Hockey Ireland Board

Board of Directors

Trevor Watkins

Director and Chair, nominated by Monkstown Sports Club

I have been involved in hockey in many roles over 5 decades. A former outdoor and indoor International and Hockey Ireland Level 5 coach.
I have held top coaching posts for clubs (Muckross, Avoca and UCD) for all age groups and Senior Interprovincial teams in Leinster, National indoor coach and women’s U’22 coach.
I hold a diploma in Sports Psychology and EHF indoor coach qualification . I have managed provincial and national teams and have been instrumental in development of youth hockey in Leinster.
I was a member of the Elite Player Pathway Group and has served on different selection committees in Hockey Ireland.
In business I have over 20 years experience in the Corporate Governance, Compliance and Regulatory environment and in developing a team culture to deliver success.
I am currently Chair of Leinster Hockey, President of Monkstown Hockey Club and Chairman of Unifund VC, a venture capital company assisting graduate startups.

Niamh Byrne

Director

Niamh has lived and worked in multiple countries across Europe, Asia and the South Pacific working in the Fintech, Banking, & mobile Telecom sectors. Niamh returned from Singapore to Dublin in late 2019 with her husband and two daughters, after 20 years abroad. Niamh has always been passionate about hockey and played for the Leinster U18s side for 2 years and represented Trinity College at the Intervarsites in both hockey and tennis. Whilst living in Singapore, Niamh worked for Citi as Chief Marketing Officer of Citi Asia & EMEA,. Prior to that, Niamh worked as Group Marketing Director of Digicel Pacific, the leading mobile operator in the South Pacific & Caribbean regions, where was responsible for the commercial and brand launch of Digicel operations in six Pacific Island nations. A key aspect of establishing the brand was the sponsorship of the Fiji 7s rugby team. Niamh lived in London for almost 6 years, and worked for Orange across Europe, driving strategic content partnerships in entertainment, music, and sport. Niamh has also lived and worked in Paris, and Brussels. An early career highlight was leading Marketing at Comic Relief in London, across Sport Relief, Live8 and Make Poverty History.

Niamh holds a BA Honours’ degree in Business Studies, Economics and Political Science from Trinity College Dublin, a Diploma in Company Direction from the IOD, a Postgraduate Diploma in Digital Marketing from the Digital Marketing Institute, and an advanced Diploma in French. Niamh is a member of the Advisory Board of the European CMO Council and is former Vice-Chair and Board Director of the Irish Chamber of Commerce, Singapore.

Claire Savage

Director

Claire is a Chartered Director with over 20 years experience in technology for financial services regulation. She has deep expertise in technology risk, outsourcing and digital resilience, having worked with over 100 regulated firms across credit institutions, payment processors, fund management companies and MiFID investment managers.

She is a board member, PCF holder and Chief Operating Officer of AQMetrics, a regulated fintech software company. She has a proven track record in leading multi-regional cross-functional teams, driving operational excellence, and navigating regulatory complexities with technology.

Claire is a Chartered Director (IoD), holds a BE in Mechanical Engineering, a Masters Degree in Management Science and is currently pursuing a postgraduate diploma in Compliance for Sustainable Finance with the Institute of Bankers.

Claire’s exposure to hockey is as a parent, with her two daughters playing hockey for their school Loreto College St Stephen’s Green, and club Pembroke Wanderers. She has seen firsthand how staying involved in a team sport such as Hockey allows teenagers to develop self-confidence and leadership qualities that will equip them in all aspects of their future lives.

Rachel Barry

Director

Rachel began playing hockey at school in Liverpool. After she moved to Ireland to study, she tried her hand at a number of different sports before returning to hockey as an adult when she joined Pink Ladies Hockey Club for a summer of social hockey. After the first training session, she knew that a return to hockey after a break of 10 years or so was the right decision, and quickly joined Muckross Hockey Club. She has been hooked ever since, travelling across Europe with the Pink Ladies ( and across Leinster with Muckross!), making life-long friends along the way.

Outside of hockey, Rachel is a senior associate with Arthur Cox LLP, specialising in employment law. She is a founding member of the Firm’s LGBT+ and ethnic minority support networks, and is committed to embedding diversity and inclusion initiatives at the heart of the workplace and wider society. As a former Education Officer/Deputy President of Trinity College Dublin Students Union (and ex officio Board Member of Trinity College Dublin ) and a former captain of Pink Ladies Hockey Club, she is an experienced leader and advocate in volunteer organisations. She is a firm believer in the transformative power of sport – and in particular, hockey – to build communities and happy and successful lives. Having been welcomed back to the sport with open arms by the Irish hockey community, she is keen to give back to that community

Aisling Keogh

Director, Nominated by Connacht Branch

Aisling Keogh is from Galway City and has been working in the HSE for over 20 years, now working on Capital Projects and Equipping. Aisling has been involved with hockey since the age of 7 and has volunteered and participated in every aspect of the sport. She was nominated to participate in the Women in Sports Leadership Course in 2020 delivered by Leadership experts and Swim Ireland which included women across all sporting bodies.

Aisling loves nothing more than to give back to the sport she loves and a sport that gave her so much. Aisling took the decision to retire from FIH, National and Provincial umpiring in 2017. She is a National and European recognised Umpire Coach and Technical Officer having completed the necessary training as well as being a National Umpire Assessor and Umpire Coach.

