Connacht U16 skipper Freddie Timmins (right, seen here in action for the western province's U18s) will be among those looking to impress Ireland U16 coach Una McCarthy. Picture: Rachel McSharry

A compromise appears to have been reached over the rescheduling of the cancelled U16 girls interprovincial tournament, with a blitz planned for early next month.

Tensions ran high as frozen pitches in Kilkenny caused the cancellation of the tournament a couple of weeks ago, with Munster and Ulster choosing to officially recognise their players by giving them badges – even though a ball wasn’t hit in anger – while Leinster did not.

An impasse continued over the following week as a number of high-profile figures called for the tournament to be rescheduled, with the IHA footing the bill.

But the national body’s competitions committee have found a compromise agreeable to both sides, following consultation with the branches.

A one-day blitz will now take place on Sunday, January 4 at Alexandra College in Milltown, with each province playing each other once in a 30-minute match, with all 18 plays in each initial  squad eligible to participate.

IHA chief executive Angus Kirkland said the players will now have a chance to showcase their talents in front of Ireland U16s coach Una McCarthy and he management team.

“It is great that these underage players will have an opportunity to compete representing their provinces which is a huge honour,” he added.

U16 Interpro Blitz, Alexandra College, Milltown (Sunday, January 4)
11am: South East v Leinster; Connacht v Ulster
12pm: Munster v South East; Connacht v Leinster
1.30pm: Ulster v Munster; South East v Connacht
2.30pm: Leinster v Ulster; Munster v Connacht
3.30pm: South East v Ulster; Leinster v Munster

The tournament fell victim to the weather last weekend, with the pitches at Kilkenny College frozen and unplayable, denying the squads a chance to represent their province and impress Irish selectors.

While Munster and Ulster officials decided to award their squad members with representative badges, Leinster declined to do so, and the fallout has continued this week, with provincial branches and the IHA seemingly at odds over how the tournament will be funded if it is rescheduled.

Munster Branch president John Rose said: “If the IHA want to reschedule the tournament, they will have to pick up the tab – the branches and parents can’t afford to pay any more than they already have.”

The MBIHA are likely to raise the issue at one of their ordinary meetings with members of the IHA board in Cork tonight, while the IHA’s competitions committee will also be contacting each branch to see if a solution can be found.

Munster U16 girls coach John Hobbs believes selecting the Ireland U16 team could prove problematic if the interpros aren't rescheduled. Picture: Adrian Boehm

Munster U16 coach John Hobbs said all avenues should be exhausted to get the competition played.

“In my opinion it’s a shame for the girls to have trained so hard since last May, coming through a trials procedure, giving up countless weekends and dedicating their time and effort into preparing for the tournament only to have it cancelled due to adverse weather conditions,” he said.

“While I can appreciate that we cannot plan for these things (the weather), it does not alleviate the fact that these girls have been short-changed. Some of them are only 13 years old, and it’s a huge disappointment for them.”

Hobbs suggested the IHA could seek sponsorship for a rescheduled tournament, and warned further problems could arise in terms of selecting an Irish U16 team if the competition did not go ahead.

“They should all have a chance to represent their provinces with pride during this season, as they have worked extremely hard to earn the opportunity. If that means finding the funds to re-fix this tournament, then all avenues should be exhausted by the IHA.

“It seems like it boils down to a cost benefit situation, and the branches, schools and particularly the parents have also invested a lot of money into the preparation and travel for the girls for the original tournament and perhaps the IHA might seek sponsorship for the tournament and its subsequent costs.

“I would imagine an (international) squad would have to be picked for the mid-term matches against England at U16 and U18 levels, and while the U18s have played their tournament and have been awarded trials at this level, it remains to be seen how this would be possible for under 16s.

“As coach of the Munster squad, I have not seen my girls in action competitively against their peers from the other provinces and as such, I cannot judge the standards across the provinces objectively.”

Munster players and Bandon Grammar students Gemma Kingston, 14, and Nicola Kerr, 15, said they and their team-mates deserve to have the tournament played.

“We went all that way for nothing – everyone was so disappointed,” said Gemma. “Our first trial was in June and we’ve been training every weekend since for this.

