PORTADOWN, Lurgan and Queen’s University are the Ulster teams in the EY Hockey League Division 2 for Season 2024/25 which is set to kick-off on Saturday, January 25, with seven first round fixtures taking place across the four provinces. In the Women’s competition Monkstown host Munster champions Cork Harlequins, and Portadown play their first ever EYHL2 game against visiting Muckross in Pool A. In Pool B, Queen’s University and Lurgan will begin their campaigns with an all-Ulster match-up at The Dub, and University of Galway will welcome Leinster Champions Corinthian to Dangan.
Elsewhere, Railway Union and Old Alex will play out the first AIG Irish Senior Cup tie of 2025. The game will be played three weeks before the rest of the Round 1 fixtures as Railway Union are set to depart for the EuroHockey Indoor Club Trophy in Porto in February.
The Women’s Irish Junior Cup Round of 16 will also take place, with the top seconds sides in the country battling for a place in the March’s quarter finals.
EY Hockey League Division 2
Saturday, January 25
Women’s Pool A
Monkstown vs Cork Harlequins
12:20pm | Rathdown School
Former EYHL side Monkstown will begin their bid to return to the topflight with what is likely to be one of their toughest games of the pool stages. Munster Division 1 champions Cork Harlequins will have lofty ambitions of their own this season having already won their provincial division with a game to go. Having come so close to promotion last season, the Cork side will undoubtedly be keen to have another crack at it again this year and are a likely play-off favourite.
Umpires: Ellie Duffy, Ben Geoghegan
Portadown vs Muckross
3:00pm | Portadown
Portadown will begin their first ever EYHL2 campaign by welcoming Muckross to Edenvilla. Despite this being a new frontier for the Ulster side, their league form would suggest they will be something of a dark horse this year. Muckross will hope their trip north will be a fruitful one as they aspire to go one better than their pool stage exit last season.
Umpires: Sarah Craig, Lyn Morrow
Women’s Pool B
Queen’s University vs Lurgan
12:30pm | Queen’s University
QUB and Lurgan begin with an all-Ulster clash at The Dub. Reigning Ulster Premier League Champions QUB will hope to take their first steps towards their promotion aspirations but will face a considerable challenge against Lurgan who sit just one place below them in the Ulster standings, and have considerable EYHL2 experience, having made it out of the pool last year.
Umpires: Mike Campbell, Aaron Donnell
University of Galway vs Corinthian
2:30pm | Dangan
Dangan is the destination for Corinthian as they travel west to face University of Galway in the two sides’ first EYHL2 outing. The current Leinster Champions will have similar aspirations to those of Monkstown; an immediate return to the Division 1. University of Galway will be their first challenge, and despite the college side having never recorded a win in the competition, they have strengthened year-on-year and will no doubt be ready for the fight.
Umpires: Sunny Charles, Tanja Schafer
AIG Irish Senior Cup – Women
Railway Union v Old Alex
Park Avenue | 11:30am
Railway Union and Old Alex will have the honor of playing the first game of the 2025 AIG Irish Senior Cup as the sides meet in an early encounter in Park Avenue. The teams will play their first-round match three weeks early to facilitate Railway’s involvement in the EuroHockey Club Indoor Trophy in Porto.
These sides are no strangers to each other having met twice already in the EYHL. Old Alex have arguably come away the better of the two sides, recording a 2-1 win and a 1-1 draw in their two meetings. However, Railway’s exceptional form after their rocky season start means they haven’t recorded a loss since the start of November.
Irish Junior Cup
Women’s Round of 16
UCC vs Pembroke Wanderers
Athlone vs Corinthian
Bray vs UCD
Monkstown vs Ballymoney
Pegasus vs Loreto
Old Alex vs Portadown
Catholic Institute vs Belfast Harlequins
Avoca vs Three Rock Rovers
