HOCKEY
Hockey is a widely played team sport which was introduced at the Olympic Games as a men’s competition at the 1908 Games in London, with six teams, including four from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
The Men’s tournament has been a permanent feature of the Olympic Games, with the exception of 1924. The women’s tournament was added at the Moscow Olympic Games in 1980.
While the sport can be played on many surfaces, at the Olympic Games the pitch is a water-based playing surface in which artificial fibres that are densely packed for stabilisation and require regular irrigation.
Each team plays with ten field players and a goalkeeper. Players commonly use sticks made out of wood or carbon composite material to hit a round, hard, plastic hockey ball.
National Federation: Hockey Ireland
International Federation: International Hockey Federation
HOCKEY NEWS
Ireland Hockey’s Katie Mullan steps down as captain but not yet ready to retire
Katie Mullan today announced that she is stepping away from her captain’s duties for the Ireland senior women’s national hockey team. Mullan, 30, a prominent figure in Irish women’s field hockey, has made significant contributions to the sport both as a player and as the captain of Ireland’s senior women’s national team. Known for her [...]
DAY 3 MORNING REPORT FROM TEAM IRELAND | PARIS 2024
Reigning world champion Daniel Wiffen eased his way into tomorrow night’s 800m Freestyle final qualifying fastest of all eight swimmers in a time of 7:41.53. Team mate Ellen Walshe booked her spot in her first Olympic final tonight; her favoured event the women’s 400m Individual Medley by finishing fourth in her heat. Second time Olympian Danielle Hill [...]
TEAM IRELAND TO FEATURE IN TEN SPORTS ON OPENING DAY OF PARIS 2024
Day one of Paris 2024 is set to be a bumper one for Team Ireland as athletes from no less than ten sports will get their Olympic campaigns underway; Eventing (Dressage), Hockey, Swimming, Rowing, Canoe Slalom, Road Cycling, Boxing, Badminton, Gymnastics, and the Men’s Rugby Sevens team return to the pitch. Equestrian The Irish [...]
MEN’S HOCKEY TEAM OFFICIALLY SELECTED FOR TEAM IRELAND AT PARIS 2024
The Olympic Federation of Ireland has officially named the men’s hockey team that will compete this summer at the Olympic Games in Paris. Captained by Sean Murray (Lisburn) the team clinched one of the coveted places at the Final Qualification event in Valencia earlier this year, when they defeated Korea 4-3 in a scintillating final [...]
SELECTED ATHLETES
Johnny Lynch
BIOGRAPHY One of the Lisnagarvey stars who won two domestic and one European trophy this season, he made his Irish senior debut in 2022 and is a particularly versatile and a dangerous counter-attacking defender. OTHER HOCKEY ATHLETES{{ vc_btn: title=SEE+ALL+ATHLETES&style=outline-custom&outline_custom_color=%2300ed00&outline_custom_hover_background=%23ffffff&outline_custom_hover_text=%23001136&shape=square&css=.vc_custom_1720710760433%7Bmargin-top%3A+10px+%21important%3Bmargin-left%3A+0px+%21important%3B%7D&link=url%3A%252Fathletes%252F&el_class=see-all-athletes }} Daragh WalshBen WalkerMichael RobsonNick PageShane O’DonoghueMatthew NelsonSean MurrayPeter McKibbonJohnny McKeeBen JohnsonDavid HarteKyle MarshallAlistair Empey*Jeremy DuncanTim [...]
Daragh Walsh
BIOGRAPHY Another Three Rock Rovers star who won three Irish Senior Cups (2014-2019) and three Champions Trophies before pursuing a professional career abroad; initially with Leuven in Belgium, and now with Braxgata. He made his Irish senior debut versus Pakistan in 2017, was part of the team who played in the 2018 World Cup and [...]
Ben Walker
BIOGRAPHY Ben was an underage star with Three Rock Rovers and won two Irish senior cups and three Champions Trophies with them while studying for his commerce degree in UCD. He spent a season with Leuven in Belgium, where he also got a Masters in Business, and is now playing with Braxgata over there. A [...]
Michael Robson
BIOGRAPHY Michael made his debut against England ten years ago and since then has won a European bronze medal (2015), played in the 2018 World Cup, and helped Ireland qualify for the 2016 Olympics while he was studying a BSc in Finance at Queens. He was a travelling reserve in Rio and is one of [...]
