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Grainger to continue role as Hockey Ireland High Performance Director

Hockey Ireland are delighted to confirm Adam Grainger will continue in his role as Hockey Ireland High Performance Director.

“I am delighted to be reappointed as Hockey Ireland High Performance Director,” Grainger said. “It is a really exciting time for the sport and I am looking forward to working on the next Olympic cycles and taking on board all the learning from the Tokyo Olympics.

“I look forward to working with the senior and junior international players, coaches and multi-disciplinary personnel to maximise Ireland’s on-field performance and increase the likelihood of success.

“I would like to thank Sport Ireland, Sport Northern Ireland and the Olympic Federation of Ireland for all their invaluable, continued support of Hockey Ireland’s High Performance programs.

Grainger joined Hockey Ireland in 2017 on a fixed-term contract following successful spells in high performance at Sale Sharks, Saracens, London Wasps and UCD’s Ad Astra Elite Academy.

During his tenure in hockey, Ireland have contested both men and women’s World Cups with the latter winning silver in London 2018 before going on to qualify and compete at the Tokyo Olympics.

Speaking about Grainger’s continued role with Hockey Ireland, Chief Executive Jerome Pels added: “Adam has proven a key asset to our sport since joining Hockey Ireland four years ago with a deep understanding of the demands of high performance sport.

“We are pleased to have him continue to build on his good work in the coming years and put the structures in place for success on the world stage.”

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Under-18 and 16 girls invited for Irish assessment sessions

The following players have been invited for assessment for girls’ national Under-18 and 16 sessions on Sunday, December 19th  following the most recent round of Interprovincial matches.

  • U18 Girls session will be held in Abbotstown from 130pm-500pm
  • U16 Girls session will be held in Loreto Foxrock from 1030am – 130pm

Team managers will be in touch with players regarding details of the sessions.

Ireland Under-18

   NAME  SURNAME  PROVINCE  Goalkeeper
1  ELLA   PASLEY  LEINSTER    
2  AVA   MALEADY  LEINSTER    
3  GEORGIE  FOTTERELL  LEINSTER    
4  ALEX  GALLAGHER  LEINSTER    
5  ROISIN  SEXTON   LEINSTER    
6  SALLY  TRAYNOR  LEINSTER    
7  MIKAYLA  POWER  LEINSTER    
8  SARAH  MCFARLAND  LEINSTER    
9  REBECCA  CARTHY  LEINSTER    
10  CHARLOTTE  O’NEILL  LEINSTER    
11  JESSICA  MCCONN WALSH  LEINSTER   
12  CAOIMHE  SEYMOUR  LEINSTER  GK 
13  ZOE  HANDCOCK  LEINSTER SOUTH     
14  ISOBEL  COLLINS  LEINSTER SOUTH     
15  ERIN  LLOYD  LEINSTER SOUTH   GK 
16  DOIREANN  MCCURDY  LEINSTER SOUTH   GK 
17  CAOIMHE  CLEARY  CONNACHT    
18  LARA   SWANN  CONNACHT    
19  LAUREN  O’DONNELL  CONNACHT   
20  KATIE   MOORE  MUNSTER    
21  RUBY  WALSH  MUNSTER    
22  JENNY  MCLAUGHLIN   MUNSTER    
23  KATE  RYAN  MUNSTER    
24  SARAH   FITZGERALD  MUNSTER    
25  ROBYN  MURPHY  MUNSTER    
26  AOIBHEANN  COLLINS  MUNSTER    
27  OLIVIA   BEATTIE  ULSTER    
28  ALEX  BYRNE  ULSTER     
29  ANNA  PIM  ULSTER     
30  EVA   GASTON  ULSTER     
31  DARCY   MCGALL  ULSTER     
32  KAIA  MOORE  ULSTER     
33  GABRIELLA  SCOTT  ULSTER     
34  JODIE   SIMMONS  ULSTER     
35  ELLA   BROWN  ULSTER     
36  SARAH   KIRGAN  ULSTER     
37  EMMA  UPRICHARD  ULSTER     
38  AOIFE  DOYLE  ULSTER   GK 

