Hannah Matthews
Hockey
BIOGRAPHY
Hannah Matthews represented Ireland in the women’s hockey tournament at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where Ireland finished 10th.
A one-club player throughout her career, she joined Loreto at the age of eight and attended Loreto Beaufort school, where she scored the winning goal in the Leinster Schoolgirls Senior Cup final in 2008. She went on to win the inaugural Women’s Irish Hockey League with Loreto in 2009 and scored the winning penalty stroke in the 2010 Irish Senior Cup final against Railway Union. Despite representing Ireland at U16, U18 and U21 level she had to wait until 2014 for her senior debut, aged 23, in Italy. She was a prominent member of the Ireland team that won silver at the 2018 Women’s Hockey World Cup in London.
A defender noted for her consistency, she earned 157 senior caps. She worked as a primary school teacher, job-sharing to accommodate her hockey commitments. She studied at Dublin City University. Her father is Philip Matthews, a former Ireland rugby captain. She retired from international hockey after Tokyo 2020.
OTHER HOCKEY ATHLETES
HOCKEY NEWS
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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 [...]
In the News – 9 March 2026
Hockey The Irish Men’s and women’s hockey teams qualify for the FIH World Cup, after competing in the Qualifiers tournament in Santiago, Chile. The Ireland Men’s Hockey Team closed out their FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers with a win over France to take top spot in the tournament. Having trailed by a goal, Ireland fought [...]
Sport Events Coming up in July
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In The News – June 16th
Men’s Hockey | Ireland Edge Belgium in FIH Pro League Thriller Ireland secured a stunning 3–2 victory over world-ranked #2 Belgium in Antwerp - their first win of the 2024/25 FIH Pro League season. Louis Rowe opened the scoring; Lee Cole struck twice with penalty corners. Jaime Carr delivered a Player of the Match performance, [...]
Olympic Champion Rhys McClenaghan Inspires Students on Return to His Old School
Olympic Champion and Dare to Believe ambassador Rhys McClenaghan revisits his school Olympic Champion on the pommel horse (gymnastics), Rhys McClenaghan, returned to his former school this week, bringing with him not only his Olympic gold medal but also an inspiring message of resilience and perseverance. As an ambassador for the Dare to Believe Olympic [...]