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