 

 

Ireland Under-16 

   NAME  SURNAME  PROVINCE  NOTE 
1  LUCY  MCGOLDRICK  LEINSTER  GK 
2  MILLIE  JERMAN  LEINSTER    
3  ORLA   YOUNG HUGHES  LEINSTER    
4  MILLA   FULTON  LEINSTER    
5  ISOBEL   FIELD  LEINSTER    
6  ALIYA   DAVIS  LEINSTER    
7  AOIFE  O’MEARA  LEINSTER    
8  SARAH  BYRNE  LEINSTER    
9  EMILIE  O’BRIEN  LEINSTER    
10  SOPHIE  KENNEDY  LEINSTER    
11  RUBY  MULLEN  LEINSTER   
12  SOPHIE   ENGLISH  LEINSTER   
13  AMY  HANDCOCK  LEINSTER SOUTH     
14  ISABELLE  LEDSEME  LEINSTER SOUTH     
15  EMMA  SIMMONS  LEINSTER SOUTH     
16  MOLLY  FINLEY  LEINSTER SOUTH    
17  CAMILLE  MADDEN  LEINSTER SOUTH     
18  GRAINNE  MOLLOY  LEINSTER SOUTH   GK 
19  ROBIN  CAREN  MUNSTER  GK 
20  ANNA  CAMPBELL  MUNSTER    
21  AMY   NOONAN  MUNSTER    
22  ROISIN  O’BRIEN  MUNSTER   
23  CAOIMHE  GAFFNEY  MUNSTER    
24  ROISIN  HEANEY  CONNACHT    
25  MEABH   MCLOUGHLIN  CONNACHT    
26  CHLOE  PATTON  ULSTER     
27  SCARLETT  TAYLOR  ULSTER     
28  EMILY  CRAWFORD  ULSTER     
29  JONI  CUNNINGHAM  ULSTER     
30  RACHEL  LENNON  ULSTER     
31  REBEKAH  LENNON  ULSTER     
32  ANNIE  CUNNINGHAM  ULSTER     
33  DARCY  SHIELDS  ULSTER    
34  KIA   MCCARTNEY  ULSTER    
35  KATIE   HERRON  ULSTER    
36  KATE  SPILLANE  ULSTER   
37  CHARLIE  BOWMAN  ULSTER  GK 
38  LOLA  HENDERSON  ULSTER  GK 

 

 

 

 

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Irish Under-21 women to contest Four Nations in Valencia

The Irish Under-21 women’s team will see action in December in the end with a quickly arranged Four Nations tournament getting under way in Valencia from Wednesday, December 8 to Sunday, December 12.

The side was initially due to take part in the now postponed Junior World Cup in South Africa. That event was put on hold on the eve of departure due to the discovery of the Omicron coronavirus variant.

While not the same level of glamour as the World Cup, this tournament will offer a top class development opportunity with Ireland set to face Spain, the Netherlands and England – all sides who were also due to be in Potchefstroom.

Coach David Passmore can call upon almost all of the World Cup panel with only one change. Ulster Elks’ Gemma Ferguson comes in for Ellie McLoughlin to allow the UCD goalkeeper to make a full recovery from injury.

“Obviously the Junior World Cup being put on hold was a massive disappointment for the players who had worked so hard and were looking forward to representing Ireland at such a prestigious event,” Passmore said.

“While this tournament will not replace the JWC, it does allow us a great opportunity to build on the hard work and development over the previous few months and test ourselves against some of the world’s best teams”

Ireland start their tournament next Wednesday against their Spanish hosts before meeting the Dutch a day later. On Saturday, December 11 they will meet England before playing in either the final or a third/fourth place playoff game.

