title to Instonians.
At least in Munster, it's down simply to tomorrow's game at Harlequin Park where Cork C of need only a draw to come through again to the Dublin play offs on April 26th-28th for a place in Europe C of I's Ger Burns,
Munster's most capped Ireland defender, has announced, his retirement from international hockey. The Cork batter (32) made 76 appearances in the Irish shirt ran in from the Intercontinental Cup in, New Jersey and the World Cup in Pakistan to the Olympic (non) qualifier in New Zealand. His last international was in his third European Championship at Belfield last summer.
Several more seasoned former Ireland figures Mark Sinnamon, Colin Allister and Norman McGladdery will be lining out for Banbridge II in the Irish Junior Cup final (their third in successive seasons) against Pembroke Wanderers II at Grange Road tomorrow.
Yet this task may not be as intimidating for Pembroke compared to the 1994 decider when they lost 4-0. It is still not deemed necessary to recall Graham Moffatt (the club's only senior and junior medallist), Bertie Buttimer (a former match winner) or George Walshe of Enniscorthy. Instead, Ian Wolfe can depend especially on young marauders Paudie Carley and Trevor Dunne to tear at the Banbridge cover the way that Glenanne did successfully a year ago.
Monkstown, back in the first division of the Leinster League next season, announce a unique appointment. For the first time in senior circles, the squad will be under the charge of a woman coach, former international Jacqui Potter. Noel Bailey is vacating the post because of work commitments.
While for once King's Hospital did not win a schools' trophy this season, there was much celebration and nostalgia at the official opening this week of their new state of the art pitch.
