Dear Members,
As we approach the end of another year, we want to take a moment to reflect on 2024 and the incredible progress we’ve achieved together.
We began the year with purpose, embarking on a series of Think Tanks and Roadshows that brought together provinces, clubs, officials, the IHUA, schools, and other stakeholders. These gatherings were invaluable for sharing ideas, tackling challenges, and exploring opportunities. Your input shaped our ambitious new strategic plan, Unleash the Power of Hockey, which sets a bold vision for the future and emphasises the importance of strengthening our foundations to unlock hockey’s full potential at every level.
In February, we celebrated the outstanding contributions of our volunteers. Three Hockey Ireland members—Cathryn Watson (Ballymoney Hockey Club, Antrim), Sally Kavanagh (Waterford Hockey Club, Waterford), and Ruth McDonagh (Bray Hockey Club, Wicklow)—were honoured with Federation of Irish Sport Volunteer of the Year awards. These awards highlight the vital role volunteers play in our sport’s success. While not everyone can receive an award, we deeply value the countless hours and dedication each of our volunteers contributes to our hockey community. We look forward to bringing back our own Volunteer of the Year Awards in 2025.
On the international stage, we have so much to celebrate. Our Senior Men’s Team secured their spot at the Paris Olympics during the Olympic Qualifiers, while the Women’s Team, despite narrowly missing qualification, proudly earned a silver medal at the Nations Cup. Watching the Men’s Team compete in the Pro League for the first time, was a significant milestone and supported their Olympic preparations. We’re excited for the opportunities that participation in the 2024/2025 Pro League season will bring—not only for player development but also for raising hockey’s profile and visibility.
Over the past few months, we extended Senior Men’s Head Coach Mark Tumility’s contract and welcomed Gareth Grundie back to our Women’s team, now as Head Coach. Looking ahead, 2025 has lots of exciting opportunities for our to senior teams and there will be a focus on strengthening our underage pathways to build a vibrant pipeline of talent. To support this critical area, we recently welcomed Simon Lowry to our team, who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in this area.
Other International successes came from our Hockey ID, Masters and Indoor teams. Our Hockey ID team won gold over the summer and as an organisation we have deepened our collaboration with Special Olympics and look forward to formalising this partnership in 2025. Masters hockey continues to thrive, with increased visibility domestically and internationally. A highlight from the year was the Women’s Over-55 team winning silver at the World Cup, as well as hosting numerous events across the island. Indoor hockey also provided thrilling entertainment this year, highlighted by winning the EuroHockey Indoor Championship II in Galway. Following an organisational restructure this year, we will be able to provide more direct support to these areas with the appointment of Claire Kelly as the Competitions and Events Manager, who will take up position in early January.
Off the field, we’ve worked diligently to strengthen our foundations. From governance and safeguarding to updating policies, procedures, and competition regulations, significant progress has been made to ensure that hockey is well-governed and sustainable for the future. A heartfelt thank-you to our Board and subcommittees for their phenomenal work in laying the groundwork for long-term growth and success.
This year, we also launched exciting initiatives to connect and engage with the hockey community. Hockey Ireland TV provides a platform to showcase the game and bring fans closer to the action. Our revamped website is now more user-friendly, and the new Hockey Ireland Shop allows fans and players to support the sport through branded merchandise. These efforts are key to modernising and enhancing how we communicate and engage with you the hockey community as well as a wider audience.
Our development team had a busy year. Summer clinics led by Roisin Upton and several of our international players reached hundreds of young athletes, inspiring the next generation through hands-on learning. Additionally, we trained hundreds of new Young Leaders, further strengthening the future of hockey at all levels.
Innovation has been key this year, from introducing indoor and small-sided game formats to partnering with Local Sports Partnerships (LSPs), we’ve created more opportunities for participation outside of the typical club setting. For example, Kerry LSP helped establish two hockey hubs in the county, while Cork LSP worked to encourage women back into sport with great success. The Tricks4Sticks program also remained a standout initiative, engaging over 4,000 participants across 36 schools.
On the funding front, hockey has done really well, securing €3 million through the Community Sport Facilities Fund, €733,913 in Sports Capital Equipment grants, and €1.3 million through the LLSIF, as well as other funding through multi-sport facilities. We were proud to host information webinars and one-on-one support sessions to assist clubs with grant applications, culminating in a recent webinar on pitch development featuring a guest speaker from the FIH to help clubs have the best information possible when drawing down on these grants.
As we look to 2025, we are filled with optimism about what we can achieve together. This past year demonstrated the potential of collaboration and shared purpose. We thank the clubs, provinces, and IHUA for their tireless efforts to bring the game closer together.
Thank you for your continued support, passion, and belief in the power of hockey. Our vision is not just to grow a sport but to build a thriving, inclusive community that inspires and empowers.
Wishing you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a new year filled with hope, excitement, and opportunity.