Under-21 Four Nations (Valencia, Spain; December 8-12, 2021)

Holly Micklem (GK, Old Alex / Trinity College)
Gemma Ferguson (Ulster Elks / UUJ)
KJ Marshall (UCD / University College Dublin)
Caitlin Sherin (Loreto / Dublin City University) Co-Captain
Emma Paul (UCD / University College Dublin)
Sarah McAuley (UCD / University College Dublin)
Ellen Reid (Loughborough Students, Eng / University of Loughborough)
Caoimhe Perdue (UCC / University College Cork), Co-Captain
Anna Horan (Catholic Institute / Mary Immaculate College)
Siofra Murdoch (Harvard, USA / Harvard University)
Christina Hamill (Loreto / Technical University Dublin)
Amy Elliott (UCD / University College Dublin)
Lisa Mulcahy (Loreto / University College Dublin)
Sophia Cole (UCD / University College Dublin)
Charlotte Beggs (Ulster Elks / University of Ulster Jordanstown)
Siofra O’Brien (Loreto / Technical University Dublin)
Nadia Benallal (Beeston, Eng / Nottingham Trent University)
Rachel Kelly  (UCD / University College Dublin)
Yasmin Pratt (Loreto / IT Carlow)
Aoife Taaffe (Loreto / University College Dublin)

 

Match schedule (all at Valencia, Spain; times local)
Wednesday, December 8: Netherlands v England, 4pm; Spain v Ireland, 6pm
Thursday, December 9: Netherlands v Ireland, 4pm; Spain v England, 6pm
Saturday, December 11: England v Ireland, 11am; Spain v Netherlands, 1pm
Sunday, December 12: Classification matches

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The EHF Club of the Year 2021 Nominations

Its that time of the year again when nominations for the EHF Club of the Year 2021 are open and we are looking for clubs to represent us. If you would like to nominate a club please complete the online form HERE . Closing date for nominations is 12 noon on Wednesday 8th December. If you are successful in being nominated for the Club of the Year you will need to supply three images representing your club project.

 

 

In 2019 Hockey Ireland were delighted to congratulate Loreto and Ballymoney on their awards for club of the year.

EHF Small Club of the Year: Ballymoney Hockey Club

Established: 1984

Nation: Ireland

Project: Increasing opportunities for boys’ hockey at U11 and U13

Working across several primary schools to activate a better gender balance for junior sections. Volunteers from the club have been on leadership and coaching courses to be able to give the boys the most positive start in their hockey careers. They have had help from local schools and clubs, and families and friends of our ladies’ sections. They receive sponsorships from star fuels and Bob and Bert’s coffee shop as well as running fundraisers, including a mini and junior fun day, bag packing, table and fireside quizzes and bag packing.

Laura Walters, Funding Officer from Ballymoney said on hearing that Ballymoney HC has been awarded the accolade of Small Club of the Year 2019.

“We at Ballymoney Hockey club are absolutely delighted to have been named the European (small) club of the year 2019. Over the past few years we have attempted to restructure and redevelop our club. It has taken a lot of hard work, organisation and dedication and this award is a testament to that. We are the first club in Ulster to have been awarded such a prestigious title and we hope we can go on to promote and develop our club further.”

 

When it came to the Large Club of the Year the EHF was spoiled for choice and when the Assessments were done, both Loreto HC and The Club an der Alster had equal points, Peter chuckled “As there was no chance of a shoot-out in the event of a draw, the committee agreed that the clubs would share the title of EHF Large Club of the Year 2019. Both projects are indeed Equally Amazing.”

Large Club of the Year: Loreto Hockey Club

Established: 1926

Nation: Ireland

Project: Hockey Mums

The idea was that the club offered coaching for Mums, some who had never played hockey before and others who had not played since school, all were keen to play and learn more about the game. This commenced with 40 parents and has grown each year. This year there were over 85 parents taking part. There were three levels: beginners, intermediate and advanced. Parents were taught hockey rules, skills and fitness. After the eight weeks the parents were split into mixed teams and a blitz style tournament & BBQ was held. This final event has proved extremely popular in the community with children, Dads, teachers and local parish workers all in attendance, over 300 people attended this year.