“We’ve put in so much work, we deserve to get something out of it. And our parents have put in the time and money, bringing us to all the training sessions – they deserve something too.”

Nicola added: “The atmosphere on the bus home was awful, everyone was so upset. We had put so much effort into it.”

IHA high performance director Dave Passmore said he attempted to get the U16 and U18 interpros moved forward in 2006 to prevent the tournaments falling victim to the weather, and to reduce the training load on young athletes who also have club and school commitments.

However, the proposal was rejected by schools and youths representatives from Leinster and Ulster.

In a statement released on its website, the IHA seeks to correct seven inaccuracies contained in an article published last Friday, which predictably went down like a lead balloon within the association.

The report claimed that Richard Leman and David Faulkner of the GB management team met with Irish officials at the Beijing Olympics, and notified them that they had been approached by a number of Irish players about representing GB at London 2012.

Mark Gleghorne: IHA have denied a claim in the Irish Times that he has departed the Irish setup. Picture courtesy of World Hockey

It also claimed Instonians’ Mark Gleghorne had withdrawn from the Irish senior men’s team, and that the IHA “may pragmatically turn towards seeking reward for the development costs” of defecting players.

In response, the IHA has stated that neither Gleghorne – who is still recovering following shoulder surgery over the summer – nor any other player has indicated their intention to defect to GB.

The body has also vehemently stated that it would not agree to fast-track a player’s defection – a possibility raised in last week’s article – or seek compensation for defecting players, and refuted the suggestion that any Irish officials met with their GB counterparts.

The IHA also moved to correct inaccuracies stated about the wilderness rule, which rules players out of international hockey for three years should they choose to defect from one country to another.

IHA chief executive Angus Kirkland told Southern Fried the report had caused “extreme annoyance” within the national body.

“I thought it was a joke at first, and not a very good one at that,” he said. “The concept that a Northern Irish player can choose to play for England is down to the individual, and there’s not a lot we can do about that. But we would never seek compensation for players, (adopting that attitude) would condemn our national side to second-tier hockey.”

The issue of Northern Irish players defecting to Great Britain has rumbled on all summer, starting with calls in June from Democratic Unionist Party member Alastair Ross for players to be allowed to make the move unhindered.

Lewers’ subsequent decision to join the GB cause after winning 89 Irish caps in four years rocked the sport, with the former Annadale man claiming Ireland would not achieve Olympic qualification under the current set-up.

In August, an article was posted on the Ulster Hockey website, which appeared to be encouraging the province’s U18 players to impress GB selectors at the UK Schools games.

The article was later removed following an internal investigation, with Ulster Branch chairman Raymond Hughes expressing a desire to see Ulster talent appearing in the green shirt.

Kirkland said the only way to put the issue to bed was to ensure Ireland qualified for major tournaments.

“We’ve set out our stall, we’re gunning for the Olympics,” he said. “We have a talented young team, and the best way to ensure this isn’t an issue is to put the right things in place for Ireland to qualify.”

IHA chief executive Angus Kirkland said the Irish Times article caused "extreme annoyance" to the national body. Picture courtesy of www.hockey.ie

In Southern Fried’s view, any suggestion that multiple players from the current squad would be interested in a move to GB makes little sense.

It’s worth remembering that Lewers is one of just three or four world-class Irish players who could conceivably be good enough, and of the right age, to make the GB squad in 2012 – and there are no guarantees at that.

Lewers made his decision in the knowledge that he has a decent shot if being selected, based on his current standing in the game and capacity to improve playing semi-professionally in the Dutch league with HGC.

But there’s hardly a queue of other Irish players lining up to throw away three years of their international career when the odds of them making it are far longer.

Furthermore, the article’s suggestion that GB’s automatic qualification as hosts adds extra incentive is equally vexing, given they have qualified for every Olympics since Los Angeles 1984.

The perceived notion that GB could find Ulster a fertile breeding ground for future internationals – who wouldn’t be hindered by the wilderness rule – must be a worry for Irish hockey down the line.

But for now, the IHA must be counting the days to next August, which is the cut-off point for any potential defections to GB – or any other country – in time for London 2012.

