Monday, July 14 – Dublin: Ireland Men’s Hockey Team Head Coach Mark Tumilty has officially announced his 18-player squad to travel to Lousada, Portugal to play in the EuroHockey Championship II. The crucial tournament, taking place from July 27 to August 2, provides Ireland the opportunity to defend their 2023 title, with a 2026 FIH World Cup Qualifier place and promotion to the 2027 EuroHockey Championships up for grabs for the tournament’s top 2 finishers.
Head Coach Tumilty has named a strong squad for the competition, combining experience with newer players as his side goes in search of their fourth EuroHockey Championship II title.
Jaime Carr and Luke Roleston get the nod in nets for Ireland, maintaining their places in the squad from the final stages of the FIH Pro League. Tim Cross returns to bolster Ireland’s defence and will join the likes of Kyle Marshall, Lee Cole, Fergus Gibson, and Peter McKibbin.
Sean Murray and Peter Brown will be the mainstays in Ireland’s midfield, with Adam McAllister joining them after an impressive debut campaign in The Netherlands and Belgium. Daragh Walsh also returns after he was forced to withdraw from Ireland’s remaining FIH Pro League games due to a minor injury.
Up front, Jeremy Duncan and Matthew Nelson continue to be two of Ireland’s primary attacking threats, and will be joined by Ben Nelson and Louis Rowe, who both put in very impressive performances in the 2024/25 FIH Pro League, bagging a combined 7 goals in the competition.
Ireland will begin their EuroHockey Championship II campaign with a match against Czechia on Sunday, July 27 at 15:45 Irish Time, followed by match ups with Italy and hosts Portugal in their remaining pool games. The EuroHockey Championship II will be available to watch live on TG4.
“The players and staff have put in an incredible amount of work to ensure we’re in the best possible position to perform when it matters,” said Head Coach Mark Tumilty.
“This competition is hugely important for us as a group. A top two finish not only secures qualification for the 2026 FIH World Cup Qualifiers but also earns promotion to the top tier of the EuroHockey Championships in 2027 – two key milestones in our longer-term goals.”
“We’ll travel to Poland for two test matches as part of our final preparations before heading to Lousada. These fixtures are an important part of finalising key elements of our game. The preparation to this point has been strong, and we’re confident in the direction we’re heading. We know what’s at stake, and we’re ready to go and deliver when the time comes.”
Ireland Men’s Squad
Jaime Carr
Luke Roleston
Tim Cross
Lee Cole
Fergus Gibson
Kyle Marshall
Mark McNellis
Peter McKibbin
Sean Murray
Peter Brown
Adam McAllister
Johnny McKee
Jonny Lynch
Louis Rowe
Daragh Walsh
Matthew Nelson
Ben Nelson
Jeremy Duncan
EuroHockey Championship II – Fixtures
Sunday, July 27 – IRELAND vs CZECHIA – 15:45 Irish Time
Tuesday, July 29 – ITALY vs IRELAND – 15:15 Irish Time
Wednesday, July 30 – IRELAND vs PORTUGAL – 18:00 Irish Time
Friday, August 01 – CROSSOVER MATCH 1 – TBC Irish Time
Saturday, August 02 – CROSSOVER MATCH 2 – TBC Irish Time