On hearing of the win Wendy Byrne, President of Loreto HC said “ Loreto Hockey Club is delighted, honoured and very proud to be awarded the EHF Club of the Year award for large clubs. The award allowed us to highlight our clubs strong voluntary contributions, its inclusive nature and its warm welcoming atmosphere. Receiving this award caps off a great year for us, having just installed our first ever water-based pitch making our pitch and clubhouse a top-class facility. Thank you to all our members who create wonderful memories season after season. We couldn’t be happier.”

 

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UCD and Pembroke through after thrilling cup quarter-finals

Irish Senior Cup specialists UCD are in the final four yet again as they produced a stunning late show to beat Railway Union 4-3 in a spectacular advert for the club game.

The Belfield students move a step closer to a potential fourth title in five editions of the competition following a rollercoaster contest.

Grace Keane and Niamh Carey had the hosts flying at 2-0 with just 22 minutes gone but Railway turned the game on its head either side of half-time. Sarah Hawkshaw got them on the board just before the break and, in the 38th minute, it was level courtesy of the in-form Kate Lloyd.

Zara Delany then put Railway ahead for the first time in the third quarter. But UCD had plenty left in the tank and twins Michelle and Niamh Carey – playing against the side their mother Una McCarthy coaches – swapped the lead once more in the last 11 minutes with a goal each.

Pembroke marched on with a 4-0 win over Queen’s after a battling display from the Ulster side at the Dub.

Twenty places separate the two sides in the Irish pecking order but the EYHL national league leaders were made to work hard for their victory.

Simon Bell’s side did have their chances and, despite the result, Pembroke’s Emma Buckley was marginally the busier of the keepers. The Cork woman pulled off a string of fine saves, denying the hosts particularly at the start of the second half when she was forced into three excellent stops.

But by that stage, Queen’s were already two goals down and chasing the game but their performance belied their domestic form which has seen them slip to 10th in the Ulster Premier League.

Alyssa Jebb was foiled by Buckley at a set-piece early on before former Ireland player Sinead Loughran drove home the opener in the 24th minute, her corner taking a deflection off a home stick.

Two minutes later, Queen’s conceded again in similar fashion, this time Issy Delamer converting with a direct shot.

After Buckley’s early second-half heroics, it took the Leinster side until the 64th minute to add to their tally, Delamer adding her second with a carbon copy of her first.

With two minutes left, Pembroke wrapped things up with the best of the bunch. Good work by 2018 World Cup silver medallist Gillian Pinder and Rachel O’Brien set up Martha McCready who scored from a rebound off the keeper’s pads.

Those were the only games to survive the frost. Catholic Institute’s away trip to Banbridge was cut short while Muckross and Pegasus’s game at Grange Road was also postponed.

In EY Hockey League Division 2, it was a frustrating day for the Munster contingent.

At an emotional Mardyke, the game between UCC and Ards was preceded by a minute’s silence in honour of Margot Hartnett, wife of club mentor and stalwart Paidi Hartnett.

The Ulster side, though, took the initiative in Pool A as their blistering first half performance saw them win 3-1.

Jess Ryan got the ball rolling before Zara Malseed thumped in two more before half-time for a 3-0 advantage.

Irish Under-21 co-captain Caoimhe Perdue pulled one back for the students who had another goal disallowed in a rousing second half but Ards held and now top the group at this early stage after Corinthian and Galway’s tie was frozen out.

Just down the road in Pool B, Lurgan nabbed a 1-1 draw at Cork C of I with Sarah McClure striking in the closing stages, cancelling out Julie Coyne’s effort.

Monkstown have taken a big step forward with their second win of the group. They were made to wait until the second half before eventually seeing off NUIG 2-0 at Dangan.

