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Full series of EYHL2 fixtures will see contenders emerge

An stronger idea of who will be involved in the shake-up for EY Hockey League places next season will move closer after Saturday with a full series of Division 2 fixtures on the agenda.

In addition, there is a vital men’s top tier meeting between Corinthian and Annadale while Muckross and Pegasus meet in an Irish Senior Cup quarter-final postponed from before Christmas.

Looking at the one top tier EYHL game, Corinthian and Annadale sit just outside the relegation places and will be hoping to use this tie to give them a bit more breathing room.

They drew 3-3 on the opening day of the season with Chad Futcher scoring twice for the reds; he has since returned to South Africa and they will miss his impressive drag-flicks – scoring six in total – and long overheads.

Dale are three points better off and a third victory of the season would see them put six points between them and the drop zone.

In EYHL2, the tension is ramping up in the group stages, particularly in a very tight Pool 1 where just one point covers the top three places. Cork C of I lead the way on goal difference and they meet third placed Railway Union.

Both are leading their regional leagues but have not it all their own way of late. C of I needed a late Rob Sweetnam to win at Catholic Institute in Munster to win 2-1 and stay top. Railway scraped by Dublin University and Portrane before losing their unbeaten record at the hands of Clontarf.

Instonians, meanwhile, host Rathgar who have yet to land a point in the competition.

Similarly, there is nothing between the sides in Pool 2 with Cork Harlequins, Kilkeel and Clontarf drawing all the games they have played so far.

This time out, Clontarf host Kilkeel with the Bulls in red-hot form with nine games unbeaten in Leinster, most recently beating Dublin Uni in midweek 5-0 with a Sam Grace hat trick. Kilkeel, meanwhile, have been shading high-scoring battles, beating Queens 4-3 this week and Newry 5-4 either side of a 2-2 draw with Portadown.

Pool 3 has two clear leaders – Cookstown and Bandon – with a maximum 10 points from two games on their record but that will not remain beyond Saturday with the two clubs meeting in west Cork.

Mossley and Portrane will look to kickstart their potential chances of reaching the playoffs when they face off at The Glade.

On the women’s side, it’s a similarly vital moment in the EYHL2 season. Leaders Ards are on the bye weekend and so chasers UCC and Corinthian will see their meeting at the Mardyke as vital.

NUIG and Queen’s are in EYHL2 action. Picture: Billy Pollock

The students are on seven points and five above the reds but the Dubliners have only played one game thus far due to a frozen-out fixture before Christmas which leaves them ground to catch-up and seven games remaining.

Galway and Trinity, meanwhile, are seeking their first win of the campaign when they meet in Dangan and needing a result to keep their chances of a playoff spot alive.

In Pool 2, with runaway leaders Monkstown on a break, it is a great chance for all four of the sides to put themselves in the frame for a playoff place.

Cork C of I and NUIG are both seeking their first win of the league having drawn with Lurgan in earlier rounds. The Cork side have been in excellent form in Munster, moving top of the table and reaching their regional cup semi-final with a 5-0 away win over Bandon.

Queen’s will strengthen their hold on second significantly if they can win their meeting with Ulster rivals Lurgan on Saturday. Queen’s have made strong moves in 2022 with healthy wins over Dungannon (5-0) and Raphoe (2-0) lifting them five places in the table, one spot behind Lurgan but with two games in hand.

In the women’s Irish Senior Cup, Muckross are hoping to overturn their EYHL 3-1 defeat to Pegasus when they meet at Grange Road. Both are aiming to join UCD and Pembroke in the final four with Banbridge and Catholic Institute’s date now refixed for February.

Sunday sees the latest round of matches in the male underage interprovincials with Munster and Leinster meeting in a triple-header at Three Rock.

Elsewhere, the draws were made for the men’s and women’s Irish Junior Cups and the women’s Irish Hockey Challenge with the men’s playoff places also confirmed.