Aisling was Chair and President of the Connacht Branch Committee from 2017 to 2020 thereafter embarking on a 2 year facilities campaign “Misneach Le Cheile” in an effort to put the spotlight on women in sport gaining equal access to multi sports community facilities in the West of Ireland. She and her team following a very successful campaign secured a regional sports capital grant for a facility on the West side of the City which is progressing as well as the inclusion of 2 hockey pitches in the Galway City Development Plan and another project for a pitch in County Galway. Aisling also joined the Hockey Ireland’s Board of Directors at the same time. In those 3 years as a Board member she has been Chair of the Governance Committee, and a member of the HR and Communications Committee.

Aisling re-established Connacht Hockey’s social media and website presence in the last ten years and continues to volunteer passionately for the sport she loves.

Billy Pollock

Director, Nominated by Ulster Branch

Billy began hockey at school in 1969 and has played the majority of his club career with Cliftonville Hockey Club, which is now re-named CIYMS Men’s Hockey Club and he stills plays for the 2nd XI alongside a mostly teenage squad.

In 2000, along with a small group of Irish Masters, he embarked on the first ever Masters Hockey Home Nations Tournament in Cardiff and has been a stalwart of the Ireland Masters squads ever since, playing in European and World Cups and other International events, he currently plays for the Men’s Masters Over 65s Squad!
He is widely known for administering the ‘Ireland Masters Hockey’ Facebook social media page for both the women and men, he also serves on the men’s higher age groups organising Committee managing communications.

Billy is an avid worldwide hockey traveller and has played masters hockey in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Korea and all over Europe. He has 120+ Ireland Masters caps, proudly gaining his 100th Cap in the 2018 Ireland Men’s Over 60s Celtic Cup win in Lille.
Complete with his ‘green shamrock suit”, Billy recently travelled to Bhubaneswar, India Men’s World Cup in 2018 and to the Women’s World Cup in London 2018, to cheer on Ireland!

He a keen amateur sports photographer, regularly covering women’s and men’s hockey at all levels in Ulster and Ireland to help promote the sport he is most fervent about.
Billy was privileged to be taking photographs close to the pitch in the Energia Park Stadium, on that historic weekend in November 2019 when the Ireland Women qualified for Toyko Olympics 2020/21

Billy had a very successful management career in the defence and aerospace industry responsible for major €100M+ level contracts. He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), an accredited Project Manager with an MBA and Business Honours Degree. He’s passionate about professional management and has tutored Open University MBA and been Chair of the CMI in Northern Ireland for 12 years.

Billy was elected the Ulster Hockey Management Board in 2016, and became Chairperson in 2017 responsible for overall governance matters. He is also a Director of the Guysmere Trust Charity. Both Billy’s 2 daughters played hockey at his alma mater, the Queen’s University Belfast and he actively supports the women’s teams at ‘The Dub’.

Billy’s second sport is golf and he is a Member at The Royal Belfast Golf Club and a Past Captain and Member at Helen’s Bay Golf Club.

Iain Kelly

Director, Competitions – Nominated by Ulster Hockey

Having started playing hockey at Methodist College Belfast, Iain joined Collegians (now Belfast Harlequins) and during a long playing career, made more than 1000 appearances for the club’s first XI and now enjoys playing for the club’s lower teams. He has represented Ireland at U18 and U21 and more recently at Masters levels and has played in numerous Masters World Cups, European Championships and Home Nations tournaments.

Iain is a Trustee, Club President and President of the Men’s Hockey Section of Belfast Harlequins and has served on the club’s hockey section committee in various roles for nearly 40 years. When not playing on a Saturday, he can be found on the pitch umpiring a men’s or women’s club match.

Having taken so much enjoyment from hockey, when asked in 2015 to stand as a member of Ulster Hockey’s Competition Committee, Iain decided it was time to “give back” to the sport. Iain was elected as Chair of the UH Competitions Committee in 2016 and sits on the Ulster Hockey Management Board. He was nominated in August 2020 as the Ulster Hockey representative on the HI Board.

In business, Iain is a Business & Corporate Banking Relationship Manager looking after the banking requirements of a portfolio of clients.

Ursula Kilkelly

Director

Ursula Kilkelly is a professor of law at University College Cork with a strong knowledge of children’s rights, child development and child protection. Ursula is a Chartered Director (IOD) and has a strong track record in governance and strategy, having held a number of leadership roles including Chairperson of Oberstown Children Detention Campus since 2016.

Ursula is passionate about sport, as both an active participant and supporter, and believes that strong governance and strategic direction are vital to its integrity, value and sustainability. Ursula is committed to ensuring that her wide ranging national and international expertise is placed at the disposal of Hockey Ireland for the benefit of all who play and support the sport, at all levels.

Dan McCormack

Director

Dan joined the LTA, the governing body of tennis in Britain, five years ago where he works as the Head of Finance. Having previously held several financial management roles at Sky, including the position of Financial Controller for Team Sky pro cycling, Dan also has over ten years of experience working in the media sector with the BBC, Pinewood Studios, and Sky.

Dan is very keen to promote sport in Ireland using his experience of working in the sector in the UK, and in his spare time enjoys a wide range of sports himself including tennis, running, swimming, cycling, skiing, and surfing. Dan went to UCD and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.

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