John Jackson has been handed the Ireland captaincy amid a raft of changes made by coach Andrew Meredith for next week’s TriFinance EuroHockey Championships in Belgium.
Mossley man Jackson, who plays his club hockey in Belgium with Braxgata, takes over from Ronan Gormley, who has skippered the side since 2008 and remains on the panel. Meredith has made six changes to the panel that finished seventh at Ireland’s last major tournament, World League 3 in June.
Out go a number ofexperienced performers, with Timmy Cockram, Phelie Maguire, Paul Gleghorne and Andy McConnell joining Alan Sothern and Jonny Bruton on the sidelines.
Banbridge trio Eugene Magee, Bruce McCandless and Peter Brown come in but the biggest surprises see Stephen Cole (Monkstown) and Pembroke Wanderers teenager Kirk Shimmins — receiving his Leaving Cert results this week — included alongside regular forward Mitch Darling. There’s still no place for experienced midfielders Geoff McCabe and John Jermyn.
Ireland, ranked 15th in the world, are pooled with the Netherlands (3), Poland (20) and England (4), who have named former Irish international Iain Lewers — who defected to Great Britain in 2008 — in their panel.
Meanwhile, Cliodhna Sargent will be back in green later this month after her Irish international career was given a lifeline last week.
The 125-times capped Cork Harlequins defender, among a handful of experienced players dropped by new coach Darren Smith earlier this year, was yesterday called up for the TriFinance EuroHockey Championships in Belgium on August 17-25, replacing the injured Lizzie Colvin.
Ulster girl Colvin has failed to recover in time from a long-standing anterior cruciate ligament injury, with Smith saying it was “very disappointing” to lose her.
“We have been working hard to develop her into a defender and she was been adapting well into that position,” he said. “We are fortunate that in Cliodhna we have an experienced and skilful defender who is well positioned to step into the squad for the Euros.”
IRELAND senior men’s squad for TriFinance EuroHockey Championships, Belgium (August 18-25): J Bell (Lisnagarvey, 23 caps), P Brown (Banbridge, 11), P Caruth (Braxgata, 73), S Cole (Monkstown, 4), M Darling (Three Rock Rovers, 101), D Fitzgerald (GK, Monkstown, 18), K Good (Monkstown, 15), R Gormley (Krefeld, 172), C Harte (SCHC, 118), D Harte (GK, Kampong, 117), J Jackson (Braxgata, 127, capt), S Loughrey (Bath Buccaneers, 40), E Magee (Banbridge, 168), B McCandless (Banbridge, 50), S O’Donoghue (UCD, 34), K Shimmins (Pembroke Wanderers, 3), M Watt (SCHC, 132).
Out go a number ofexperienced performers, with Timmy Cockram, Phelie Maguire, Paul Gleghorne and Andy McConnell joining Alan Sothern and Jonny Bruton on the sidelines.
Banbridge trio Eugene Magee, Bruce McCandless and Peter Brown come in but the biggest surprises see Stephen Cole (Monkstown) and Pembroke Wanderers teenager Kirk Shimmins — receiving his Leaving Cert results this week — included alongside regular forward Mitch Darling. There’s still no place for experienced midfielders Geoff McCabe and John Jermyn.
Ireland, ranked 15th in the world, are pooled with the Netherlands (3), Poland (20) and England (4), who have named former Irish international Iain Lewers — who defected to Great Britain in 2008 — in their panel.
Meanwhile, Cliodhna Sargent will be back in green later this month after her Irish international career was given a lifeline last week.
The 125-times capped Cork Harlequins defender, among a handful of experienced players dropped by new coach Darren Smith earlier this year, was yesterday called up for the TriFinance EuroHockey Championships in Belgium on August 17-25, replacing the injured Lizzie Colvin.
Ulster girl Colvin has failed to recover in time from a long-standing anterior cruciate ligament injury, with Smith saying it was “very disappointing” to lose her.
“We have been working hard to develop her into a defender and she was been adapting well into that position,” he said. “We are fortunate that in Cliodhna we have an experienced and skilful defender who is well positioned to step into the squad for the Euros.”
IRELAND senior men’s squad for TriFinance EuroHockey Championships, Belgium (August 18-25): J Bell (Lisnagarvey, 23 caps), P Brown (Banbridge, 11), P Caruth (Braxgata, 73), S Cole (Monkstown, 4), M Darling (Three Rock Rovers, 101), D Fitzgerald (GK, Monkstown, 18), K Good (Monkstown, 15), R Gormley (Krefeld, 172), C Harte (SCHC, 118), D Harte (GK, Kampong, 117), J Jackson (Braxgata, 127, capt), S Loughrey (Bath Buccaneers, 40), E Magee (Banbridge, 168), B McCandless (Banbridge, 50), S O’Donoghue (UCD, 34), K Shimmins (Pembroke Wanderers, 3), M Watt (SCHC, 132).