Saturday 29th January 2022
Men
EYHL Division 1: Corinthian v Annadale, Whitechurch Park, 3.15pm

EYHL Division 2
Pool 1: Instonians v Rathgar, Shaw’s Bridge, 3pm; Railway Union v Cork C of I, Park Avenue, 1.30pm
Pool 2: Clontarf v Kilkeel, Mount Temple, 1.30pm
Pool 3: Bandon v Cookstown, Bandon GS, 1pm; Mossley v Portrane, The Glade, 2.45pm

Women
Irish Senior Cup, quarter-final: Muckross v Pegasus, Grange Road, 2.30pm

EYHL Division 2
Pool 1: Galway v Trinity, Dangan, 1pm; UCC v Corinthian, Mardyke, 2pm
Pool 2: Cork C of I v NUIG, Garryduff, 2pm; Queens University v Lurgan, Malone Playing Fields, 12.45pm

Sunday 30th January 2022
Men
Interprovincial series
Under-16: Munster v Leinster, Grange Road, 3pm
Under-18: Munster v Leinster, Grange Road, 5pm
Under-21: Munster v Leinster, Grange Road, 4pm

National cup draws
Men
Irish Junior Cup semi-finals: Cookstown v Bangor; Banbridge v YMCA
Irish Hockey Challenge, quarter-finals: Limerick v Midleton; Waterford v Mullingar
Semi-finals: Winner of QF 1 v Portrush; Winner of QF 2 v Saintfield

Women
Irish Hockey Challenge semi-finals: Bangor v Wexford; Clonakilty v NICS
Irish Junior Cup semi-finals: Pembroke v Queens; Corinthian v Railway

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Christine O’Shea the new Connacht Regional Development Officer

Hockey Ireland is delighted to welcome Christine O’Shea as our new Connacht Regional Development Officer. 

Christine joins Hockey Ireland with a wide range of experience in the sport from coaching, managing and umpiring over the past 20 years. 

She has been a Director of Hockey for a number of years in a secondary school in Limerick, involved in Munster development teams and as Munster Under-18 interprovincial manager. 

Christine is a qualified coach and umpire and is no stranger to Hockey Ireland, providing strength and conditioning work with the Irish women’s development squad. 

She has also delivered development programmes in schools (eg Tricks 4 Sticks) and helping out with the initial coaching set-up of new schools and clubs. 

Christine continues to shine on the playing front with Catholic Institute, playing a key role in their rise to national contention in the EY Hockey League.  

Her appointment comes at an exciting time for hockey in Connacht with a number of new clubs getting off the ground in recent months. 

Last weekend saw Tuam Falcons and Loughrea Lakers host their first taster sessions. Ballinasloe Lions have their first introductory event on February 5 at the football grounds at Portiunculla. Athenry Swans got under way in September and have already played in their first blitzes.  

Some of the areas the Connacht Regional Development Officer will focus on are:

  • Grow hockey, support and develop existing/new resources for the Connacht region, an area that Hockey Ireland see as having huge potential for growth. 
  • Partnering and growing participation in NUIG 
  • Growing indoor hockey in NUIG, specifically around growing men’s hockey and encouraging social participation in hockey
  • Promoting and developing the indoor format of the game across the province 
  • Management and administration of development programmes including ClubMark, Tricks4Sticks etc.
  • Working in new areas to run cluster Primary School/Secondary School programmes with the aim of setting up new clubs around Connacht
  • Act as link between clubs and schools and identify and support clubs to develop ways to increase volunteers, coaches and umpires.
  • Delivering workshops and holding meetings to support, educate and empower clubs to implement change and become more sustainable 
  • Working in partnership with LSP/ local councils and helping clubs to identify and apply for funding opportunities

Christine started in the role last week and can be contacted on christine.oshea@irelandhockey.sportlomo.com.

 

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Adam Grainger steps down as Hockey Ireland Performance Director

Adam Grainger has stepped down as Hockey Ireland’s High Performance Director to pursue a new work opportunity with Kitman Labs.

It follows a successful period since joining Hockey Ireland in 2017 with both the Irish men’s and women’s senior international sides contesting World Cups with the latter winning silver in London 2018 before going on to qualify and compete at the Tokyo Olympics.

“Adam has made defining and lasting contributions to our high-performance programme and can be very proud of all the achievements during his time with us,” said Hockey Ireland chief executive Jerome Pels.

“We wish him the very best and thank him for all the support and his service to the sport of Hockey in Ireland.”

For Adam’s part, he said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Hockey Ireland and I am extremely proud of the work that Hockey Ireland, the wider hockey community, Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland have undertaken together.

“I believe hockey is in a strong place in Ireland and it is my hope that Hockey Ireland can now build upon the successes we have all created during both the Rio and Tokyo Olympic cycles.

“I would like to specifically recognise the passion, time and effort given to me by the Hockey Ireland Board, the Hockey Ireland High Performance Committee and the wider Hockey Ireland staff.

