Irish Hockey

[Owen Brannigan]

From N.I.

Ayeisha McFerran
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: University of Louisville
Age: 22 Caps: 76
Occupation: Student
First-choice net minder. Started all three games so far. From Larne she became the youngest goalkeeper to play for Ireland against Spain in 2014, a day after her 18th birthday. A great shot-stopper, particularly in shootouts. Playing since she was nine-years-old.

Shirley McCay - Most capped Irish sportsperson!
Position: Defence/Midfield
Club: Pegasus
Age: 30 Caps: 270
Occupation: Ulster Hockey Development Officer
The most capped female in Irish sport and in her 11th year as an international player. Part of the team that narrowly missed out on Olympic qualification for 2012 and Rio 2016, the Omagh player will retire after London. Watch for the long pass from defence.

Katie Mullan
Position: Forward/midfield
Club: UCD
Age: 24 Caps: 154
Occupation: Postgraduate Student
She successfully took over the captaincy after Frazer's injuries kept her out of the team. Natural aggression and a strong competitive streak, the former camogie player with Coleraine's Eoghan Rua is now studying for a Masters in biomechanical engineering in UCD.

Zoe Wilson
Position: Defence
Club: Belfast Harlequins
Age: 21 Caps: 76
Occupation: Student
Came from the Syracuse University in New York and played for Harvestehuder in Germany for a year. A captain of the Irish Under-18s, she cemented her current position in 2016. Scored the winner in the Ulster Schools Senior Cup for Ballyclare HS at 14-years-old.

Megan Frazer
Position: Midfield/Defence
Club: Mannheimer, Germany
Age: 27 Caps: 131
Occupation: Hockey Player/Student
The former captain came through a complicated cruciate knee injury to make the squad. A key player for Shaw and one of the most talented players Ireland has produced. Played for Ireland while still as school in Derry and was voted best player at University of Maryland.

Chloe Watkins
Position: Midfield
Club: Bloemendaal, Netherlands
Age: 26 Caps: 197
Occupation: Hockey player/student
If Ireland do the unthinkable and reach the final, she will earn her 200th Irish cap. Brother Gareth and father Gordon were both capped. Monkstown born and now with Dutch side Bloemendaal, where she is coached by twice Olympic champion Teun de Nooijer.

Lizzie Colvin
Position: Midfield
Club: Belfast Harlequins
Age: 28 Caps: 163
Occupation: Lawyer
A corporate lawyer in Belfast, she has come back from 18 months out with a cruciate knee injury in 2013. A tough, robust midfielder, she regained her spot in 2015. Her goal against India last summer earned Ireland their World Cup place. Another capped as a schoolgirl.

Hannah Matthews   
Position: Defence
Club: Loreto
Age: 27 Caps: 111
Occupation: Teacher
A primary school teacher with an international bloodline from father Philip, a former Irish rugby captain. Handles pressure well, which is a huge asset for today's World Cup quarter-final. She earned her 100th cap in June against Canada at Serpentine Avenue.

From RoI

Grace O'Flanagan
Position: Goalkeeper
Club: Railway Union
Age: 29 Caps: 34
Occupation: Doctor
The Royal College of Surgeons graduate was pivotal in South Africa during Ireland's qualification for this World Cup. With McFerran in the sin-bin in the World League semi-finals, O'Flanagan saved a penalty with her first touch against India. Schooled in Loreto Foxrock.

Róisín Upton
Position: Defence/Midfield
Club: Cork Harlequins
Age: 24 Caps: 43
Occupation: Postgraduate Student
A relative newcomer, the Limerick player made her debut in 2016 after a hip injury and stress fracture delayed progress. She then nailed down roles in midfield and defence. Another who went through the US college system, winning two NCAA titles with UConn Huskies.

Elena Tice
Position: Defence
Club: UCD
Age: 20 Caps: 71
Occupation: Student
The dual international made her debut in cricket at 13-years-old and won 40 caps in T20 and ODIs before focusing on hockey. She was precocious there too, debuting for Ireland two weeks before her 18th birthday in 2016. An ever-present on the team since.

Yvonne O'Byrne
Position: Defence
Club: Cork Harlequins
Age: 26 Caps: 116
Occupation: Postgraduate Student
Hugely consistent performer, she has played over 30 consecutive internationals matches since June of last year. The Cork player made her debut in 2016 having played on the Mount Mercy senior schools team as a 14-year-old. Hobbies include tag rugby and soccer.

Gillian Pinder
Position: Midfield
Club: Pembroke
Age: 26 Caps: 140
Occupation: Business and law graduate/coach
A deceptively quick player who has the ability and confidence to breeze past opponents. A veteran of the Rio Olympic campaign, she along with Chloe Watkins were central to St Andrew's College winning the All-Ireland title in 2010. A graduate of UCD and Syracuse.

Ali Meeke
Position: Midfield
Club: Loreto
Age: 27 Caps: 117
Occupation: Coaching/S&C
An intelligent, tidy operator, who came from Dublin's Corinthians HC, she can float between midfield and defence. Made her debut at 22 against India and was part of the group from the Rio qualifying campaign group who have clearly bounced back this year.

