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Cork Summer Camp: June 25-29

Alan Good — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:30:46 +0000

A five-day summer camp, catering for children aged 8 to 16 of all skill levels. Participants will be divided into junior (8-12yrs) and senior (13-16yrs) groups.

Players will be taught new and exciting skills in an environment where the focus is primarily on enjoyment, as well as building up their basics. They will have fun playing the game they will soon love, and make friends along the way!

Our coaches are young, enthusiastic and of Division 1 playing standard, and many have represented Munster and Ireland at various levels.

The maximum ratio of coach to players at this clinic will be 1:10. The camp will run from 10am to 2pm each day.

Places can be booked for 1, 3 or 5 days online here or through the contacts listed below.

Andrew Gray: 085 2055296 or andrew(at)southernfriedhockey.com

Alan Good: 087 9287420 or alan(at)southernfriedhockey.com

Book early to avoid disappointment!

Limerick Summer Camp: July 2-6

Alan Good — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:24:32 +0000

A five-day summer camp, catering for children aged 8 to 16 of all skill levels. Participants will be divided into junior (8-12yrs) and senior (13-16yrs) groups.

Our coaches are young, enthusiastic and of Division 1 playing standard, and many have represented Munster and Ireland at various levels.

The maximum ratio of coach to players at this clinic will be 1:10. The camp will run from 10am to 2pm each day.

Places can be booked for 1, 3 or 5 days online here or through the contacts listed below.

Andrew Gray: 085 2055296 or andrew(at)southernfriedhockey.com
Alan Good: 087 9287420 or alan(at)southernfriedhockey.com

Book early to avoid disappointment!

Cork Summer Camp: July 30 – August 3

Alan Good — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 21:13:08 +0000

A five-day summer camp, catering for children aged 8 to 16 of all skill levels. Participants will be divided into junior (8-12yrs) and senior (13-16yrs) groups.

Our coaches are young, enthusiastic and of Division 1 playing standard, and many have represented Munster and Ireland at various levels.

The maximum ratio of coach to players at this clinic will be 1:10. The camp will run from 10am to 2pm each day.

Places can be booked for 1, 3 or 5 days online here or through the contacts listed below.

Andrew Gray: 085 2055296 or andrew(at)southernfriedhockey.com

Alan Good: 087 9287420 or alan(at)southernfriedhockey.com

Clonmel Hockey Clinic: August 25-26

Alan Good — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 20:00:17 +0000

A two-day summer clinic in association with Clonmel Hockey Club, catering for children aged 12 to 17 of all skill levels. Participants will be divided into junior (12-14yrs) and senior (15-17yrs) groups.

Our coaches are young, enthusiastic and of Division 1 playing standard, and many have represented Munster and Ireland at various levels.

The maximum ratio of coach to players at this clinic will be 1:10. The camp will run from 10am to 2pm each day.

Places can be booked online here or through the contacts listed below.

Dawn Grace: 085 7705980 or pgrace(at)eircom.net
Alan Good: 087 9287420 or alan(at)southernfriedhockey.com

Book early to avoid disappointment!

Interpros off this season’s agenda

Alan Good — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:55:24 +0000

Mystery again surrounds the future of Irish hockey’s interprovincial tournaments after the Irish Hockey Association (IHA) confirmed the senior and junior tournaments will not take place during the 2011/12 season.

The IHA yesterday stressed the decision “has largely been driven by the (provincial) branches, who feel that in a year with Olympic qualifiers, the inability to field full squads puts the cost and associated benefits of the events in doubt”.

The national body’s competitions and interprovincial working groups have been asked to review the staging of the senior and junior tournaments for future years in conjunction with national coaches Paul Revington and Gene Muller, and high performance director David Passmore.

Vanessa Sargent, Rachel McSharry, Olivia Roycroft, Ali O'Regan, Yvonne O'Byrne and Sinead Connery celebrate Munster's senior interpros win in May. They will now have a chance to defend their title until 2013 at the earliest. Picture: Pat Sargent

The staging of the U21 interprovincials, currently scheduled for Easter having been scrapped last season in a cost-saving measure, is to be reviewed “as a matter of urgency”.

The IHA board say they are keen for this tournament to take place to facilitate preparation and selection of the U21 national teams, which were re-established in October having been discontinued in 2004.

IHA chief executive Angus Kirkland yesterday said: “The IHA has consulted widely on the challenges of scheduling all hockey this season.

“The board considered carefully the opinions of the branches and have agreed that the best decision for hockey this season is not to not hold these tournaments.”

