Features

Irish senior teams launch “crowd-funding” initiatives
March 26, 2014 | 761 views | Leave a commentThe Irish senior men’s and women’s teams launched their “crowd funding” on the PledgeSports website this week as part of their efforts to raise €35,000 each in the next 40 days.

Town and Railway players win top IHA Awards
March 21, 2014 | 1,094 views | Leave a commentMonkstown were the big winners from the 2014 IHA Hockey Awards at the Stillorgan Park Hotel as they landed the club of the year award while Gareth Watkins took the men’s club player of the year following their outstanding 2012/13 season.

FIH announce timing changes for elite competition
March 20, 2014 | 1,352 views | Comments (2)Elite level hockey will be reduced to a 60-minute game for the build-up to the 2016 Olympics as part of the changes that come with dividing the game into four quarters from September 1, 2014.

Kendrick and McCully pay tribute to Hutchinson
March 6, 2014 | 913 views | Leave a commentTop Irish umpire, Colin Hutchinson recently retired from international hockey having reached the current age limit of 47 for umpires. During a highly successful career, he reached 100 international caps and the very peak of the umpiring ladder

Senior internationals ask hockey clubs to support proposed full IHL plan
February 28, 2014 | 2,216 views | Comments (3)Leinster club representatives appeared reasonably receptive to a “full Irish Hockey League” following the IHA forum last night in the Stillorgan Park Hotel though there were fears over the potential nature of promotion and relegation

Put the players first – an open letter from David Passmore
February 24, 2014 | 3,187 views | Comments (3)In an open letter to the Irish hockey community, former IHA high performance director David Passmore outlines his fears regarding player burnout.

Loreto and Leinster win big in IHA Awards
February 21, 2014 | 1,402 views | Comments (1)Leinster clubs, players, coaches and umpires to the fore in Irish Hockey Awards as they they landed seven out of the seven prizes announced this afternoon while a further two of the three remaining gongs are guaranteed to stay in the province.

Full season Irish Hockey League to be debated at pair of forums
February 20, 2014 | 1,288 views | Leave a commentLeinster and Irish hockey will host a couple of forums in the next week that could have a huge effect on the sport’s landscape as the IHA puts forward a proposal for a “full” Irish Hockey League.

Kirkwood, Menown, McKee and Branagan added to Hall of Fame
February 19, 2014 | 1,398 views | Leave a commentThe Irish Hockey Association will induct four new members into the Hall of Fame on Friday, March 21 at the upcoming Irish Hockey Awards with Jimmy Kirkwood, Joanne Menown, John McKee and Noelle Branagan joining the list of greats of the Irish game.

Borough clubs both seeking LHA pitch funding
February 13, 2014 | 851 views | Leave a commentMonkstown and Avoca will be seeking the support of their constituent clubs to obtain a loan to build a new pitch from the Leinster Hockey Association Branch Pitch Development Fund at an EGM on February 20

The Dublin City FM podcast – February 9, 2014
February 10, 2014 | 742 views | Leave a commentDeclan Hughes was joined by Monkstown’s Gareth Watkins and Kyle Good in the Dublin City FM studio to talk about their club’s Leinster men’s division one win while Stephen Findlater gives a recap of the interprovincial series

Hockey players Naughton and Ryan sign up with Irish rugby 7s for World Series bid
February 6, 2014 | 2,469 views | Comments (1)Aisling Naughton and Elaine Ryan are both hoping they can earn a place at the 2016 Olympics Games as part of the Irish women’s Rugby Sevens team via one of the more unique routes.

LHUA launch new website
January 31, 2014 | 1,254 views | Leave a commentThe Leinster Hockey Umpires Association is delighted to launch its new website. The site contains some new features such as the current Leinster appointments, how to become an umpire and a host of helpful resources for umpires and players alike.

Irish great O’Reilly passes away after amazing life in hockey
January 24, 2014 | 1,814 views | Leave a commentJoan O’Reilly, one of Irish hockey’s most illustrious and talented international players, has passed away following a most varied and decorated life both on and off the field of play.

IHA outline three key visions in strategic plan
January 14, 2014 | 841 views | Leave a commentThe Irish Hockey Association last Friday laid out its blueprint for the sport – and stated its aim to grow participation levels by 20% over the next four years.

Social Mediawatch – The Peacemaker
January 3, 2014 | 1,209 views | Leave a commentMunster and Connacht RDO Phil Oakley plays peacemaker between Lance Armstrong and Paul Kimmage; Newpark and Avoca’s golden era; Tim Jessulat produces 13 seconds of sheer goalkeeping brilliance and more

Best of 2013 – the top stories of the year gone by
January 2, 2014 | 1,275 views | Leave a commentOver the course of 2013, over 1.1 million pages were viewed on The Hook with 495 stories posted on the site from Leinster schools level to league round-ups to interpro and international level.

IHA chief executive says lack of Olympic progress led to Meredith departure
December 29, 2013 | 1,854 views | Comments (1)Mike Heskin told The Hook that the Irish senior men’s national team were not gelling with coach Andrew Meredith with development slow to materialise over the past 14 months with Rio 2016 very much in mind

Meredith’s time as Irish men’s coach comes to end
December 27, 2013 | 2,017 views | Comments (1)The IHA and senior men’s coach Andrew Meredith have gone their separate ways “by mutual consent” after a 14-month spell in charge of the side with the highlight a bronze medal at the 2012 Champions Challenge I in Argentina

Social Mediawatch – pay to play?
December 14, 2013 | 1,358 views | Comments (1)The Irish Times causes a stir with the costs associated with playing for the Irish underage sides; German U-21 magic; USA Hockey Guy pays tributes to the Chiefs; Exeter to Edinburgh all in this week’s round-up of the weird and wonderful from hockey’s world wide web