“Similarly, thanks to Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland high performance units for their ongoing support.

“Lastly, I want to acknowledge the support being provided by coaches and volunteers in clubs and leagues across the country, particularly at the junior age grade level.

“I am looking thoroughly looking forward to starting my role with the fast growing and ambitious performance science company Kitman Labs and will, of course, be keeping an eye on Hockey Ireland results in years ahead.”

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Fundamentals of umpiring module 2 practical in Cork Harlequins on Sunday 30th January 2022

Fundamentals of umpiring module 2 practical session taking place in Cork Harlequins on Sunday 30th January 2022 from 2.00pm – 4.00pm.

The aim of Fundamentals Module 2 is to ensure that the basic skills outlined in Module 1 can be put into practice, i.e. that participants know where to stand, know their areas of control, demonstrate appropriate signalling, and use their whistle correctly. Following completion of this Module participants should be comfortable with these basic umpiring tools and will be able to practice in un-appointed, league games. Specifically, it is envisaged that lower league games or u16 matches would be the target level of matches that people undertaking this Module should aim for.

There is no assessment associated with this module, instead participants will be provided with informal feedback on areas to improve on. Participants will chat with mentors on site who will suggest areas to work on around the topics of positioning, signalling, body language, whistle use, etc. Examples of necessary skills for this level:

  • Effective use of whistle including change in tone
  • Basic positioning
  • Makes decisions with appropriate signals
  • Starts to differentiate between basic stick clashes and fouls

Session will run from 2.00pm – 4.00pm with briefings by experienced umpire mentors going followed by umpire training in a match situation with observation time and followed up by group and individual feedback sessions.

Following completion of (i) the rules test, (ii) Module 1, and (iii) Module 2, participants will be able to register as ‘club umpires’ on the Hockey Ireland membership site. These three components represent the basics of the rules of hockey, the theory of umpiring and the practical components of umpiring respectively. To complete Fundamentals Module 2 participants must first have completed the Online Rules test and the online learning theoretical content of Module 1.

The umpire mentor for this session will be International Umpire Alison Keogh and spaces are limited to 8 for this course.

The cost of the course is €25 and is bookable through our events page at this link https://irelandhockey.sportlomo.com/event-page/ . Please note spaces will be assigned first come first served as there are only 5 spaces left on this course.

 

 

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Hockey Ireland implements new FIH Rules for 2022 with immediate effect

Hockey Ireland and the Irish Hockey Umpires Association will implement the new FIH Rules of Hockey for January 2022 with immediate effect for all competitions.

The updated rulebook can be found here: https://www.irishhua.com/handbook/handbook119.pdf?20220110120903

The two main changes relate to Rule 4.2 (removal of PC protective equipment) and Rule 9.10 (aerial balls). The other updates to the rules are cosmetic.

**

Rule 4.2 was changed to allow for defending players using Penalty Corner (PC) protective equipment to continue to play the ball outside the circle following completion of a penalty corner (i.e. when the ball travels more than 5m outside the circle).

Players should continue to remove facemasks as soon as possible after a PC but they can continue to wear the facemask whilst playing within the defending 23m area. The aim is to remove the award of PCs for players playing the ball with their mask on. 

The additional text states: “Players should remove their penalty corner equipment as soon as they are able to do so after the penalty corner is completed. If no suitable opportunity to remove equipment arises, they can continue to wear it whilst they are within the 23m area without penalty. All players must remove all protective equipment before they leave the 23m area or when instructed to by the umpire.”

**

Rule 9.10, the wording around aerial balls has seen the following phrase added for clarification:

“Players must not approach within 5 metres of an opponent receiving a falling, raised ball until it has been received, controlled and is on the ground. The ball may be intercepted within 5 metres but outside of playing distance provided it is done safely.”  

It was changed to allow for the playing of what is commonly designated as Aerial Balls. The previous text did not cover for the possibility for players to safely intercept a falling ball, which is now seen as both legitimate and positive to the development of the game. Aerial Balls will continue to be closely monitored by all stakeholders so that player safety can be maintained.

The way it is umpired in top-flight competitions will not largely change from the interpretations that have been employed in the last year. Officials do not want to have engagement or a contest in the air, so when the ball is 20m away, if there is a clear receiver they have priority. Safety remains the priority for the umpire’s judgement.