Anna O’Flanagan made it two goals in two games this season with the opening effort in the 38th minute before Amber Barnwell scored a penalty corner shot to make the game safe.

In the Irish Hockey Trophy, Ashton, YMCA and Raphoe are all through to the semi-finals from the three games that went ahead.

Ashton came from a goal down to beat Clontarf 2-1 with Emma Nagle and Kate Harvey overturning Ali Bailey’s opening goal from a corner. Isobel Jansen Cahill’s penalty stroke save late in the game assured the victory.

Zara Tinney got the only goal for Raphoe as they won 1-0 against Armagh while YMCA were 3-1 victors over Genesis, a side from a division above in the Leinster leagues.

Mya Adams got the only goal of the first half for YM before Aoife Orton equalised for Genesis. Abi Kennedy and Charley Flavin strikes swung the tie the way of the Y.

Women’s results
Irish Senior Cup, quarter-finals: Queens 0 Pembroke 4 (I Delamer 2, S Loughran, M McCready); UCD 4 (N Carey 2, G Keane, M Carey) Railway Union 3 (S Hawkshaw, K Lloyd, Z Delany)
Postponed: Banbridge v Catholic Institute; Muckross v Pegasus

EYHL Division 2
Pool A: UCC 1 (C Perdue) Ards 3 (Z Malseed 2, J Ryan)
Postponed: Corinthian V Galway
Pool B: Cork C of I 1 (J Coyne) Lurgan 1 (S McClure); NUIG 0 Monkstown 2 (A Barnwell, A O’Flanagan)

Irish Hockey Trophy, quarter-finals: Ashton 2 (K Harvey, A Nagle) Clontarf 1 (A Bailey); Genesis 1 (A Orton) YMCA 3 (M Adams, A Kennedy, C Flavin); Raphoe 1 (Z Tinney) Armagh 0

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Irish Senior Cup quarter-finals take centre-stage

Saturday brings the quarter-finals of the men’s and women’s Irish Senior Cup with a number of potential classics on the list while there are women’s EYHL Division 2 and Irish Hockey Trophy games.

In the men’s line-up, there is a potential classic as two of the competition’s most successful clubs meet at Grange Road with Three Rock Rovers hosting Lisnagarvey at 3pm, accounting for 36 of the titles since the trophy was introduced in 1893.

Garvey are the reigning champions with Rovers winning the two editions before that. The former won their most recent tie two weeks ago 3-2 but Rovers subsequently got the upper hand in the league with victories over Glenanne and YMCA.

A key factor could be the availability of Ross Canning who has been a key figure for Rovers thus far but he was rested for the second half of that win over YM with a hamstring strain.

Cookstown are one of two second tier sides looking to cause an upset against top division opposition in a repeat of the 2009 final. The unbeaten Ulster Premier side face an out of sorts Pembroke who have just two wins in national competitions this term in nine attempts and were without player-coach Alan Sothern last weekend.

Three Rock Rovers’ James Walker and YMCA’s Grant Glutz in action last week. Pic: Adrian Boehm

The Co Tyrone side are seeing plenty of young guns rising through the ranks with Mark Cuddy and Luke Haycock shining last week along with Max Anderson and the McCabes: Scott and Josh.

Cork C of I will get a big test of their credentials when they take on Glenanne in the quarter-finals of the men’s Irish Senior Cup on Saturday in Dublin.

The Garryduff side are unbeaten on all fronts this term, topping Munster Division One and starting their EYHL Division 2 campaign in rude health with a 5-0 win over Rathgar.

But the Glens will be a different level to anything they have faced this term with the Tallaght club sitting equal second in the top division.

It is the kind of challenge Jonny Bruton’s side have expressly stated they want to face more frequently, targeting a return to the top tier of the EYHL where they believe the likes of Rob Sweetnam, Mark Collins, Ian Balding and Rory Treacy will thrive.

