Interviews
Purpose-built stadium required to make Pro League viable for Ireland; Pels and McCracken on the Irish bid
June 16, 2017 | 1,134 views | Leave a commentHockey Ireland chief executive Jerome Pels says the current infrastructure, primarily the lack of a suitable stadium, meant that it was not financially viable to take part in the first wave of the Hockey Pro League.
Herakles-bound Duncan embracing high performance lifestyle
June 12, 2017 | 1,611 views | Comments (1)Jeremy Duncan says his move to Belgium to take up a contract with Herakles is part of a “conscious decision to live a high performance lifestyle and see how far I can take myself”
Fulton lays plans for hectic summer for Irish men
May 26, 2017 | 902 views | Leave a commentIreland’s men return to competitive action this weekend for the first time since World League Round 2 as they take on England in a couple of uncapped matches in Bisham Abbey.
Harte breaks yet more new ground with Kampong
May 21, 2017 | 429 views | Leave a commentDavid Harte added yet another major trophy to his incredible collection, becoming the first Irish person to win the Dutch Hoofdklasse, regarded as the best national club competition in the world.
Shaw’s Irish women going above and beyond in pursuit of World Cup ticket
May 19, 2017 | 968 views | Leave a commentGraham Shaw says some of the sacrifices made by the Irish women’s squad this summer can see them reach new heights and qualify for a first major world level tournament since the 2002 World Cup.
Bacchus back to hone Irish technical skills
May 18, 2017 | 1,317 views | Leave a commentColin “Bacchus” Stewart has returned to Ireland to link up with Graham Shaw’s women’s side until September as the national technical coach for an intense summer featuring a World Cup qualification bid and a return to Europe’s top tier.
Second surgery set to rule Frazer out of summer series
March 20, 2017 | 755 views | Leave a commentIreland look certain to be without their inspirational team captain Megan Frazer for the World League 3 tournament in the summer which will determine whether they can reach the 2018 World Cup in London, writes John Flack.
Cosgrove’s chance route to Scottish senior squad
March 10, 2017 | 1,051 views | Leave a commentFormer Banbridge man Ben Cosgrove described his route into the Scottish set-up for this week’s World League Round 2 as one of pure chance having previously played with the Irish Under-21s.
Olympic “experience counts in large amounts” for player pathway to top of the game with Ireland
January 12, 2017 | 679 views | Leave a commentFollowing a first Olympic experience, Irish coach Craig Fulton reflects on 2016 and says the player pathway now open in Irish hockey to the top level of the world game can only help guard against players switching to Great Britain.
Funding models and working arrangements need to adapt to continue men’s rise on world stage
January 2, 2017 | 1,029 views | Comments (1)Ahead of a hectic year, Craig Fulton is hopeful that significant headway can be made in the coming weeks to force a change in the way the Irish national teams receive their support from Sport Ireland and government to help progress continue
World Cup 2018 bid finally coming into focus after lengthy lead-in for Shaw’s charges
December 28, 2016 | 1,023 views | Leave a commentGraham Shaw looks back on a year without a world ranking tournament on the schedule as he looked to widen his panel, building towards trying to qualify for a major event, the 2018 World Cup, for the first time in over a decade
Harte up for world goalkeeper of the year award
November 22, 2016 | 450 views | Leave a commentIrish captain David Harte says it’s a “very special feeling” to be named on the shortlist for world hockey’s goalkeeper of the year award following another memorable year.
Bell and Tumilty content with favourable EHL draws
November 21, 2016 | 682 views | Leave a commentBanbridge and Lisnagarvey received perhaps the most favourable Euro Hockey League KO16 draw possible – other than facing each other – as they look to earn a maiden quarter-final berth in the elite competition for Ireland.
Dublin City FM interviews – October 21
October 27, 2016 | 286 views | Leave a commentDeclan Hughes catches up the Old Alex’s Brian Wynn, UCD’s Elun Hack and Miles Warren, Lisnagarvey’s Errol Lutton, Clontarf’s Gareth Borland, YMCA’s Jason Klinradt, Pembroke’s Jonny Caren and Instonians Stephen Redpath
Brilliant Bann play way into the Havelock hall of fame
October 9, 2016 | 1,294 views | Leave a commentAs a grand finale, Banbridge got the moment they deserved to cap an incredible weekend. The biggest crowd seen at the club since the move from the Castlewellan Road witnessed the first Irish club ever to top the group stages.
Bell ready for massive weekend for Banbridge
October 3, 2016 | 501 views | Leave a commentBanbridge’s Matthew Bell says his first experience of the EHL “was unlike anything I had ever experienced before” when, as a teenager, he made his debut in the competition.
Magee and Bann to make hometown proud as Round1 comes to Ireland
September 27, 2016 | 531 views | Leave a commentBanbridge’s most famous son Eugene Magee is hopeful his club can put on a show that the “whole town can be proud of” as they become the first Irish venue to host a Euro Hockey League event on October 7th to 9th.
German adventure for Frazer and Wilson
August 31, 2016 | 938 views | Leave a commentIreland captain Megan Frazer and rising star Zoe Wilson will be on opposing teams this season in the German Bundesliga after landing moves to Mannheimer and Harvesthuder respectively.
All-time high for Irish men but changing world game poses new challenge
August 23, 2016 | 1,237 views | Leave a commentIreland’s men have risen to an all-time high position of tenth in the world rankings to sit on the edge of the world’s elite teams at a time when the FIH is set to change the manner in which the international calendar is organised
FIH say variety of changes helping hockey secure place on Olympic programme
August 22, 2016 | 979 views | Comments (1)The Hook was part of a round-table with key members of the FIH to talk about what they felt was successful at the Olympic Games and where the sport needs to improve in its presentation