He hasn’t quite jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire, but at least Dave Passmore doesn’t have two substantial hazards to contend with anymore.

The Limerick-based Englishman recently vacated the Irish senior men’s coaching job, to take up a full-time role as the IHA’s high performance director. Passmore had been fulfilling both roles for the past two years, and his relief at shedding that burden is palpable.

“Doing the two roles has really stretched me,” he admits. “I’ve been working long hours and had few days off. It has to be said I haven’t done the high performance role as well I could have, because there’s been period where the men’s job has been the priority.

“We knew back in 2006 that we needed to split the roles, but only now are we really in a position to do that. It’s a good time for the men’s team now, I’ve taken them as far as I could. I’m looking forward to getting my teeth into looking at the structures for long-term success for Ireland.”

Dave Passmore: Believes Ireland need more tournament experience to help their quest to qualify for major tournaments. Picture: Adrian Boehm

Passmore’s candid admission in his opening gambit that he’d reached an end-line with the Irish squad will be music to the ears of his detractors, who point to the failure to achieve Olympic qualification and Ireland’s relegation from the top tier of European hockey as the biggest blots on his copybook in almost four years in charge.

Nonetheless, it is difficult to deny that Ireland have made tangible progress on Passmore’s watch, having moved from 24th to 18th in the world, and the raised expectations against which he has been judged are, perversely, a testament to his success.

Tournament draws with top-10 sides Spain and Pakistan are among the better results achieved, while there was genuine disappointment at the failure to oust Argentina and New Zealand for an Olympic spot earlier this year.

Passmore admits that Ireland’s Jekyll and Hyde performances at high-pressure tournaments have been their Achilles heel. As he pointed out at the time, Ireland lost their EuroHockey Nations Championship status despite boasting the best defensive record in the tournament, as well as posting the biggest win in the competition’s history (10-0 over the Czech Republic). But the shock 1-0 loss to France ultimately sealed their fate.

“I don’t think there’s any major changes to be made, but the team needs more tournament experience,” he says. “That’s really where we fall down, producing the goods at exactly the right time. We don’t play enough tournaments and go into enough pressure situations.”

To this end, Passmore revealed that Ireland plan to enter next year’s new Champions Challenge II Trophy, a competition for mid-ranking nations to complement existing competitions which cater for the world’s top 12.

As well as providing valuable world ranking points, Passmore says the competition will “help facilitate the development of a young group”. Either way, it would give the country a dual focus along with the EuroHockey Nations Trophy, which Ireland will be looking to win to bounce back to the top tier at the first attempt.

They will do so, of course, without Iain Lewers, whose defection to Great Britain has been another stick used in some quarters to beat Passmore with.

Iain Lewers: Claimed the Irish top-level structures are "somewhat lacking". Picture: Adrian Boehm

The former Annadale man delivered a scathing parting shot, telling Southern Fried that the top-level structures are “somewhat lacking” and unable to give “these talented players the best possible chance of qualifying for major tournaments”.

Whether Lewers made his feelings known inside the Irish camp isn’t clear, but if Passmore is stung by the criticism, he does a good job of waxing philosophical about the HGC player’s departure.

“You have to create a system that’s bigger than one player,” he says. “Iain is a very gifted player technically, he has all the attributes of a player you want. Unquestionably, he’s a loss, he’s made a decision and that’s his prerogative. It’s disappointing for the team, but there are so many exciting players who have been working hard to step into his shoes.”

Despite the loss of the talismanic Lewers, Passmore has otherwise left the Irish squad in good health for his successor, particularly in terms of the relativity of age profile and experience.

The glut of retirements following the failed Olympic qualification tournament necessitated change in any case, but Passmore must be commended for giving youth its’ head in time to plug the gaps left by the likes of Jason Black and Paddy Brown.

The likes of the Harte twins, Mikey Watt and Tim Lewis have already amassed a few dozen caps, while prodigious talents such as Mitch Darling, Jason Lynch and David Ames have also been successfully integrated into the setup in the past 12 months.

