Daragh Walsh
Hockey
BIOGRAPHY
Daragh Walsh represented Ireland in the men’s hockey tournament at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
It was only the second time since Irish independence that the men’s team had qualified for the Olympics, their only previous appearance having been at Rio 2016. Walsh grew up playing multiple sports in Dublin before focusing on hockey in his mid-teens, drawn to the sport by the prospect of Olympic competition. He made his senior international debut in 2017 against Pakistan in Lisburn and was part of the 2018 World Cup squad in Bhubaneswar.
He narrowly missed selection for Tokyo 2020 when Ireland lost a sudden-death penalty shootout to Canada in qualification. He qualified for Paris 2024 as part of the team that defeated South Korea 4-3 in the final qualifier in Valencia in January 2024. Formerly of Three Rock Rovers, where he won three Irish Senior Cups and three Champions Trophies, he moved to Belgium in 2019 to play professionally for Braxgata, based just outside Antwerp. He holds a master’s degree in business economics.
OTHER HOCKEY ATHLETES
HOCKEY NEWS
Performance Round Up – June 2026
Athletics Mark English finished second in a high-quality men’s 800m field at the Rome Diamond League. The Donegal athlete clocked a season’s best time of 1:43.80, his second fastest ever over the distance, as he closed strongly in the final metres to challenge for victory. Sarah Healy delivered a personal best time of 14:48.88 in [...]
In The News – 22nd June 2026
Ireland Hockey, Athletics, Basketball and Boxing Update: Positive Progress Across the Board Hockey Ireland Women Secure Crucial Pro League Win The Ireland Women’s Hockey Team produced an impressive display to defeat Spain with a 3-1 win and strengthen their position in the FIH Hockey Pro League, building on their 1-1 draw against the same opposition [...]
In The News – June 15 2026
Boxing Two-time Olympic champion Kellie Harrington secured her first international gold medal since her Paris 2024 success, leading a strong Team Ireland performance at the opening phase of the Four Nations tournament in Glasgow. Harrington delivered an assured performance in the women’s 60kg elite final, defeating England’s Ella Lonsdale, as Ireland amassed an impressive 33 [...]
Events Coming up in June 2026
Hockey IRL Men - FIH Hockey Nations Cup - South Africa - June 11 to 20 IRL Women - FIH Hockey Pro League Netherlands Stage - Rotterdam - June 13 to 18 IRL Women - FIH Hockey Pro League Germany Stage - Berlin - June 23 to 27 Swimming Sette Colli International, Rome, Italy, 26-28 [...]
LA28 Qualification Dates in 2026
ROAD TO LA ALREADY UNDERWAY! 2026 marks the beginning of the qualification journey for many sports as they look ahead to the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 2028. Qualifying for the Games, which take place from 14–30 July 2028, is challenging across all disciplines. Most sports require either direct qualification through specific events, qualification via [...]
Turning Pain into Progress: Ireland Hockey Captain Sarah Hawkshaw Reflects on Olympic Setback and World Cup Qualification Success
It is easy, sometimes, to presume that every high performance athlete who is heartbroken not to make a global tournament will be super motivated once their next goal is writ large on a white board. Yet even someone as experienced and driven as Tokyo Olympian Sarah Hawkshaw struggled when the Irish women’s hockey team didn't [...]