Detractors argue that the intensification and expansion of the Irish national setups to include more sessions and development panels has rendered the interpros – first played out in 1897 and once a treasured chance to see all the country’s top players lock horns at once – irrelevant.

Aside from Olympic commitments, the presence of current internationals in interpro tournaments has dwindled in recent years, with the senior women focused on their central preparation programme (CPP) while the majority of the men’s side play the sport semi-professionally abroad.

The junior interpros does not feed into any national representative side, but remains a popular outlet for non-elite players to aim for provincial honours, although Connacht were unable to field a side in the 2011 men’s tournament.

Lynch back among Irish elite

Alan Good — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:30:27 +0000

Jason Lynch has been given a renewed vote of confidence by national coach Paul Revington after he was named in a 24-man core Irish squad in the run-up to March’s Olympic qualifiers.

Revington named the 18 players he brought to the summer’s European championships plus five more who were in the reserve panel – Gareth Watkins, Stuart Loughrey, Iain Walker, Peter Blakeney and Bruce McCandless.

Cork man Lynch, formerly of C of I and Lisnagarvey but now playing with Racing Brussels in Belgium, makes up the 24, essentially replacing Phelie Maguire, who is named in the peripheral squad but is off to India to compete in the fledgling World Series Hockey.

Jason Lynch: Named in 24-man core Irish training squad. Picture: Adrian Boehm

Four more Munster men are named in the 22-strong peripheral squad; C of I’s Clinton Sweetnam and Billy Lynch, plus YMCA hitman Jonny Bruton were there or thereabouts in any case.

David Hobbs’ inclusion suggests Revington suggests the cap centurion still has a role to play, but there is no place for Bandon’s Alistair Smith, who had been involved at A level against Egypt during the summer.

Despite a return to goalscoring form with Pembroke since returning to Ireland, Alan Sothern must make do with a peripheral squad spot while the most eye-catching inclusion is that of David Cole, who is still eligible for the national U18 side.

Revington will base his squad out of Ireland from January 16-29 and February 4-12 to avail of warm weather training, the details of which are not yet confirmed, and will also have the benefit of hosting a number of international games in the run up to the Dublin Olympic Qualifiers.

He said “We enter another exciting period as an Ireland squad on the back of the hard work put in by everyone over the course of the past 18 months.

“While we are identifying a core and narrowed squad for the coming months, the panel of players in the peripheral squad will still indicate the value we place on building and growing an enlarged Ireland squad as we prepare to tackle the new challenges together in 2012.

“The core squad is by no means a ‘closed squad’ and as per previous years there is always scope for players to push their way into selection contention. The period December 2011 to March 2012 will be filled with training and game opportunities for the squad as we prepare to tackle the Olympic qualifier on home soil together.”

Tickets for the OQT will go on sale online on hockey.ie this week, while the IHA are also seeking expressions of interest from volunteers to help out at the tournament.

IRELAND senior men’s squads for Olympic qualifer training

CORE: D Ames (Beeston), P Blakeney (Three Rock Rovers), J Brennan (Glenanne), C Cargo (Reading), P Caruth (Annadale), T Cockram (Lisnagarvey), M Darling (SCHC), D Fitzgerald (GK, Monkstown), P Gleghorne (Instonians), R Gormley (Club de Campo), C Harte (SCHC), D Harte (GK, SCHC), J Jackson (Braxgata), J Jermyn (Cork C of I), S Loughrey (Loughborough Students), J Lynch (Racing Brussels), E Magee (KHC Dragons), G McCabe (Santander), B McCandless (Banbridge), A McConnell (Hurley), I Sloan (Cookstown), I Walker (GK, YMCA), G Watkins (Monkstown), M Watt (Santander).

PERIPHERAL: J Bell (Lisnagarvey), P Brown (Banbridge), J Bruton (YMCA), D Carlisle (Banridge), K Carroll (Railway Union), D Carson (Corinthian), D Cole (Monkstown), S Cole (Monkstown), B Doherty (Royal Beerschot), S Dowds (Banbridge), R Flannery (Pembroke Wanderers), D Hobbs (Cork C of I), I Hughes (GK, Cookstown), B Lynch (GK, Cork C of I), P MacDonnell (Lisnagarvey), M Maguire (Royal Uccle), P Maguire (Hurley), S O’Donoghue (UCD), A Sothern (Pembroke Wanderers), C Sweetnam (Cork C of I), R Sykes (Monkstown), S West (GK, Three Rock Rovers)

O’Halloran withdraws from CPP

Stephen Findlater — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:48:58 +0000

Julia O’Halloran has withdrawn from the Irish setup panel in the one major departure from Gene Muller’s selection following the announcement of the latest centralised programme.