“We should be excited by the talent coming through,” he offers. “One of the reasons I was keen to stay on throughout the summer was to ensure that players who have been working hard over the past two or three years in our development group had the opportunity to express themselves and show their potential.

“There’s fantastically talented players there, the likes of Mitch Darling, who’ve needed time to evolve and develop, and there’s a nucleus there of 21 or 22 very good players.

“Obviously, any incoming coach will have their own views on players that may be different to my own. But he’s coming in at a time where technically they’re sound, physically they’re in good shape, tactically they’ve moved on leaps and bounds. Now it’s about getting the performances in the right games.”

Passmore has introduced lots of young talent to contend with the retirements of experienced players, including Mitch Darling (3rd from left), Mikey Watt (standing) and Conor Harte (2nd from right). Picture: Adrian Boehm

Regarding the new man, Passmore says the IHA are “very open-minded” about who might fill his shoes on the touchline, insisting that a foreign passport isn’t a prerequisite for the job, rather that the national body is exploring options at home and abroad.

“We know there are candidates in Ireland that are good enough, but one of the reasons for choosing after the Olympics [to look for a new coach] was to allow anyone from world hockey to apply,” he says.

“There’s been a lot of interest worldwide in Irish hockey, because they’ve seen the progress we’ve been making. But what we’re looking for now is someone to make the next step with the group by qualifying for the World Cup or, preferably, the Olympics.”

“You have to look at what’s right for the group and get the timing right in terms of when the right person is out there. This is the perfect time to bring in a new men’s coach because we’re at the beginning of a new Olympic and World Cup cycle.

“But at the same time, there’s not a lot of time between now and next year’s Europeans. That’s a big tournament for this team, and it’s critical to their success thereafter. So we’re keen to get the best person we can find on board as quickly as we can.”

Unusually, the new coach will have to report directly to their predecessor, with Passmore’s high performance role at the top of the food chain in Irish hockey’s coaching structure. However, Passmore doesn’t envisage any clashes in this regard.

“Any coach coming into a squad has to be allowed autonomy over how or what they deliver. My role is to direct them and support them as needs be,” he insists.

“I strongly believe this team is heading in the right direction. There’s areas they need to improve upon, and we need to find someone who’s ready to move them on, but I don’t believe they need to re-invent the wheel.”

An abbreviated version of this interview appears in the print version of today’s Irish Examiner

The IHA has agreed the move with the Irish Sports Council and Sport Northern Ireland, meaning Passmore, who had been occupying both roles, will now focus solely on the high performance director job.

Dave Passmore: Will now take on high performance director role in a full-time capacity. Picture: Adrian Boehm

The search is already underway for a new senior men’s coach, while Passmore will continue in the job, alongside assistant coach Craig Fulton, until his replacement is appointed.

Passmore said the move was vital for Irish hockey to achieve its ambitions, though he admitted he will miss the day-to-day coaching role.

“If we are to be successful in achieving our ambitions for the international teams moving forward, it is essential that I concentrate on putting in place the structures and processes to achieve these goals [as high performance director],” he said.

“It has been difficult to break away from coaching, as this is my passion, but fulfilling the two roles to full effect is not possible. I look forward to working with the new national coach to ensure this squad reaches its full potential. It is a young group with the perfect age profile to be successful in 2010 and 2012.”

Passmore also paid tribute to his players for “embracing so much change” during his tenure: “I would like to thank the fantastic management team for the efforts and commiment over the past three-and-a-half years. The quality and level of support they have offered the athletes has been second to none, despite so many working in voluntary capacities. The athletes also deserve great recognition for embracing so much change over this period.”

Passmore, a former coach of Cork Harlequins, joined the IHA in 2005 after successful stinits with the England U18 and U21 women’s teams, winning gold and silver medals respectively.

While he has presided over some notable results – last year’s win over world champions Germany and tournament draws with Spain and Pakistan among the highlights – his side narrowly missed out on qualification for the Beijing Olympics.

Passmore has also successfully introduced new blood to the side this year, following the retirements of Mark Irwin, Jason Black, Paddy Brown and Andrew Barbour, with Three Rock’s Mitch Darling the standout rookie thus far.