Nick Page
BIOGRAPHY Nick played for England at U21 level but qualifies for Ireland through his grandparents, earning a call up in 2021 after a strong season with Old Georgians when they won their first English title. He won two English Leagues and Cups with them and now plays for Oxted in Surrey who are also in [...]
Shane O’Donoghue
BIOGRAPHY Ireland’s record goal scorer (119) since his debut in 2011, Shane played a key role in winning European bronze in 2015, and qualifying for the 2016 Olympics. One of only two on the current side who played in Rio (scoring three goals to help Ireland finish 10th), and one of the nine whose hopes [...]
Matthew Nelson
BIOGRAPHY Another key man for Lisnagarvey in winning two European club titles in the last two seasons, including this year’s third tier EuroHockey Club Trophy I. A key attacker who scored the first goal when Ireland beat Belgium (2-1) for the first time in history in the FIH Pro League in May, he also scored [...]
Sean Murray
BIOGRAPHY One of the nine remaining players from the team that so narrowly missed out on a spot at the Tokyo Olympics, Seán is now team captain and truly a world-class centre-midfielder, playing full-time in one of the world’s best leagues. He spent two years in the Dutch top-flight with Rotterdam, and the last four [...]
Peter McKibbon
BIOGRAPHY Peter has won two national leagues, two national cups, and a Champions trophy with his club, where he has been a key man in their two European club titles in the last two seasons, including this year’s third tier EuroHockey Club Trophy I. He made his Irish senior debut against Scotland in 2019, and [...]
Johnny McKee
BIOGRAPHY The striking ace for Banbridge was a key player when they eliminated Belgium’s Royal Leopold to make the last 16 of the EHL (Europe’s top club competition) in 2016. Has played with Crefelder in Germany’s Bundesliga and has won three Irish Leagues and three Senior Cups, including the latter this season. A regular for [...]
Ben Johnson
BIOGRAPHY Super skilful player who led Newtown to shock Banbridge Academy by winning their first All-Ireland schools’ title in 2018, but injury slowed his progress and has had two knee operations in the last three years. Didn’t make the squad for Ireland’s Olympic qualifying tournament in Valencia in January but, after getting a late call-up [...]
David Harte
BIOGRAPHY Won Irish senior Cups with Cork Harlequins and Pembroke and captained Ireland at their historic Olympic appearance in Rio 2016 as well as the 2018 World Cup. Harte was FIH’s world ‘Goalkeeper of the Year’ in 2015 and 2016. He has already signed for a 13th season with SV Kampong with whom he has [...]
Kyle Marshall
BIOGRAPHY A product of Banbridge HC and one of Ireland’s key defenders. He briefly played for England at junior level while he was at college in Nottingham, but transferred back and made his Irish senior debut in 2021. Played for Beeston HC in England for four years before transferring to Old Georgians with whom he [...]
Alistair Empey*
BIOGRAPHY Ali captained High School to their first Leinster Senior Cup in 2019, and made his debut for Ireland in 2023. He is moving to Dutch club SCHC Stichtsche next season where he’ll also study for a Masters in Finance. OTHER HOCKEY ATHLETES{{ vc_btn: title=SEE+ALL+ATHLETES&style=outline-custom&outline_custom_color=%2300ed00&outline_custom_hover_background=%23ffffff&outline_custom_hover_text=%23001136&shape=square&css=.vc_custom_1720710760433%7Bmargin-top%3A+10px+%21important%3Bmargin-left%3A+0px+%21important%3B%7D&link=url%3A%252Fathletes%252F&el_class=see-all-athletes }} Jeremy DuncanTim CrossLee ColeJaime Carr *Peter BrownZara MalseedChloe WatkinsSarah [...]
Jeremy Duncan
BIOGRAPHY Played in a Senior Cup final for Railway Union while still in school in Kilkenny College. He has played professionally in Belgium where he reached the last four in Europe’s EHL (2018) during two seasons with Herakles HC, and played for Royal Oreé until Covid interrupted. Part of the team that beat New Zealand [...]
Tim Cross
BIOGRAPHY Started hockey with Greensborough HC in Melbourne and won eight caps for Australia before transferring to play for Ireland, which necessitated a three-year international absence. He played with Tilburg in Netherland’s ultra-competitive Hoofdklasse League, made his Irish debut in 2019 and was part of the Irish squad just pipped for a spot in Tokyo. [...]