The 24 year-old attacking midfielder, an ever-present in the European championships and Champion’s Challenge, withdrew from the programme in the past few weeks, just prior to the panel resuming full training mode.

Julia O'Halloran, in action against Spain in August, has withdrawn from the Irish training setup in the wake of the European championships Pic: Adrian Boehm

With Jean McDonnell also omitted from the selection, it has opened the door for teenagers Deirdre Duke and Gillian Pinder to possibly stake a claim for forward places due to the reduction in options up front in the latest 23-player selection. They, along with Leah Ewart, have been added to the panel on a probation basis.

On the credit side, Louisa Healy is the one returnee providing extra competition for the goalkeeping spots.Along with Mary Goode, the Loreto stopper stepped away from the panel in 2010, taking the time out to progress her career in the gardai. But she returns in good time to battle it out for a place in the Olympic qualifiers with Emma Gray and Pamela Smithwick.

It is the beginning of preparations for a qualifying tournament in the spring which looks likely to be played in Japan in April though the IHA are still hopeful of bringing the competition to Dublin.

Ireland’s next opportunity to test themselves in a competitive setting is in Argentina this December where they will compete in two four nations tournaments.

Speaking about the squad, High Performance Director Dave Passmore spoke about the challenges ahead for the latest selection, confirming players would increasingly be available to train with their clubs.

“After a well earned rest it is good to see the girls back into their full training program which now includes a club session each week. The real developmental impact of the CPP program should be realised through the next period of the program and with the Argentina trip in December being a timely opportunity to view the development made as the girls move into the final push towards the Olympic qualifier”

Ireland panel: Niamh Atcheler (UCD), Hannah Bowe (Slough), Emma Clarke (Leicester), Aine Connery (Hermes), Lizzie Colvin (Loreto), Miriam Crowley(Hermes), Nicci Daly (Loreto), Nicola Evans (Railway Union), Emma Gray (Hermes), Louisa Healy (Loreto), Michelle Harvey (Pegasus), Lisa Jacob (Hermes), Sinead McCarthy (Hermes), Shirley McCay (Old Alex), Anna O’ Flanagan (UCD), Audrey O’Flynn (Hermes), Cliodhna Sargent (Cork Harlequins), Niamh Small (Loreto), Emma Smyth (Railway Union), Alex Speers (Railway Union), Nikki Symmons (Loreto), Pam Smithwick (Old Alex), Chloe Watkins (UCD)
Probation players: Deirdre Duke (UCD), Leah Ewart (UCD), Gillian Pinder (Hermes)

IHA confirm the return of Irish U-21 programme

Stephen Findlater — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:32:06 +0000

The IHA confirmed the return of the Irish U-21 programme on Wednesday night at the first of four IHA Branch Open Forums in Dublin, a night when they launched HookedForLife, the IHA’s long term player development model. Over 60 people from the Leinster community were in attendance for the evening on which High Performance Director, Dave Passmore, made the announcement, saying:

The Irish U-21s have been competing solely in the Junior Celtic Cup on an ad hoc basis since 2004. Picture: Adrian Boehm

“The reintroduction of these teams fills a gap that has clearly been missing within our player development pathway, and indeed our elite coach development over the past few years.

“The programmes and budgets will require careful management but, with the desire on the ground to bring back these teams, I have no doubt we can achieve and overcome these aspects.”

Ireland last had an U21 side in 2004 when both teams were relegated in Europe to the second tier. The decision to reintroduce the teams has come about as a result of a review of the player pathway model. Players and parents were also consulted highlighting the support for the reintroduction of these squads.

The process for selection for the U-21 national squad will take place through the interpros held at Easter and a short preparation period will include the boy’s team competing in the senior men’s interpros. Both teams will also compete in the U-21 Celtic Cup before their European Junior Nations events in Lisbon (women) and Bratislava (men) on July 18-22, 2012.

Passmore was quick to add that the programs in 2012 would be focused around a short but intense period of preparation in June and early July.