But if someone steps in front from outside of playing distance from the clear receiver and intercepts the ball in what is deemed by the umpire to be a safe manner, then this will be allowed.

For an example of when this specifically occurs, check out the following video:

The FIH umpires briefing can be found here: http://www.fih.ch/inside-fih/our-official-documents/fih-umpires-and-umpire-managers/umpire-managers/. It offers additional guidance and information on the interpretations of key rules.

For more information on umpiring in Ireland, please go to: https://irishumpires.com/
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SoftCo expand sponsorship to support Irish men’s team on equal basis

SoftCo and Hockey Ireland have agreed a ground-breaking deal with the former becoming the main sponsor of both the Irish men’s and women’s national teams on an equal basis.

For SoftCo – leaders in financial automation software – it is a significant expansion of their long-standing support for hockey.

They will become the main sponsor to the men’s senior and development programs ahead of a busy 2022 and their ultimate pursuit of Olympic qualification for Paris 2024 for the Green Machine.

It means both the Irish men and women’s teams will enjoy the same level of support, aligning perfectly with hockey’s pursuit of gender-equality of opportunity and ambition, becoming one of the first sports in Ireland to enjoy such parity from a sponsor.

“We are delighted to extend our successful partnership with Irish Hockey. It is an exciting time to team up with the Men’s Senior and Development Squads with so much talent and ambition in the squad,” commented, Susan Spence, Co-Founder, SoftCo.

“We have had fantastic fun over the last four years with the Women’s Team and hopefully we can replicate that success. We are especially grateful to the wider hockey community for their wonderful support and will use the sponsorship of both the Men’s and Women’s international teams to help hockey at grassroots level.”

Irish men’s Head Coach Mark Tumilty said of the sponsorship: “I am thrilled to see SoftCo coming on board at a vital phase in our development. We have seen the huge impact their support and engagement has had on the women’s team and we are looking forward on building that relationship.

“We have a young side that has grown quickly in 2021 after 18 months out of action with Covid and this is the perfect boost to our program to add serious momentum.”

Shane O’Donoghue, foreground, with Irish senior men’s team mates Sean Murray and Jamie Carr. Picture: Morgan Treacy/Inpho

In 2022, the “Green Machine” will compete in August’s EuroHockey Championship qualifiers in Calais, France as well as making their debut in the FIH Nations Cup. The events are key stepping-stones in the qualifying process for the Olympics.

SoftCo have supported the women’s team for the past four years and the women’s development program since August 2021 as well as supporting a number of grassroots initiatives.

In that time, the company has become synonymous with the team and its success, including an historic 2018 World Cup silver medal and an Olympic debut at the Tokyo Games. The Green Army has qualified once again for this summer’s World Cup which will be played in July 2022.

Speaking about the latest expansion of support for the Irish international teams, Hockey Ireland CEO Jerome Pels said: “SoftCo continue to be incredible partners for Hockey Ireland, helping to reach new heights on the world stage.

“This unique dual-sponsorship ties in perfectly with hockey’s ‘equally amazing’ charter, promoting the sport on a gender-equal basis.”

About SoftCo
For over 30 years, SoftCo has delivered finance automation software that streamline processes, reduce costs, and ensure full financial control, compliance, and visibility. SoftCo is a global organization with offices in the USA, Ireland, the UK, and the Nordics. SoftCo is SOC2, ISO 27001 and SAHKE2 certified in addition to being a Microsoft Gold Partner and AWS Advanced Technology Partner. Over two million business users worldwide across all industry sectors use SoftCo solutions including SunnyD, the Finnish Government, Primark, Patagonia and PwC. For more information, please visit www.softco.com

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Scotland take laurels after spectacular final series in Antrim

Men’s Indoor International Series – game three
Ireland 7 (R Canning 4, O Kidd, J Jackson, J Duncan) Scotland 8 (J Golden 5, C Golden 2, P Christie)
Scotland snatched two goals in the final minute to land a series clean sweep against the Irish men at the Antrim Forum, grabbing the win despite trailing for 33 minutes of the contest.

Ireland looked in good shape for much of the contest as Jeremy Duncan’s drive and finish put the hosts one up in the first four minutes and Ross Canning first of four penalty corner goals doubled up.

Golden brothers Cameron and Jamie have been stand-out performers this week and they levelled matters by the 15th minute only for Canning to reply in kind with his second, ekeing out a 3-2 half-time lead.