The Glens were understrength last week with Shannon Boucher, Richie Shaw, Richard Couse and Rowland Rixon-Fuller all out but, in Shane O’Donoghue, they have the country’s outstanding goalscorer at the heart of things.

Monkstown meet YMCA who they drew with 1-1 recently in the league with Sam Hyland scoring a late penalty stroke. The Y have missed the fiery presence of Ross Henderson up front while Town’s form has been hit and miss, beating two of the top three in the league either side of that draw with YM who occupy eighth in the table.

In the women’s Irish Senior Cup, Banbridge and. Queen’s will aim to defy the odds against in-form and higher ranked opposition to reach the semi-finals.

Bann are at this stage for the second successive campaign but face a Catholic Institute side who have catapulted into the national shake-up in recent years with Olympians Naomi Carroll and Roisin Upton back in the fold.

The Co Down side will hope the likes of Katie McDonald and Lucy Mackey to fire as they have in the Ulster Premier, leading the scoring in the division.

NUIG and Queen’s both face another big tie this weekend. Picture: Billy Pollock

For Queen’s, they face another side shining in the EYHL, Pembroke, who have been the outstanding side thus far, building a healthy four-point lead.

Queen’s have had a middling Ulster Premier campaign, sitting in tenth place, but they have saved their best form for the big games this term and with internationals Jessica McMaster and Erin Getty in the mix and Alyssa Jebb firing up front, they can cause problems.

Pegasus go into their quarter-final with plenty of confidence against Muckross at Grange Road following a solid first half of the season which included a 3-1 success against their opponents.

UCD and Railway Union can provide some potential early fireworks at Belfield at 11.15am in a repeat of the 2013 final. The students have won three of the last four editions of the competition and, with the Junior World Cup postponed, their sizeable Irish Under-21 contingent will not have any mixed focus.

Railway did a fine job of blocking their open goal last week after goalkeeper Riona Norton went off injured and if they can display that same defensive organisation, they could be well set to repeat their 2-1 league win.

It’s a busy day on the national stage with round two of EYHL Division 2’s group stages. Galway enter the stage with a trip to Corinthian, their young side guided by US Olympian Alyssa Manley who is the player-coach. UCC and Ards are both looking to land their first win of the campaign following opening day draws.

In Pool B, Cork C of I host Lurgan who are playing their first tie of the competition while Monkstown will look to make it two wins from two when they head to NUIG.

It means the Galway side’s Irish Hockey Trophy game with Avoca has been postponed, leaving three ties in that competition on the agenda. Ashton host Clontarf, Genesis face YMCA and Raphoe take on Armagh.

Saturday 27th November 2021 fixtures
Men
Irish Senior Cup, quarter-finals: Glenanne v Cork C of I, St Andrews, 1.15pm; Monkstown v YMCA, Rathdown, 2.30pm; Pembroke v Cookstown, Serpentine Avenue, 2.30pm; Three Rock Rovers v Lisnagarvey, Grange Road, 3pm

Women
Irish Senior Cup, quarter-finals: Banbridge v Catholic Institute, Havelock Park, 1pm; Muckross v Pegasus, Grange Road, 2.30pm; Queens University v Pembroke Wanderers, Malone Playing Fields, 2.30pm; UCD v Railway Union, Belfield, 11.15am

EYHL Division 2
Pool A: Corinthian v Galway, Whitechurch Park, 1.15pm; UCC v Ards, Mardyke, 12pm
Pool B: Cork C of I v Lurgan, Garryduff 12pm; NUIG v Monkstown, Dangan, 1.20pm

Irish Hockey Trophy, quarter-finals: Ashton v Clontarf, Ashton School, 12pm; Genesis v YMCA, St Raphaela’s, 12pm; Raphoe v Armagh, Royal & Prior, 1pm

Monkstown celebrating a goal in midweek against Trinity. PIc: Deryck Vincent

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Women’s Junior World Cup in South Africa put on hold

Following the outbreak of a new coronavirus variant in South Africa, the International Hockey Federation (FIH), the South African Hockey Association and the North-West University of Potchefstroom have jointly decided that the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup South Africa 2021 has been put on hold.