2011/12 Women’s Season Preview

Alan Good — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:48:36 +0000

Emma Harrington and Shauna Fagan celebrate an Ashton goal against Clontarf last year; the duo will be looking to link up again this season. Picture: Deryck Vincent

ASHTON

Last Season: 5th
Coaches: George Treacy and Bernie Heffernan
Captain: Caroline McCarthy
Players In: Cliodhna Murphy (long term injury)
Players Out: Jessica Kelleher (travelling), Susan Peters (GK, UCC), Karyn Treacy, Jean Casey, Ciara Randles (GK, C of I)
First three games: C of I (a) Harlequins (h) UL (h)
IHT Rd 1: TBA

Fast becoming Munster hockey’s answer to Everton – and not just because they wear blue and have noisy neighbours – Ashton are a fine example of how to make the best of their resources.

George Treacy and Bernie Heffernan have always seen the bigger picture, even when the side couldn’t buy a win a couple of seasons ago. These days, they have one of the league’s most prolific netfinders in Caroline McCarthy, two of its brightest prospects in Kate Harvey and Shauna Fagan and an assist machine in Karen Stokes.

They also showed themselves to be cup specialists last term, reaching an Irish Trophy semi-final and an Examiner Cup final before winning the Division One Plate.

Unlucky to be edged out for fourth place by Bandon last season, they’ve laid down a marker in the summer friendly exchanges, beating the west Cork side 4-0 as well as comfortably seeing off C of I.

Should they take that form into the league campaign – with Emma Harrington and Mary Claire Cummins also showing early-season sharpness – Ashton will be a force to be reckoned with, complete with a style of play that’s easy on the eye.

Potential problems? They don’t possess the squad depth that Quins, Institute and UCC boast, and have seen two of their top goalkeepers move to pastures new in the past 12 months.

But if they can keep their front-liners fit and the shots backboard-bound, it shouldn’t be long before they pull the wool over the eyes of one of the top three.

Bandon's Sarah Sullivan and C of I's Sandra Hackett will have important roles to play for their respective sides. Picture: Ondine Roche

BANDON

Last Season: 4th
Coach: John Dennis (2nd season)
Captain: TBA
Players In: TBA
Players Out: Sarah Gray (Trinity), Rachelle Nyhan (UL), Siobhan Sexton (UCC), Ali Kingston (travel)
First three league games: Catholic Institute (h); UL (h); Cork C of I (a)
IHT Rd 1: TBA

This year has all the hallmarks of a transition season for Bandon, despite the progress made last term in displacing C of I in the top four, staying in with a shout of the IHL wildcard playoffs until the league campaign’s final stanza.

Despite all moving to college sides, three key departures – Sarah Gray, Rachelle Nyhan and Siobhan Sexton – rob the side of maturity and no little skill, though Ali Kingston’s loss is likely to be the most keenly felt.

That in turn provides gaps for younger players to fill; Vicky Burns, for example, had a fine breakthrough season last year and the Munster U18 will be keen to build on that this time around.

Hilary Chapple will again provide the dribbling magic to create space and opportunities up front for the likes of Sarah Sullivan to finish off, but it’s Ciara Harte and Amy Roycroft who remain the heartbeat of John Dennis’ side.

They will ensure west Cork remains a graveyard for those who arrive half-cocked or fail to take the Bandon threat seriously; nonetheless, they’ll be hard pushed to take points off last year’s top three on the road, and are likely to be fighting for fourth place again.

Roisin Upton and Rachel McSharry are sure to face off in midfield battles again when Institute meet Quins. Picture: Ivan O'Riordan

CATHOLIC INSTITUTE

Last Season: 1st
Coaches: Ger O’Carroll & Dave Passmore (3rd season as a combination)
Co Captains: Kym Daly & Christine O’Shea
Players In: Elaine Hall (Pembroke Wanderers), Ashling Fitzgerald (UL), Caoimhe Costigan (UL)
Players Out: Rebecca Barry (Richmond Spiders, USA), Claire Mulcahy (Pembroke Wanderers)
First three games: Bandon (a), UCC (h), Ashton (h).
ISC: Bye to Rd 2; IHL Rd 1: Pegasus (h)

Deserved champions and double winners last season, who were only denied a 100% league record by a lacklustre scoreless draw at Quins on the last day with the title already annexed.

Ger O’Carroll and Dave Passmore have not only nurtured through a special group of youngsters but also instilled a winning mentality at Rosbrien, although Elaine Bromell and Eimear Cregan’s know-how has been a huge influence on that score too.

Bromell’s old Pembroke Wanderers mucker Elaine Hall has now joined the party in Limerick – with Claire Mulcahy heading in the opposite direction – although Rebecca Barry’s departure for America is a significant loss.

Nonetheless, having a fully fit Katie Campbell available will be as good as a new signing for O’Carroll; the Munster U21 starlet missed most of last year with a cruciate ligament injury but should be back to her best and raring to go this term.