IHA chief executive Angus Kirkland said the splitting of the men’s senior coach and high performance director roles was a “very positive step”, while chairman John Dennis lauded the strides made during Passmore’s time.

“The standard of technical ability, tactical understanding and fitness levels have moved on significantly during this time,” said Dennis. “We are now widely acknowledged as a force to be reckoned with worldwide.”

The IHA is now inviting applications for the vacant position of senior men’s coach. Full details are available here.

McKinnon, best known for guiding Armagh’s ladies to five successive promotions and the Irish U18 girls to two fourth-placed European championship finishes, is stepping down to take up a position as a special needs teacher and hockey coach at the King’s Hospital School in Palmestown.

He will officially finish in the post on September 19, though he will remain on in a voluntary capacity as coach of the Ireland U15 development girls’ squad.

Mick McKinnon: Taking up a new role as a special needs teacher and hockey coach at Palmestown's King's Hospital school.

The IHA’s national development officer Fiona Mills said McKinnon has had a “huge impact” on coaching education in his 20 months in the job.

“Mick’s determination and hard work has developed our coaching pathway to an exciting point, and he is responsible for Irish hockey’s extensive coach education programme,” said Mills, who added that the IHA will be seeking an immediate replacement.

“Whilst we are sorry to see Mick leave Irish hockey, we look forward to continuing our relationship with him in his capacity as a hockey coach and tutor. I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of the Association to wish Mick the very best for all of his future endeavours.”

McKinnon, who also coaches Railway Union’s senior ladies, said he had enjoyed his time with the IHA: “I feel we have made great strides in the coach education field in the past 20 months, including the significant increase in our tutor pool and the establishment of a Level Three Award.

“I would like to wish everybody at the IHA all the best for the future; they have been a pleasure to work with. I still intend to work within Irish hockey circles continuing my work with the national U15’s and in a voluntary capacity.”

A round-robin tournament will be staged between Ashton, Bandon, Belvedere, Catholic Institute, UL and UCC on weekends that Cork Church of Ireland and Cork Harlequins are in action in the inaugural Irish Hockey League.

The competition has been introduced to ensure the five clubs aren’t left with no games while Quins and C of I are in action in the IHL on October 18, November 29, January 31, March 7 and April 4.

It is understood the Cork Examiner Trophy, which was awarded to the winner of a season-opening one-day tournament up until the late 1990s, will be dusted off and revived for the new competition.

Sarah Gray (left) and Julia O'Halloran, seen here in the colours of Catholic Institute and Cork Harlequins respectively, are now on the same side at UCC, who will be among five clubs looking to win the new women's round-robin trophy. Picture: Richard Mills/Evening Echo

Women’s Round-Robin Tournament (name TBC)

October 18: Ashton vs Bandon; Belvedere vs Catholic Institute; UL vs UCC.

November 29: Bandon vs Belvedere; Catholic Institute vs UL; UCC vs Ashton.

January 31: Ashton vs UL; Bandon vs Catholic Institute; Belvedere vs UCC.

March 7: Ashton vs Belvedere; UL vs Bandon; UCC vs Catholic Institute.

April 4: Belvedere vs UL; Bandon vs UCC; Catholic Institute vs Ashton.

The bar has been raised immeasurably this year, with the IHA taking full advantage of this summer’s Olympics in Beijing as some of the world’s top teams pencilled in Dublin on their warm-up itinerary.

There was some scintillating hockey played at Belfield this year, particularly in the men’s section where only Canada’s willingness to win ugly has spoiled the feast of attacking hockey served up by Ireland, Pakistan and Great Britain.

The inclusion of world number six Pakistan has been particularly beneficial off the pitch, where they have received stellar support from Pakistanis living in Ireland.

On matchday two, they cheered on their team riotously against Great Britain, then stayed in the stand to cheer on the Irish against Canada, joining swathes of schoolgirls singing hockey-tailored versions of Ireland’s Call.

Pakistan's Shakeel Abbasi, right, believes Ireland need more games against top-level opposition to improve their world standing.