The Irish Under-21 women were due to take part in the event which was due to be played in Potchefstroom from December 5th to 16th.

“We are disappointed for our young players and the staff who were given this special opportunity and put in an incredible amount of work to be ready to participate in this event and play on the world’s stage,” said Hockey Ireland chief executive Jerome Pels following the announcement.

“However, we are looking forward for the 2021 FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup to be played at a later date. I would like to thank the sponsors and donors who had made travel and participation at the event possible and for their continued support of our rising stars.

“We respect the FIH’s decision to postpone the World Cup. We are proud of our players group who very much understand that the health situation is very serious and that this decision unfortunately had to be taken.”

Explaining the decision to put the event on hold, FIH CEO Thierry Weil added: “The safety of everyone involved in the FIH events is an absolute priority.

“Additionally, many countries, including from some of the participating teams, have now strongly increased their travel restrictions with South Africa, including halting flights.

“Therefore, it simply isn’t possible to maintain this event as planned. This is hugely disappointing. An FIH Junior World Cup is so important for the development of young players.

“Also, it was the first time that an FIH World Cup was due to take place on African soil. On behalf of FIH, I’d like to thank all teams for their understanding as well as the local organisers for their great work and collaboration.”

The FIH will keep monitoring the situation and take a decision about the potential staging of the 2021 FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup as soon as it will be possible to do so.

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Sport Ireland issue guidelines for underage indoor hockey

Sport Ireland has issued further guidelines for underage indoor matches and competition. Please note that these guidelines apply to the Republic of Ireland only.

Indoor Underage Hockey: Games and Competitions for Children under 18 Years Old

  • The current “pod of six” system can be adjusted to allow for indoor games and competition activities for players of mixed immunity status according to the ordinary rules and limits of the sport concerned.
  • The ‘pod of six’ system should be retained for all other settings such as training activities.
  • The continuation of the pod system for more frequent activity will assist in minimising the overall risk and facilitate contact tracing.

Additional Hockey Ireland Guidelines:

  • Clubs should limit squad sizes as much as possible.
  • Parents of players should be informed of the restrictions and guidelines for competitive hockey.
  • All other guidelines should be strictly adhered to as per the previous Hockey Ireland Covid-19 update on 28th October 2021 (see below).

Mitigation Measures for Inclusion in Indoor Youth Sport Protocols:

  • Staggered start and finish times combined with appropriate entry, exit and traffic management protocols to minimise the unnecessary interaction of participants at any one time.
  • The pre-booking of activity including the health screening of participants along with coaches & support personnel.
  • Symptomatic individuals not to participate in or attend sporting activities.
  • Consideration of indoor space densities when determining overall numbers.
  • Reduction in the overall duration of activities.
  • Ensuring that indoor spaces are well ventilated.
  • Participants to arrive prepared to play; limited use of changing room or showers.
  • The ongoing promotion of good respiratory & hand hygiene.
  • The wearing of face coverings by coaches and support personnel.
  • Additional signage, hand sanitization stations and deep cleaning implemented.
  • The use of physical distancing during warm-ups, rest times and off the field of play.
  • No handshakes, high fives, fist pumps, chest bumps, huddles, group celebrations, etc.
  • The use of dedicated Covid-19 Officers to ensure implementation and compliance of measures
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Sarah Murtagh – Munster Development Officer

Hockey Ireland would like to welcome Sarah Murtagh who will be taking on the role of Munster Development Officer.

Sarah is joining the Hockey Ireland team with over 27 years experience in hockey, playing from colts to senior level and holding many volunteering roles within her clubs over the years. A qualified coach and experienced club umpire she brings a knowledge of the issues that can be faced by clubs at all levels and is looking forward to planning and implementing programmes to support the development of clubs in Munster.