Having ended Quins’ 15-year dominance in Munster, Institute will hardly be complacent in their bid to retain their crown, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if making a splash in the IHL – having gone so close to semi-final qualification in their maiden season – was privately the main goal.

Cregan, Bromell and Naomi Carroll will continue to supply the bullets up front, while Róisín Upton has grown into a top-class midfield presence. Keely Cantrell, Rosie Pratt, Ali English and goalkeeper Ciara Ronan are the lesser-lauded heroes elsewhere in a side that has few weaknesses. Will deservedly start as favourites in every competition they enter domestically.

Amy Kate Trevor shows the UL defence a clean pair of heels last season. The Irish Youth Olympian has swapped Garryduff for the Mardyke and C of I for UCC. Picture: Ondine Roche

CORK CHURCH OF IRELAND

Last Season: 4th
Coach: Phil Smith (1st season)
Captain: TBA
Players In: Ciara Randles (GK, Ashton), Kate Burke (UCC), Lisa Treacy (UCC).
Players Out: Amy Kate Trevor (UCC), Nicola Kerr (UCC), Elisa Buckley (Quins), Edel Coyne (UCC), Julie Coyne (UCC), Mel Ryan (London), Holly Sweetnam (Dublin), Eimear Connery, Orla McCarthy (long term injury).

First three league games: Catholic Institute (h); UL (h); Cork C of I (a)
IHT Rd 1: TBA

Phil Smith replaces David Egner on the Garryduff sideline this year, and his first task will be to attempt to arrest a decline that has seen C of I go from title challengers to also-rans.

Much like their men’s side, this has seemingly had more to do with a slew of departures – Deirdre Casey, Sinead Connery and Mel Ryan, to name but a few - than anything else. And this summer has been no different, with three of the brighter young performers last term – Amy Kate Trevor, Nicola Kerr and Elisa Buckley – jumping ship.

C of I’s production line is deservedly the envy of every other club in the province, but for one reason or another they have not repatriated many players post-university. That leaves them with an unbalanced age profile in a squad light on 20-25-year-olds, though the return of Kate Burke and Lisa Treacy should help alleviate this.

Smith is sure to build a side in his own image – ruthlessly competitive and committed – and the likes of Sandra Hackett, Amy Roberts and Grace Young are proven performers.

But the majority of the squad are still learning their trade, and while it is packed with potential – Alex O’Grady, Emma Dobson and Pamela Wolfe are among those evolving into fine players – they may struggle against the top sides again this term.

Quins' Yvonne O'Byrne and Dale Burkley crowd out UCC's Ali O'Connor last term. O'Byrne will skipper Quins this time around. Picture: Ondine Roche

CORK HARLEQUINS

Last Season: 2nd
Coach: Stephen Dale (2nd season)
Captain: Yvonne O’Byrne
Players In: Elaine Collins (UCD), Elisa Buckley (Cork C of I), Andrea Bickerdike (UCC), Erica Breen (UCC), Nicky Kingston (UCC), Hannah Cahill (Galway), Orla Walsh (London).
Players Out: Emily O’Leary (UCC), Edwina McGrath (Waterford)
First three games: UL (h), Ashton (a), UCC (a)
ISC Rd 1: UCD (h); IHL Rd 1: Loreto (a)

It’s a source of huge pride at Farmers Cross that Quins retained their top two status last term, given the huge upheaval that saw three of Ireland’s most decorated players of the past 20 years – Karen Bateman, Rachael Kohler and Eimear Cregan – depart the Harlequin Park scene.

Quins weren’t all that pretty to watch initially last term, but came to life in the second half of the season as Stephen Dale’s stewardship began to bear fruit, culminating in a successful raid of the Mardyke that ultimately sewed up second spot.

Three of the College girls vanquished that day – Munster Juniors trio Erica Breen, Andrea Bickerdike and Nicky Kingston – have pitched up at Harlequin Park to bolster the squad’s depth this term, with Emily O’Leary heading in the opposite direction while Edwina McGrath is Waterford-bound to study.

Elaine Collins brings plenty of know-how to the backline from her stint with UCD, though Dubliner Orla Walsh – a schoolmate of Quins mainstay Rachel McSharry – may need more time to adjust after a few years out of the game in London.

Elisa Buckley adds some Munster U18 quality to the front-line – where Hannah Cahill might also make hay – but Dale will be looking to teenagers Acacia Taylor and Leanne Mullins to shoulder more responsibility this term.