Given the hosts were the only team competing not heading to the Beijing Olympics, the tournament appeared to go true to form. According to some of the international stars gracing the National Hockey Stadium this week, both our teams are typical of an all-too-familiar Irish sporting stereotype – good enough to beat anyone on their day, but lacking one or two elements that differentiate the pretenders and the champions.

“The biggest difference between Ireland and the other teams here is the technical side,” explains Pakistan forward Shakeel Abbasi. “There isn’t enough skilful attackers in their team.

“We drew with Ireland a few years ago in a World Cup qualifier, and they were very good that day, but they have a younger team now. They’re solid in defence and good on short corners, but they don’t play enough matches against better teams.”

Abbasi knows all about the benefits of regular, top-class international hockey. He has amassed 181 caps at the age of just 24, and is a firm believer that practice makes perfect.

“You have to play a lot of matches to give your players confidence. To do that, we have brought 12 or 13 younger players with us to Europe who have got game-time against Belgium, Germany and France, and the teams here.”

Such experience was certainly in evidence at Belfield in June. Pakistan never panicked when two goals down against Ireland and three in arrears to Great Britain, salvaging results from both games. By contrast, Ireland blew two-goal leads in both their matches, and men’s coach Dave Passmore can’t have been happy with the way his side unsettled by some roughhouse Canadian tactics.

“It was disappointing to concede two goals from almost identical situations, and as a young group we have to learn quickly from these situations to prevent us repeating our mistakes,” he said.

Passmore can rightly point to the fact that his side are in transition, following the retirements of four of their most experienced campaigners. But the exposure to top-level teams will have done their youngsters the world of good, particularly rookie strikers Mitch Darling and Alan Sothern, who both chalked up their first goals in a green shirt.

Abbasi’s point is echoed by South African women’s captain Marsha Marescia, who is one of the best midfielders in the game, as evidenced by the World Hockey All-Star award she claimed last year.

“You just have to look at the progress America have made in the past four years from competing against teams ranked above them,” she says. “They’ve come on leaps and bounds, so the Irish should look at that. Ireland have a good team, but not enough outstanding individuals.”

Marescia also points to a highly-competitive schools structure that has a conveyor belt of hungry young players ready to replace the older ones when the time comes for them to focus on their careers.

By contrast, most of Ireland’s players emerge from a relatively shallow pool of 10 or 12 top nurseries in each code. The signs are nonetheless encouraging, with Leinster producing a raft of talented boys, while both the eastern province and Ulster have a golden generation of girls bubbling under, as evidenced by 2007′s bronze medal at the U16 European Hockey Championships.

But for the moment, there are a few causes for concern. Ireland women’s coach Gene Muller this week stated his belief that his side can break into the world’s top ten. However, he must first unearth an out-and-out goalscorer, decrease the reliance on Nikki Symmons and Louisa Moore at short corner time and harness the dribbling talents of Jenny McDonough and Shirley McCay.

Increased pitch-time against quality opposition will help, but the flipside of the coin for both Ireland’s teams is the commitment required. The country’s elite players have all played on at least four continents as part of an 11-month season – a necessary evil as Ireland put more resources into getting to the Olympics than ever before.

All of Ireland’s players are amateur, and their professional and academic lives can suffer from being away for months at a time.

Counteracting this is the ASPIRE (Athletic Support Programme Ireland) venture, now in its second year, which helps ensure players aren’t out of pocket. Three elements comprising corporate sponsorship, employer support and philanthropy give the financial assistance to help players reach their potential, and the IHA are hoping the benefits will be reaped on the pitch in the coming years.

“Our teams were the best prepared they’ve ever been for the Olympic qualifiers, and the increased professionalism has sparked a belief in our players that they aren’t just there to make up the numbers,” says the IHA’s Katie Roche. “However, given the age profile of our squads, the 2012 Olympics represents a more realistic target.”

In the meantime, the precocious talents of the likes of Pembroke Wanderers’ Stuart Loughrey, Hermes starlet Chloe Watkins and Irish Examiner Junior Sports Star Award winner Amy Stewart are being groomed for greatness. If they can observe the technical lessons from this year’s Setanta Sports Trophy, Irish hockey has much to look forward to.

*An edited version of this article was first published in the Irish Examiner in June.