Canning added another and Oliver Kidd nicked in to make it 5-2 but it proved a slender lead as Scotland regrouped with the Golden boys getting one each to cut the gap.

Indeed, Stephen O’Keeffe was enjoying a remarkable game between the posts for Ireland, sweeping one off the line having jack-knifed his body to clear the danger.

John Jackson’s breakaway goal again kept Ireland just in front as Patrick Christie got another back for Scotland; 6-5 at the three quarter mark.

Canning’s fourth was slightly delayed as he pinged the crossbar before finding the top corner from a set piece for a 7-5 lead. But Scotland finished the strongest with Jamie Golden scoring three in the last five minutes to turn things around in spectacular fashion.

He closed the gap from a corner and when Ireland went down to five players, he weighed in with two more in the closing minute for a personal tally of five.

It meant a third successive win for the Scots in this comeback series, the first in Ireland indoors since 1987.

Ireland: S O’Keeffe, J Jackson, R Canning, C Robson, N Glassey, J Duncan
Subs: R Patterson, J Haycock, D Howard, O Kidd, R Couse, M Crooks

Scotland: G McKenzie, M Ross, A McAllister, A Lochrin, C Golden, J Golden
Subs: P Christie, J Stephen, S Stewart, G Amour, A Wilson, M Taylor

Women’s Indoor International Series – game three
Ireland 5 (A Benson 3, O Fox, C Brown) Scotland 5 (E Dark 2, S Hinds, C Watson, R Blaikie), Scotland win shoot-out 3-1
Scotland took the final laurels in suitably dramatic style as they edged out Ireland in a shoot-out following a rollercoaster 5-5 draw in the best of three decider at the Antrim Forum.

It was end to end from minute one, Amy Benson’s looping lob opening the scoring only for Ruth Blaikie to equalise and Chloe Brown to retake the lead within seconds of each other. That gave Ireland a 2-1 lead which Benson augmented but Sophie Hinds’ neat finish had it close at 3-2 at half-time.

Benson completed her hat trick early in the second half but Scotland proceeded to grind away at that lead with two Emily Dark corners making the game level and they looked to have done enough to win it when Charlotte Watson made it 5-4.

Irish captain Orla Fox, though, equalised in the closing minute for 5-5, sending the series down to a shoot-out to decide the winners. There, Scotland were faultless in attack and Carmin Dow made the crucial save.

“I don’t know what we were expecting but the first indoor games in 34 years, we will look back on this in a few weeks and it will be really positive. It was annoying to lose on shoot-outs but we progressed really well throughout the series.” Buckley reflected on a dramatic week, citing the second game as one to take a lot from.

“With indoor, you can score in a matter of seconds. It just worked out we scored two goals straight after that save. The girls kept pushing and to get eight goals against a side ranked eight places above us is fantastic.

“The Euros are coming up pretty quickly and we have Scotland in our opening game! It’s something to really look forward to.”

Ireland: E Buckley, S Patton, S Barnwell, C Brown, A Benson, L Graham
Subs: O Fox, O Patton, R McMullen L Lloyd, M Power, B Maye

Scotland: L Camlin, M Steiger, R Blaikie, M Justice, E Wilson, E Dark
Subs: C Watson, C Hay, S Hinds, F Semple, K Stott, C Dow

Men
Tuesday, December 28: Ireland 3 (M Crooks, R Patterson, R Canning) Scotland 7 (J Golden 3, C Golden 2, P Christie 2); Ireland 7 (R Canning 4, O Kidd, J Jackson, J Duncan) Scotland 8 (J Golden 5, C Golden 2, P Christie)
Wednesday, December 29: Ireland 4 (O Kidd 3, R Canning) Scotland 5 (C Golden 2, G Amour 2, J Golden);

Women
Tuesday, December 28: Ireland 2 (S Patton, M Power) Scotland 3 (E Dark 2, M Justice)
Wednesday, December 29: Ireland 8 (C Brown 5, L Lloyd 3) Scotland 3 (M Steiger, E Dark, M Justice); Ireland 5 (A Benson 3, O Fox, C Brown) Scotland 5 (E Dark 2, S Hinds, C Watson, R Blaikie), Scotland win shoot-out 3-1

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Brown and Lloyd fire up women’s win; Irish men denied in nine-goal thriller

Women’s Indoor International Series – game two
Ireland 8 (C Brown 5, L Lloyd 3) Scotland 3 (M Steiger, E Dark, M Justice)
Chloe Brown and Lily Lloyd inspired Ireland to a blistering 8-3 win over Scotland to make it all level going into the third and final meeting of the sides at the Antrim Forum.