With a significant experience in applying for grants and a knowledge of what supports are available from various funding bodies Sarah will no doubt be an asset to clubs in identifying and working with to apply for Local Sport Partnership and County Council funding opportunities. With a high level of administration skills as well as clearly being a personable and strong communicator, efficient and organised we are looking forward to welcoming Sarah to the team and feel sure she will prove a very successful development officer for Munster.

Some of the areas that the Munster Development Officer role will focus on are

  • Promoting Munster hockey through community and school engagement to increase club numbers at both adult and junior level
  • Particular focus on growing boy’s hockey in Munster
  • Establishing and developing Hockey4All in Munster
  • Promoting and development hockey in third level colleges (e.g. UCC, UL, MIC, WIT, MTU)
  • Management and administration of development programmes including ClubMark, Tricks4Sticks etc.
  • Identifying key areas for new clubs and helping with the administration involved in setting up a club.
  • Act as link between clubs and schools and identify and support clubs to develop ways to increase volunteers, coaches and umpires.
  • To increase participation.
  • Promoting and developing the indoor format of the game across the province in both clubs and schools
  • Working in partnership with LSP/ local councils and helping clubs to identify and apply for funding opportunities
  • Establish and promote Vets and social hockey and support Master’s Hockey

Sarah will be starting her new role in December and we feel sure the clubs and players in Munster will welcome her to the position.

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Interpro series heats up; watch the games back via Hockey Ireland Youtube

Last weekend saw a bumper five-game series of fixtures in the underage interprovincials in the female competitions following a triple header on the boys side a week earlier.

There are 10 of the games from this year’s interpro series available to view in full via the Hockey Ireland Youtube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/c/HockeyIrelandOfficial/playlists

Last Sunday at Under-16 girls level, Leinster have made a flying start with Milla Fulton’s hat trick helping to a 7-1 win over Munster, making it two wins from two. Ulster started their campaign with a 7-0 success against Connacht.

Moving up to Under-18 level, Munster remain unbeaten as Sarah Fitzgerald’s backhand effort from a penalty corner ensured a 1-0 win over Leinster. Ulster impressed with a 4-0 victory over Connacht to kickstart their campaign.

December 12 sees Connacht face Munster at Rosbrien and Ulster take on Ulster South at Grange Road.

In the Under-21 competition, Lauren Johnston got the only goal deep into the second half for Leinster as they won 1-0 against Munster in Newtown. It adds to their 2-0 success against Connacht. This series concludes on December 12 when Connacht face Munster in Limerick.

In the boys competitions, Ulster got off to a flying start at Under-18 level with an 8-1 success against Munster. They will next meet Leinster on December 12. It was 8-0 between the two provinces at Under-16 level while Munster were the dominant force in the Under-21 competition with three first half goals seeing them win out 3-0.

Men (Sunday, November 7)
Under-21: Munster 3 (Jack O’Meara 2, Kevin O’Dea) Ulster 0
Under-18: Munster 1 (Sam Dale) Ulster 8 (Ewan Cruickshank 3, Louis Rowe 3, Daniel Murray, Mackenzie Connor)
Under-16: Munster 0 Ulster 8 (Matthew McAreavey 2, George Palmer 2, Adam McKee, Ollie Berry, Ben Law, JJ Holley)

Women (Sunday, November 14)
Under-21: Leinster 1 (Lauren Johnston) Munster 0
Under-18: Munster 1 (Sarah Fitzgerald) Leinster 0; Ulster 4 (Emma Uprichard 2, Jodie Simmons, Imogen Graham) Connacht 0
Under-16: Leinster 7 (Milla Fulton 3, Sophie Kennedy 2, Millie Jerman, Emilie O’Brien) Munster 1 (Aoife Kavanagh) ; Ulster 7 (Kia McCartney 2, Scarlett Taylor, Lily Gallagher, Joni Cunningham, Ruby Monaghan, Georgina McGuckin) Connacht 0

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