New captain Yvonne O’Byrne – still just 19, but now a senior member of the panel – will miss the opening exchanges after breaking a finger and a knuckle against Corinthians in pre-season, though Cliodhna Sargent will be a huge boon when available.

She is likely to miss the majority of the domestic campaign due to Irish CPP commitments, but Quins are learning how to survive without their totem. While they’ll face a renewed challenge from UCC and Ashton, they won’t be yielding any ground without a fight.

Kate Murphy makes a goal-line save for UCC; goalkeeper Zoe Cremin has headed for pastures new, however. Picture: Ivan O'Riordan

UCC

Last Season: 3rd
Coach: Paidi Hartnett (5th season)
Captain: TBA
Players In: Amy Kate Trevor (C of I), Nicola Kerr (C of I), Emily O’Leary (Quins), Emily Kenefick (Edinburgh), Edel Coyne (C of I), Siobhan Sexton (Bandon), Julie Coyne (C of I), Susan Peters (GK, Ashton)
Players Out: Miriam Crowley (Hermes), Eibhlín O’Donoghue (London), Vicky O’Sullivan (travel), Andrea Bickerdike (Quins), Nicky Kingston (Quins), Erica Breen (UCC), Zoe Cremin (GK, London), Kate Burke (C of I), Lisa Treacy (C of I).
First three games: Catholic Institute (a), UL (a), Ashton (h)
ISC Rd 1: Armagh (a); IHL Rd 1: Ballymoney (a)

The entry and exit doors have both been busy at the Mardyke this summer, with eight players coming in and nine leaving, although many of the side’s (relative) veterans have stayed put.

They include Ali O’Regan and Ali O’Connor, two top performers be the side’s mainstays alongside Olivia Roycroft – who may again be deployed as a sweeper – and the returning Emily Kenefick.

Miriam Crowley’s departure to Dublin – she is taking a year out of her studies to centralise with the Irish team – robs Paidi Hartnett of international star quality but Amy Kate Trevor is a marquee addition, coming with Ireland U18 and Youth Olympic experience.

The majority of the new arrivals have recent representative experience, however, while Siobhan Sexton brings a near-decade of top-level experience to the side. The Coyne sisters know what it takes to win in another field, having recently annexed an Irish Senior Cup title with Douglas Golf Club.

So where does that leave a side who conspired to throw away second place last term, before making up for it by shocking Ards in the IHL wildcard playoffs? It’s hard to tell with so many changes, and the newbies will be thrown in at the deep end with a visit to champions Catholic Institute first up, not to mention long treks to Ulster to face Armagh and Ballymoney on successive Saturdays.

UCC’s ‘golden generation’ of a couple of seasons ago saw their time come and go without breaking Quins’ stranglehold, but such concerns are unlikely to worry Hartnett as he bids to put the building blocks in place this season to challenge for titles again in the coming years.

UL's short corner unit en route to frustrating C of I at Garryduff last season. Picture: Ondine Roche

Last Season: 7th
Coach: George Blackwell (2nd season)
Captain: Steph Peters
Players In: Tara Whisker (Limerick), Rachelle Nyhan (Bandon), Laura Griffin (Waterford)
Players Out: Ashling Fitzgerald (Catholic Institute), Caoimhe Costigan (Catholic Institute), Doireann de Paor (Work commitments)
First three games: Quins (a), Bandon (a), Cork C of I (a)

Seemingly destined for the wooden spoon last year after a nightmare first half of the season – their failure to fulfil an away game at UCC saw them prevented from attending the intervarsities – UL got their act together under George Blackwell and were no pushovers come the campaign’s end.

Whether they possess the raw materials to build on that this term is open to question, although the retention of Laura Peters – who has taken up a teaching position in Villiers – is vital to a side who found goals hard to come by last time around.

Little sister Steph takes the captaincy reins and brings Munster U18 and Junior experience to the table; goalkeeper Elaine O’Flynn has also donned provincial red and will be a key component.

Rachelle Nyhan joins the Peters sisters as a Bandon exile in Limerick and could be a key performer on the defensive side of things, but fellow new additions Tara Whisker and Laura Griffin are as-yet unproven in Division One.

The fixtures Gods haven’t been kind to Blackwell’s girls either; they must hit the N20 to Cork for the first three weeks, meaning there’s a danger they could be cut adrift early on, although Bandon and C of I will be targeted for potential upsets.