It came courtesy of a ferocious final quarter which they nailed four goals having earlier trailed 3-2 but also owed a huge amount to Emma Buckley’s diving penalty stroke save when the game was still in the balance.

Millie Steiger popped in a rebound off the post in the first minute to give Scotland a great start but Brown swapped the lead around by the end of Q1 with a pair of corners.

Emily Dark’s audacious dummy and corner got Scotland back on terms by half-time and they started the second half well, going in front when Margery Justice swooped on a loose ball.

Lily Lloyd equalised with a smart finish from a corner rebound and Brown’s third had Ireland with a slight edge going into the final quarter, 4-3, with Sophie Hinds denied by the post.

But the game blew open in a wild fourth quarter in which Dark pinged the crossbar and Lucy Camlin denied Lloyd an outrageous goal. Lloyd, though, did score her second from play for 5-3 before Buckley had to dive low to keep out Justice’s stroke.

It was a turning point as Brown and Lloyd both scored within 30 seconds of that stroke save, a potential 5-4 scoreline now reading 7-3. Brown closed out the scoring in the 34th minute, completing a run of four goals in two minutes of game time with that stroke in between.

Ireland: E Buckley, S Patton, S Barnwell, O Fox, O Patton, A Benson
Subs: K Kimber, C Brown, L Lloyd, M Power, L Graham, B Maye

Scotland: J Buchanan, M Steiger, C Watson, M Justice, K Stott, E Dark
Subs: R Blaikie, C Hay, E Wilson, S Hinds, F Semple, L Camlin

Men’s Indoor International Series – game two
Ireland 4 (O Kidd 3, R Canning) Scotland 5 (C Golden 2, G Amour 2, J Golden)
Scotland made it two wins from two at the Antrim Forum as they held off a concerted fight from Ireland with Ollie Kidd firing a hat trick.

The Scots burst into an opening 2-0 lead with Cameron Golden and Gordon Amour whipping home quickfire strikes in the first five minutes to get off to a flying start.

Ireland hit back with Kidd flicking their first corner into the roof of the net to make it 2-1 at the quarter-time break. Ross Canning levelled early in Q2 from another corner from the centre and that is how it remained up to half-time.

But another double blow from Golden and Amour in the third quarter put Scotland clear once more 4-2 going into the final phase. Kidd struck once more from a corner to set up a rousing finish but Jamie Golden scored the goal of the game from the left boards for what proved the crucial goal.

Ireland withdrew their impressive goalkeeper Jakim Bernsden and used the extra man to allow Kidd to complete his hat trick from play. As Ireland pushed, Canning hit the post from a corner as did Jamie Golden with another baseline effort but the Scots held on for a 5-4 victory.

Ireland: J Bernsden, J Jackson, J Haycock, O Kidd, J Lynch, J Duncan
Subs: N Glassey, R Canning, R Patterson, M Crooks, R Couse, C Robson

Scotland: M Taylor, M Ross, A McAllister, C Golden, G Amour, J Golden
Subs: P Christie, J Stephen, S Stewart, A Lochrin, A Wilson

Men
Tuesday, December 28: Ireland 3 (M Crooks, R Patterson, R Canning) Scotland 7 (J Golden 3, C Golden 2, P Christie 2)
Wednesday, December 29: Ireland 4 (O Kidd 3, R Canning) Scotland 5 (C Golden 2, G Amour 2, J Golden); Ireland v Scotland, 2pm

Women
Tuesday, December 28: Ireland 2 (S Patton, M Power) Scotland 3 (E Dark 2, M Justice)
Wednesday, December 29: Ireland 8 (C Brown 5, L Lloyd 3) Scotland 3 (M Steiger, E Dark, M Justice); Ireland v Scotland, 3.30pm

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Scotland’s Golden boys deny Ireland’s men

Men’s Indoor International Series – game one
Ireland 3 (M Crooks, R Patterson, R Canning) Scotland 7 (J Golden 3, C Golden 2, P Christie 2)
Scotland’s Golden boys made it a bittersweet return to indoor international action on home turf for Ireland after 34 years as the visitors landed a 7-3 win in the opening of three challenge matches at the Antrim Forum.

Cookstown’s Mark Crooks scrambled in an opener for Ireland in the second minute for a dream start but the Scots soon turned on the style.