Lee Cole
BIOGRAPHY A key defender but also one of the team’s best drag-flickers at penalty corners, Lee is also a first-choice to take penalty strokes. He played professionally in Belgium, with Royal Oreé, from 2017-2010, and was part of the Irish team who lost out so controversially to Canada in a playoff for the last spot [...]
Jaime Carr *
BIOGRAPHY Jamie started out with Three Rock Rovers before moving to the Belgian league, initially to Leuven (2019-2023), and then on to Gantoise; the current Belgian champions. He has a Law degree from UCD and a Masters in International Politics from KU Leuven. OTHER HOCKEY ATHLETES{{ vc_btn: title=SEE+ALL+ATHLETES&style=outline-custom&outline_custom_color=%2300ed00&outline_custom_hover_background=%23ffffff&outline_custom_hover_text=%23001136&shape=square&css=.vc_custom_1720710760433%7Bmargin-top%3A+10px+%21important%3Bmargin-left%3A+0px+%21important%3B%7D&link=url%3A%252Fathletes%252F&el_class=see-all-athletes }} Peter BrownZara MalseedChloe WatkinsSarah TorransLizzie MurphyMichelle [...]
Peter Brown
BIOGRAPHY Peter has won nine major domestic titles with his club (three each of Irish EY League, Senior Cup and Champions Trophy), including a double of league and Champions trophy this season. He has played four times with his club in the EHL; hockey’s equivalent of the Champions League. Ireland hosting a group stage in [...]
Zara Malseed
BIOGRAPHY Scored her first international goal in a 3-0 defeat of Italy a day after making her Ireland debut in the 2021 Europeans Championships. An Irish U18 eight years ago she has studied in Edinburgh where she won a Scottish treble and since her return to Ards has had a meteoric rise since Irish call-up [...]
Chloe Watkins
BIOGRAPHY Ireland’s creative engine won her first Irish title with Hermes when she was still 16 and has had club success since in Ireland, Spain (Campo de Madrid) and HC Bloemendaal (Netherlands, 2018). Was just 18 on Irish senior debut. Scored vital shoot-out goals v India and Spain in 2018 World Cup (the final marked [...]
Sarah Torrans
BIOGRAPHY Initially combined hockey with sprinting for DSD Athletics Club and hockey with Corinthians. Was selected as a reserve for the 2018 World Cup squad while still a teenager. Has been very unlucky with injuries – a freak one forced her out of captaining Ireland U21s at 2019 Junior Europeans - and she also missed [...]
Lizzie Murphy
BIOGRAPHY Ireland’s reserve goalkeeper has extensive European club experience with Hermes, Monkstown and Loreto. Impressed in 2017 and 2019 Junior Europeans for Ireland’s U21s. Emerged into senior ranks in 2019 and has been understudy to McFerran at the 2019 and 2021 European Hockey Championships and 2020 Olympic qualifier against Canada. OTHER HOCKEY ATHLETES{{ vc_btn: title=SEE+ALL+ATHLETES&style=outline-custom&outline_custom_color=%2300ed00&outline_custom_hover_background=%23ffffff&outline_custom_hover_text=%23001136&shape=square&css=.vc_custom_1677079573058%7Bmargin-top%3A+10px+%21important%3Bmargin-left%3A+0px+%21important%3B%7D&link=url%3A%252Fathletes-list%252F&el_class=see-all-athletes [...]
Michelle Carey
BIOGRAPHY Played for Ireland – with her twin sister Niamh – at all underage levels while also playing underage for Dublin’s ladies footballers up to minor level. She won a Dublin club junior title with Ballinteer St Johns last year before winning an Irish Senior Cup with UCD, and played in every game at the [...]
Róisín Upton
BIOGRAPHY Represented Ireland at Youth Olympics in 2010, Irish Youth Player of the Year 2011. Won USA college Div 1 title with UConn Huskies (2012-2015). Her Ireland senior career was initially badly disrupted by injury but central to Ireland’s silver at 2018 World Cup and their Olympic journey, as a sweeper and scorer, including spectacular [...]
Hannah McLoughlin
BIOGRAPHY Only 18 when she made her Irish senior debut, Player of the Match in the 2020 Irish Senior Cup final and became a regular in Ireland’s defence in past year, including her first European Championships. McLoughlin started her career with Avoca before moving to Loreto and now UCD. She plays a key role at [...]