2011/12 Men’s Season Preview

Alan Good — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:49:01 +0000

Please note: Previews for the C of I and Quins second teams have been omitted this year due to a lack of available information

Bandon's Mark Deane holds off Lisnagarvey's Timmy Cockram. The west Cork men must make retention of possession a priority this term. Picture: Adrian Boehm

BANDON

Last Season: 3rd
Coach: Stephen Jackson (1st season)
Captain: Ian Hosford
Players In: Melvin Beamish, Gavin Beamish
Players Out: Cathal Duggan (Catholic Institute)
First three league games: Catholic Institute (h); UCC (a); Quins B (a).
ISC Rd 1: UCD (h)

The only major change down west this year is on the sideline, where Stephen Jackson takes the reins full-time from Ger Burns, having deputised for him at times last term.

The former C of I coach will be keen to stamp his ideas on a Bandon side who have, at least, been spared the annual raid from the city clubs this summer, though that may have something to do with the shortage of top-quality players leaving feeder school Bandon Grammar this year.

Retaining Andrew Scannell is a bonus for them as he provides the main drag-flicking outlet, and will be a vital midfield cog if Bandon are to play the more patient game they crave.

Too often last term the west Cork men looked to find talisman Ali Smith directly, forcing the Ireland A man to drop deeper to receive, when he tends to work better in tandem with Graham Kingston in and around the 25.

Scott Sullivan and Ben Scott will be expected to shoulder more responsibility again this term but defence remains the greatest cause for concern, specifically the tendency to dump possession and present teams with turnover opportunities.

Bandon are often at their best in their tussles with UCC, and an early-season showdown at the Mardyke – where they escaped with a draw last year via a scrambled last-ditch goal – in game two should set the tone for their season.

On the move: Adam O'Callaghan (left) has left C of I to join UCC but Simon Brickenden (right) returns to Institute after a spell with Quins. Picture: Eoin Tyrrell

CATHOLIC INSTITUTE

Last Season: 8th
Coach: Harry Gleeson (1st season)
Captain: Ed Gleeson
Players In: Cathal Duggan (Bandon), Simon Brickenden (Cork Harlequins)
Players Out: TBA
First three league games: Bandon (a), Cork C of I (h), Quins B (h)
IHT Rd 1: TBA

Talk throughout the summer months centred on Institute’s apparent desire to drop to Division Two, but they are a side in a rock and a hard place – likely too good for the second tier, but struggling to stay competitive among the big boys.

Previously relied upon to give Bandon and the Quins/C of I second XIs a good going over at Rosbrien and engage in a serious tussle with UCC, Institute have fallen away since reaching a Munster Senior Cup final in 2010.

They have some tidy emerging young players in Colum O’Byrne and Riyad McCormack but they are light on Division One experience; that’s not an issue for much of the squad, though a few of their over-30s might have expected to have been able to move down the ranks by now.

It’s not all doom and gloom by any stretch, however. Persuading Munster Junior representative Cathal Duggan – in Limerick for college – to join up was a shrewd move. He dovetailed nicely with Institute talisman Eric Calendar in Munster red at the tail end of last season, and they could surprise a few defences this term.

Simon Brickenden returns from a short spell at Cork Harlequins to pull the strings in midfield and provide a drag-flick option, captain Ed Gleeson is also a slick operator and any club would be glad to have a goalkeeper of Tristan Murphy’s calibre and fearlessness.

Squad depth will be an issue but if Insta focus on the winnable games, it could be a more productive season than might have been imagined a few months ago.

John Jermyn and Andrew Daunt will play vital roles for a depleted C of I side this term as they seek to wrest the title back from Jason Black's Quins. Picture: Ondine Roche

CORK CHURCH OF IRELAND

Last Season: 2nd
Coach: David Hobbs (Player/coach, 1st season)
Captain: Billy Lynch
Players In: Shane O’Donnell (UCD)
Players Out: Stephen Parker (YMCA), Nick Burns (UCD), Adam O’Callaghan (UCC), Stuart O’Grady (UCC), Stephen Sweetnam (New Zealand).
First three league games: Quins B (h), Catholic Institute (a), C of I B (a)
IHL Rd 1: Pembroke Wanderers (a)

Such has been the exodus of top players from Garryduff in recent seasons, you could almost form a team of ex-pats who have all represented Ireland at some level.

This summer has been no different; Nick Burns’ venomous forward power is now servicing UCD, as he is the beneficiary of a substantial scholarship programme at Belfield, while Stephen Parker is also off to south Dublin to link up with YMCA and Stephen Sweetnam has headed to foreign shores.