Jamie Golden slotted a corner to level the game quickly and his older brother Cameron flicked in and Jamie got his second goal in quick succession to make it 3-1 in the fifth minute of a fast and furious encounter.

Stephen O’Keeffe was outstanding in this phase in the green goal but he could not keep out Cameron as the Golden brothers raced to reached their hat trick.

Ireland fronted up well in the second half with Rory Patterson’s smart finish cutting the gap while Ross Canning slotted a corner but two more goals from Patrick Christie and a peach of a finish from Jamie Golden meant the Scots were always out of range.

Reflecting on the result, Irish captain John Jackson said: “It’s bittersweet. To play any international hockey at this time is amazing, especially indoor which is such a special brand of the game and it is nice to showcase it in front of a home crowd.

“It was a step forward from when we played them two years ago in Santander and the new players have added something but we shot ourselves in the foot at times with some of our basics in the first two periods and gave ourselves a mountain to climb.”

The two sides meet again twice on Wednesday at 10am and 2pm.

Ireland: S O’Keeffe, M Crooks, R Canning, J Lynch, R Patterson, J Jackson
Subs: J Haycock, D Howard, O Kidd, C Robson, J Duncan, N Glassey

Scotland: G Mackenzie, M Ross, A McAllister, C Golden, G Amour, J Golden
Subs: J Stephen, P Christie, S Stewart, A Lochrin, A Wilson

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PRESIDENT’S NEWSLETTER – DECEMBER 2021

It has been a busy schedule since my last newsletter. On Wednesday 13th October, I was invited by the Minister of Communities, Deirdre Hargey, to a reception in the Great Hall Parliament Buildings, Stormont, to celebrate the achievements of Northern Ireland’s athletes in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Out of the 12 athletes present, four were members of the Ireland Women’s Hockey Team – Katie Mullan, Shirley McCay, Lizzie Holden and Zara Malseed. Katie and Shirley were interviewed and spoke very well about their experience.

It was time for the European Hockey Federation World Qualifiers and on Thursday 21st October I travelled to Cardiff to support the Ireland Men in their tournament. I stayed in the Village Hotel, as did Ireland squad, which was approx. a 20–25-minute journey to Sophia Gardens.

Ann Rosa at Stormont with the Irish Olympic contingent

The players and support staff were in a bubble, ate their meals in a separate area and we just met if we were in the reception area at the same time. As a result, I was not able to congratulate and present Johnny McKee with his 50th cap on Thursday 21st and Shane O’Donoghue with his 200th cap on Sunday 24th. The team conducted themselves impeccably well during their stay and were a credit to Hockey Ireland.

In their first match, they played very well against a strong Russian team and were clear winners, 2-0. The Russians were only allowed to field 11 on-field players due to Covid restrictions, but this did not take away from the Irish victory. Our men deserved the win. The Irish players were quietly confident going into the Welsh game on Saturday, knowing that the winners would secure a place in the World Cup. However, it wasn’t to be and Wales won the shoot-out competition after an unfortunate umpiring decision.

The match to decide 3rd and 4th places took place before the final on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, after taking the lead the Irish men could not hold off strong Austrian attacks. They had their chances, but another shoot-out competition, decided their 4th place. Wales came out winners of the tournament, beating France in a closely contested final.

As we cheered on the Irish men, we were wondering how we were going to be able to watch the women’s match online from Pisa. Sarah Campion, Hockey Ireland’s Media Officer, had the answer – she brought her lap-top to the side of the pitch and as she was multi-tasking and keeping Twitter feeds going, we were able see the women in action against Wales. We were delighted when the Irish girls held on to win and qualify for the World Cup.

On 30th & 31st October, I attended the WISE Hockey ID Festival at the Sport Ireland National Sports Campus in Abbotstown where seven teams took part. Harbourne and Wakefield travelled from England with teams from Botanic, Monkstown, Railway Union, Three Rock Rovers and Wicklow joining the event. Players and officials were delighted to meet the Irish Minister of State for Sport, Jack Chambers, who came to support the event on the Saturday morning.

As part of the event, there was a FIH Hockey ID Coaching Course with Norman Hughes, Grahame Mansell-Grace, Hans Pieter van Beek and Hugh Santos working with coaches over the weekend. Our thanks go to Dwyne Hill for organising this event and to all the volunteers who made it such a memorable weekend for all.