Nicci Daly
Position: Midfield
Club: Loreto
Age: 30 Caps: 166
Occupation: Motor racing engineer
Great pace around the pitch and delightful stick work to match. A natural athlete, who never stops running, she previously played for the Dublin football team and is a niece to former F1 racing driver Derek Daly. Overcame a foot injury to make the squad.

Nikki Evans
Position: Forward
Club: UHC Hamburg
Age: 28 Caps: 166
Occupation: Lawyer
The lawyer has taken a year out to play with UHC Hamburg in Germany, where she will return to work and play after London. A great athlete and high work rate makes her an always busy player in the forward line and leading the press. Has 36 goals.

Anna O'Flanagan
Position: Forward
Club: Pinoké, Netherlands
Age: 28 Caps: 171
Occupation: Lawyer
After her winning deflection against India she is on 64 goals and one of Ireland's most prolific scorers with almost a goal every three games. Running out on defensive corners, where she takes the 'body line' on the drag flick has been as brave as it is effective in Ireland's progress.

Deirdre Duke
Position: Forward
Club: UCD
Age: 26 Caps: 106
Occupation: Lawyer
The UCD captain was out with a shoulder injury in 2017. Prior to that she played with the Huskies in Boston before leading UCD to Irish Cup and league success in recent seasons. A quality athlete, she also played with the Irish soccer and Dublin underage teams.

Graham Shaw (Coach)
The Irish coach grew up on hockey, GAA and soccer. He played alongside childhood friend Damien Duff at Lourdes Celtic and Dublin's Collie Moran before concentrating on hockey. In 2010 he famously coached Loreto to the Irish Senior Cup title and won the men's title playing with Glenanne the same day. Has 151 Irish caps.

[armaghniac]

Orange women triumphalist.

[stiffler]

How many points is it for a goal ?

[bennydorano]

Shaw out

[michaelg]

Play the god dam countries nation anthem that is playingand less of this other shite. You dont see other countries at this bullshit

It's not the ROI hockey team.

[Dougal Maguire]

I suppose it's worthy of a thread of its own but what would the Flag and national anthem arrangements be in a United Ireland. I assume, as was the case on South Africa there would have to be a new flag and anthem to reflect the new country

[BennyCake]

Shaw out

[BennyCake]

I suppose it's worthy of a thread of its own but what would the Flag and national anthem arrangements be in a United Ireland. I assume, as was the case on South Africa there would have to be a new flag and anthem to reflect the new country

Unionists wouldn't recognise either, the same way Nationalists don't recognise the union flag or GSTQ.

[Baile Brigín 2]

Would this be Ireland's first ever World Cup Final in any sport? Some achievement by a team of amateurs who had to fundraise to participate in it👍

Golf and snooker I believe are the other. Euan McKenna couldn't let the ladies have the limelight and raised that fact.

https://www.balls.ie/other-sports/remembering-the-ireland-team-who-won-the-amateur-elephant-polo-world-cup-in-2005-329810

[michaelg]

I suppose it's worthy of a thread of its own but what would the Flag and national anthem arrangements be in a United Ireland. I assume, as was the case on South Africa there would have to be a new flag and anthem to reflect the new country

Unionists wouldn't recognise either, the same way Nationalists don't recognise the union flag or GSTQ.

They would be more likely to recognise a new flag and anthem.

[BennyCake]

I suppose it's worthy of a thread of its own but what would the Flag and national anthem arrangements be in a United Ireland. I assume, as was the case on South Africa there would have to be a new flag and anthem to reflect the new country

Unionists wouldn't recognise either, the same way Nationalists don't recognise the union flag or GSTQ.

They would be more likely to recognise a new flag and anthem.

I wouldn't think so.

Would nationalists recognise a new anthem and flag for the Northern State? Nope, because it recognises the partition of Ireland. In the same way for Unionists, a new anthem and flag for a new United Ireland would recognise exactly that, an United Ireland.

[trailer]

Hockey thread descends into Flag and Anthem discussion. But it's only Unionists who are insular and backward looking.

[Eamonnca1]

The more I read about it the more convinced I am that this is one remarkable group of athletes. They have cross-over skills from many other sports, including Camogie, Gaelic football, cricket, soccer, Indycar motor racing, and even Irish dancing.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-irelands-hockey-heroes-859992.html

Hockey itself is a smashing sport. It should be a lot more popular with the general public on the world stage than it is. It's a very skilful game and has meaningful international competition, with a wider spread of competitive countries than rugby or cricket - arguably only association football has a wider spread. It's consistently one of the most interesting sports at the Olympics. In terms of the marketing of the sport, however, it's been a big underachiever.

I always enjoyed it in PE, myself. It was one of the few ball games that I was any good at. But then the teachers made a bit of effort to teach the skills of it instead of assuming we already knew how to play.

[armaghniac]

Hockey thread descends into Flag and Anthem discussion. But it's only Unionists who are insular and backward looking.

Unionists are insular,  but not to our island but to the other one.
And if the Hockey association have sought to disassociate themselves from the bulk of Irish people why should people not remark on it?

[Eamonnca1]

Hockey thread descends into Flag and Anthem discussion. But it's only Unionists who are insular and backward looking.

Unionists are insular,  but not to our island but to the other one.
And if the Hockey association have sought to disassociate themselves from the bulk of Irish people why should people not remark on it?

What?