HOCKEY: For the second season running Loreto, Old Alexandra and Hermes have filled the top three places in Leinster's first division, the significant difference this time being that Loreto, the champions, swapped places with Hermes, who secured third place over the weekend.
Once again Alexandra have finished second, with an identical record to last year, winning 12 and drawing and losing three of their 18 games.
The three will, then, be Leinster's representatives in this year's All-Ireland quarter-finals (April 17th and 24th).
Loreto drew 2-2 with Corinthian, Cathy McKean scoring her 25th goal of the campaign. Corinthian, who finish in fifth place, join Hermes as the only team not to lose to Loreto in the league. Old Alexandra defeated Three Rock 2-0 while Hermes' 2-1 defeat of Trinity ended the students' eight-year run in the first division. Clontarf's 2-0 win over Glenanne guaranteed their promotion from the second division.
At Whitechurch a hat-trick from Ciara O'Connor gave Muckross a 3-2 win over Corinthian II. The result kept Muckross in the second division and sent Corinthian II down, with Our Lady's (they will be replaced by Skerries and Loreto III).
