While Siobhan Madeley, the administrative officer of the European Hockey Federation, will be collating and dispersing results of 15 competitions from the EHF office in Dublin over Easter, her husband Robin leads Three Rock Rovers into action in the Cup Winners' Cup in Amsterdam. Closer home, the inaugural under-18 nations Youth Cup is being staged with typical Ulster hospitality at the Queen's University playing fields in Belfast.
For both Three Rock and the Irish under-18s, the challenge is formidable, especially for Rovers (runners-up to Instonians in last season's Irish Senior Cup final) who start their programme against the powerful Amsterdam club tonight.
"It will be a great experience for the younger players," says Madeley. "We will try and do as much as we can - but we have got to be realistic. There is no point in killing ourselves against the Dutch. We will be looking for good results against the Poles (KS Poctowiec) and the Belarussians (RSVH Minsk) and then to win our cross-over match so as to retain A division status for Ireland."
Equally it would be heartening if the Munster-bulwarked under-18s could keep a place for Ireland in the top flight of the Youth Cup. With a backs-to-the-wall performance in the Home Countries tournament in Cardiff, they gained a remarkable 2-0 victory over England, whom they meet in their opening game in Belfast today. France may provide lighter opposition tomorrow but Germany are bound to provide a severe test on Sunday.
Ireland might have to be satisfied to hold their own in the classification matches. It would be particularly satisfying to reverse the 5-2 defeat inflicted by a well-drilled Scottish side in Cardiff.
Meanwhile Ireland's senior squad will be in Padua, tackling Switzerland and Italy, to familiarise themselves with the pitch for the European Championship in September. It is a setback for coach John Clarke that Neil Cooke - one of the country's most consistent defenders - has decided to retire while the team will be weakened this weekend by the withdrawal of Alastair Dunne because of hamstring trouble.
This leaves only seven World Cup survivors, so the opportunity is ripe for emerging players such as Paddy Brown, David Smyth, Jason Black, Francis de Rosa and Colin Hanna to make an impact. More striking ability, however, may yet be required, perhaps from Leinster circles.
In addition to all the activity on the European front, Corinthians are hosting 48 select teams in the Dublin Easter Festival, including Canadian, Dutch and German sides as well as the usual large contingent from Britain. Eclipsed by events elsewhere, Clontarf's achievement in gaining promotion to the first division in Leinster has gone largely unrecorded. The success fulfills a lifetime ambition for veteran defender Craig McMullen. It has taken 17 years to reach the top flight and both the coach Donal Halpin and captain Liam Colvin recognise the challenge facing the club next season. It is accepted that the squad should be strengthened but younger players such as Peter Maybury, Stephen Byrne, Eoin McCoille and goalkeeper Aidan McDonald are expected to thrive.