Shirley McCay
BIOGRAPHY Ireland’s most capped sportswoman won the Kate Russell All-Ireland Schoolgirls Championship with Omagh Academy in 2005, two senior Cups with Ulster Elks (2015-2016) and a league title with Pegasus in 2019. Her 200th cap in June 2015 surpassed Nikki Symmon’s Irish cap record and she played in a remarkable eighth European Championships in June [...]
Anna O’Flanagan
BIOGRAPHY Ireland’s all-time topscorer with 83 goals from 212 caps was still a schoolgirl when she won an All-Ireland club title with Hermes. Won a double with UCD in 2014 and more honours with Hermes-Monkstown and spent two years at HC Bloemendaal (Netherlands) to prepare for 2018 World Cup. Her first Irish goal was in [...]
Lena Tice
Dual prodigy who played senior cricket for Ireland at age 13 and won a hockey World Cup at 20. Amassed 60 cricket caps before concentrating on hockey. Starred for St Gerard’s in their historic Leinster Schools victory in 2015. Won a treble with UCD in 2017 and retained their Cup and League titles a year […]
Hannah Matthews
BIOGRAPHY Schoolgirl star for Loreto Beaufort and has played for Loreto club her entire career, scoring winning penalty stroke in their 2010 Irish Cup final. A ‘big-game player’ she was key in Ireland’s World Cup silver medal in 2018 and passed the 150-cap mark at the 2021 Euros. Her father (Phillip Matthews) and maternal grandfather [...]
Katie Mullan (Captain)
BIOGRAPHY Won multiple Irish Cup and League honours with UCD while studying engineering and has also played for Der Club an der Alster in Germany. Represented Ireland in the 2010 Youth Olympic Games alongside Roisin Upton. She has captained Ireland since 2016 and led them to World Cup silver in 2018 and their first Olympic [...]
Ayeisha McFerran
BIOGRAPHY Won an Irish league title with Pegasus at 19 and debuted for Ireland’s seniors at 18, initially as a shoot-out specialist. Vital to the Green Army’s 2018 World Cup silver medal where she was also Goalkeeper of the Tournament. A graduate of the University of Louisville and a four-time All-American pick, McFerran has twice [...]
Sarah McAuley
BIOGRAPHY Newest and youngest squad member who has impressed since drafted in as defensive cover when Ireland were hit by long-term injuries to Zoe Wilson and twins Serena and Bethany Barr for the uncapped series against GB in March 2021. A Leinster Schools Cup winner with Muckross Park in 2017 she was travelling reserve for [...]
Lizzie Holden (née Colvin)
BIOGRAPHY Midfield dynamo started hockey in Armagh HC and starred for Loreto while studying at Trinity before transferring back to Belfast Harlequins in 2017. Only the seventh Irish woman to amass 200 caps despite a cruciate injury (2013-2015). Her most famous goal, in a 2-1 defeat of India, ultimately got Ireland to the 2018 World [...]
Sarah Hawkshaw
BIOGRAPHY Played gaelic football for Dublin up to Under-16 level and hockey for Mount Sackville before joining Railway Union. She spent 2014-2018 at University of Massachusetts, and made Irish breakthrough in 2019, scoring twice when Ireland finished fifth at Europeans. Her brother David captained Ireland to rugby’s U20 Grand Slam in 2019. OTHER HOCKEY ATHLETES{{ [...]
Naomi Carroll
BIOGRAPHY Carroll played underage soccer for Ireland (alongside Deirdre Duke) and unusually played gaelic football for Clare (football) and camogie for Limerick (as no club locally). Only took up hockey at 14 but won national titles with Hermes and an Ireland regular in 2014-2017. Was a non-travelling reserve for 2018 World Cup and ruptured her [...]
Nicci Daly
BIOGRAPHY Talented gaelic footballer who debuted for Dublin seniors in 2009, she played hockey in school but did not join a club (Glennane) until 2008 and has since starred for Muckross, Holcombe (England) and Loreto. Scored a contender for Ireland’s best ever goal versus South Africa in the 2016 Olympic qualifiers and key player for [...]
Deirdre Duke
BIOGRAPHY Versatile star who also won All-Ireland U14 gaelic football with Dublin and represented Ireland at U17 soccer. Has won eight trophies with UCD, captaining their treble in 2017. Brilliant at 2018 World Cup, scoring twice v USA in vital opening win. Played a season with Dusseldorf in 2019 where reached Germany’s final four. A [...]