The Under 16, Under 18 and Under 21 Interprovincials are being played under a different format for this season only. On Sunday 14th November, I travelled to Three Rock Rovers to watch the Connacht Under 18 and Under 16 teams take on Ulster. Two very exciting games were played. Ulster came out winners of both matches with the Under 18s winning 4-0 and the Under 16s winning 7-0. The Connacht girls played very well in both matches and did not give up until the final whistle.

As President of Hockey Ireland, I was invited to Stormont on Wednesday 24th November, to celebrate the commencement of Ulster Hockey’s 125 celebrations and the launch of Ulster Hockey’s Strategic Plan, hosted by the Minister of Communities, Deirdre Hargey. The theme was ‘The Past, The Present and the Future’ and guests listened to speeches from Joan McCloy, and Terry Templeton who talked about key events in the past, Shirley McCay and Conor Savage the present, and Marc Scott, Ulster Hockey’s Executive Manager who outlined the future with the key elements of the Strategic Plan.

It was very disappointing for the Ireland Women’s Under 21 team when the new Covid variant resulted in the postponement of the Junior World Cup that was scheduled for Potchefstroom in South Africa from 5th – 16th December. So much work has been put into preparing the squad and producing a detailed and amazing online programme of 88 pages. It was an honour to write the introduction for this programme. We hope that it can be rescheduled in the not-too-distant future. The team travelled to Spain instead for a quickly arranged Four Nations tournament in Valencia from Wednesday, December 8 to Sunday, December 12.

I was an observer at Hockey Ireland’s EGM which was held online on Thursday 25th November.

On various weekends, I have enjoyed watching matches closer to home. On 16th October I watched the first half of Irish Trophy game between NICS and Queens at Stormont with Queens leading, then made my way to Lagan College to see the second half of the Irish Senior Cup match Annadale playing Pembroke. There was a good crowd of supporters for both teams, with Queens and Pembroke coming out winners.

With CEO Jerome Pels and Minister of State for Sport, Jack Chambers

On 20th November, I looked in at the EYHL 2 game at Queens Playing Fields to watch the home team play UNIG and come out winners 3-0, then went to Newforge to see a very close game with Pegasus drawing 3-3 with UCD in their EYHL 1 match. On 4th December, on a bitterly cold afternoon at Deramore, I watched a closely contested game between Belfast Harlequins and Muckross, with the home side coming out on top with a winning score of 2-1. On Sunday 5th December, after the online Hockey Ireland Board Meeting, I called into Lisnagarvey Hockey Club to see the Under 21 Interprovincial game between Ulster and Leinster with Leinster coming out the stronger side to take their chances in the circle and win 3-1.

A great crowd of supporters braved a damp and cold afternoon on Wednesday 8th December for the McCullough Cup Final, to watch a close and exciting match between Banbridge Academy and Wallace High School. Wallace took an early lead but Banbridge came back strongly and won this prestigious cup 3-1.

In a post-match chat, I was talking to one of the school Principals who congratulated Ulster Hockey and Hockey Ireland for the continuation of hockey in the current pandemic situation, as events like these are important to be kept running in the school calendar. I arrived home in time to tune in to the webinar for the Olympic Federation of Ireland’s EGM, as the voting delegate for Hockey Ireland.

Last Sunday, 12th December I was delighted to attend the opening of the newly surfaced hockey pitch at Dundalk Grammar School with Trevor Watkins and Shane O’Donoghue. Our thanks go to the Principal, Mr Jonathan Graham and to the Board of Governors for making us very welcome. We enjoyed watching the Senior Girls play against Boyne and must congratulate both teams on a very sporting and skilful game of hockey. A timelapse, showing the tremendous work that had gone into removing the former playing surface, that had lasted 27 years, to the laying of the new pitch, was an excellent idea and a two-minute video, shown during refreshments, summed up the work very well.

From Dundalk I travelled to the Antrim Forum to watch indoor matches and present the winners of the Under 18 Girls’ Tournament, Coleraine with the trophy. My congratulations go to all the teams that took part during the afternoon. I look forward to returning to the Antrim Forum on 28th and 29th December Ireland’s men and women in their international matches against Scotland.

Unfortunately in the build up to the festive season, we are back to online meetings but let us hope that our matches can continue uninterrupted.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Christmas and a healthy and enjoyable 2022.

Ann Rosa

19th December 2021

At the opening of Dundalk GS’s new pitch

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