A couple of young players with representative experience – Adam O’Callaghan and Stuart O’Grady – have gone across town to the Mardyke.

On the credit side, Shane O’Donnell – on work experience in Cork – can go some way to replacing Burns and Sweetnam as a corner option, while plugging the gaps left in defence by O’Callaghan and O’Grady.

John Jermyn’s availability is likely to be curtailed by Irish commitments as they enter the Olympic qualifer phase, but the player termed “world class” by Dutch coach Paul Van Ass is in superb form and will again look to dovetail with international colleague David Hobbs.

While the midfield remains as good as anyone else’s nationally, C of I still leak far too many goals and lack the forward firepower to do enough damage against meaner defences. Gary Wilkinson could help remedy that, however; he netted twice in a pre-season win over UCD and could, alongside Philip Sweetnam, cause some trouble with his pace.

Whether there’s enough quality throughout to wrest back the Munster title – let alone challenge in the IHL – remains to be proven, however.

Quins' Phil McLaughlin holds off UCC's Andy Gray last term, but his season was cut short by injury; he's back in harness at Farmers Cross for the new season. Picture: Ondine Roche

CORK HARLEQUINS

Last Season: 1st
Coach: Phil Oakley (2nd season)
Captain: Mark Black
Players In: John Sweetnam (Midleton College), Phil McLaughlin (long term injury)
Players Out: Darren Farrell (Monkstown), Simon Brickenden (Catholic Institute)
First three league games: C of I B (h), Quins B (a), UCC (h)
IHL Rd 1: Glenanne (h)

Written off for the past couple of seasons – with this journalist as guilty as anyone – Quins shut a fair few people up by stopping Cork C of I’s “drive for five” last term and taking the spoils in Munster.

Cynics will nonetheless point to the number of top-notch players who have headed for the Garryduff exit door in recent seasons, but that won’t have made it any less satisfying for an ultra-competitive Quins outfit.

A hallmark of their progress under Phil Oakley has seen a decreasing reliance on short corner goals, though David Eakins, John Hobbs and Dan Hobbs all provide menace at the set-piece.

They have a settled squad too – Darren Farrell’s departure for Dublin is regrettable but gives newbie John Sweetnam a chance to make his own mark – and Oakley has Quins playing an increasingly technical game based on patience and movement on and off the ball.

Whether it’s enough to see them make any mark in the IHL – where only sporadic victories have been engineered, albeit in often spectacular fashion – remains to be seen, but they rightly start as favourites in Munster.

UCC's Graham Catchpole evades two South Antrim tacklers during last season's Irish Trophy final. Neil Welch's side are gunning for glory in two national competitions this season. Picture: Adrian Boehm.

UCC

Last Season: 4th
Coach: Neil Welch (3rd season)
Captain: Andrew Gray
Players In: Adam O’Callaghan (C of I), Stuart O’Grady (C of I), David Doherty (Ashton School), Shrew Power (Midleton College), Shane Fleming
Players Out: David Gash (Dublin, club TBC), Emmett Long, Danny Mulligan, Mark Barry.
First three league games: C of I B (a), Bandon (h), Quins (a)
ISC Rd 1: Lisnagarvey (a)

That UCC are unrecognisable from three seasons ago – in terms of personnel and quality – is largely down to the success of the Neil Welch revolution.

College have played to their strengths under his tutelage, and while it hasn’t always been pretty – a game-plan based heavily on Andy Gray’s aerials and the pace and skills of Fionn O’Leary and Peter Catchpole – it has often been effective.

It was nearly rewarded with silverware as they were just edged out by South Antrim in the final of the Irish Trophy. That has produced the bonus of participation in two national competitions this year; they’ll be back for another crack at the Trophy, meaning the ISC trip to Ulster powerhouses Lisnagarvey is a shot to nothing.

But for all the advances, they’ve yet to put Bandon away in order to seek an IHL wildcard, nor have they eked out a result against either of the big two.

The trio of arrivals from C of I will boost their chances, as well as weakening a rival. Stuart O’Grady is the key signing here, as he adds an extra dimension in midfield alongside Graham Catchpole as well as potentially releasing Roger Gray into a more advanced role.

Shrew Power’s pace frightened the life out of Corinthians and Rathgar Chiefs in pre-season, and speed will be UCC’s main offensive weapon along with the twin drag-flicking threat of the Gray brothers.

On the to-do list? Eradicate the lapses in concentration that cost some soft goals last season, make up for last year’s intervarsities disappointment and bury the Bandon hoodoo once and for all. Far easier said than done, however.