Europe beckons for Munster sextet

The final European campaigns of a busy summer for Irish hockey get underway next week with the country’s return to the U21 grade for the first time since 2004. With no recent ranking record to speak of, Ireland will start off in the third and bottom tier where they will be unbackable favourites to win both the men’s and women’s competitions against relative minnows. Coaches Brendon Carolan (men) and Rudi Wortmann (women) yesterday named their 18-strong panels, with the men’s in particular boasting some heavyweight experience given six of the panel have already played at senior level for Ireland.

Stuart Loughrey (Loughborough) is an Ireland regular and was involved in March’s Olympic qualification near-miss, while Banbridge pair Phil Brown and Stephen Dowds, Monkstown brothers Stephen and David Cole and UCD’s Shane O’Donoghue have all been blooded by Paul Revington. That high level of experience is mixed with plenty of youth too; Kirk Shimmins, Jeremy Duncan and indeed David Cole were all members of last November’s U18 interpro-winning Leinster side. Munster hockey has a triumvirate of representation in both squads, with half of those players coming from UCC. Stuart O’Grady becomes the first College man since Paul Lombard in the mid-1990s to represent Ireland at a major competition, while Olivia Roycroft and Aine Curran fly the flag for the women’s student club. Nick Burns (UCD), Naomi Carroll (Catholic Institute) and Karl Lynch (Pembroke Wanderers) give a further Cork flavour to the squads. The women’s panel is backboned by Irish Senior Cup winners UCD, who supply four players – Brenda Flannery, Leah Ewart, Sarah Greene and Nicola Gray. A smattering of talent bound for the American student leagues next year, such as Kerri McDonald and Gillian Pinder, will also have a chance to impress their new coaches. Both tournaments take place from July 18-22, with the men heading to Bratislava while the women compete in Lisbon. IRELAND U21 Men’s squad for EuroHockey Junior Championships III, Bratislava, July 18-22: S West (GK, Three Rock Rovers), M Ingram (GK, Monkstown), P Brown (Banbridge), S Loughrey (Loughborough), K Lynch (Pembroke Wanderers), S O’Grady (UCC), S O’Donoghue (UCD), K Shimmins (Pembroke Wanderers), M Bell (Banbridge), S Cole (Monkstown), S Dowds (Banbridge), O Magee (Banbridge), N Burns (UCD), D Carson (Corinthian), J Duncan (Railway Union), M Crooks (Cookstown), P English (Railway Union), D Cole (Monkstown). IRELAND U21 Women’s squad for EuroHockey Junior Championships III, Lisbon, July 18-22: R Barnett (GK, Railway Union), SJ Greer (GK, Leeds Met), N Barr (Lurgan), N Gray (UCD), B Flannery (UCD), S Greene (UCD), A-M Morton (Clydesdale Western), H Matthews (Loreto), L Ewart (UCD), K McDonald (Armagh), A Meeke (Loreto), G Pinder (Hermes), E Beatty (Old Alex), N Carroll (Catholic Institute), A Curran (UCC), H Mulcahy (Loreto), O Roycroft (UCC), A Naughton (Old Alex); Reserve GK: N O’Connor (Genesis); 1st Reserve: Orla Fox (Railway Union).