Taste of Hockey is a sweet success at UCC

The popularity of boys hockey in Munster continues to bounce back, after almost 300 Cork schoolboys were introduced to the sport at University College Cork yesterday.

A minority sport played by boys in just five secondary schools in Munster, concerns have been raised in recent years over dwindling numbers at both underage and senior levels. But following recent news that U16 playing numbers among boys rose 8% to 440 in the province in 2011, the sport received a further boost at an innovative event at the Mardyke yesterday. A Taste of Hockey, the brainchild of Helen Lynch of the Munster Branch of the Irish Hockey Association, saw the sport’s national and provincial bodies team up with UCC. The latter provided their state-of-the-art water-based pitch and sports scholarship students to coach, as well as a luncheon in the newly-renovated Mardyke Pavilion – which overlooks the hockey pitch, and will be officially opened next Monday – for around 50 guests. The IHA’s western regional development officer Phil Oakley and UCC hockey development officer Paidi Hartnett laid the groundwork with four Cork city schools — the third and fourth classes of St Anthony’s Ballinlough, St Joseph’s of the Mardyke, Beaumont Boys NS and Glasheen Boys NS. Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Terry Shannon and IHA president Herbie Sharman were among those looking on as the likes of Irish youth Olympian Amy-Kate Trevor and former Ireland U18 international Stuart O’Grady taught nearly 300 boys the basics of the sport. The project was undertaken in conjunction with UCC 101, which celebrates one hundred and one years of sport in the famous Mardyke grounds. Each child was given a DVD, UCC 101 t-shirt, goodie bag and details of local club open days in a bid to get them playing the sport more regularly. Underlining the university’s commitment to hockey, acting UCC director of PE and sport Christine O’Donovan revealed plans to install international-standard floodlights at Mardyke in time for the 2012/13 season.

To see more photos from the event, please check out the album on the Southern Fried Hockey Facebook page. Thanks to Len Browne, Finbarr Kelleher and Pat Sargent for their pictures. Club training times/contacts for boys hockey (given to each child at A Taste of Hockey) Ashton Hockey Club, Ashton School, Blackrock Cork Hockey for boys on Fridays 7-8pm for all ages up to 14 – Contacts: Mark Stockil 086 6084814 or Joy Henebry 086 231888 Church of Ireland Hockey Club, Garryduff Hockey for boys Sundays 4.30pm-5.30pm –  Contact: 021 4891978, Ref: David Harvey Harlequins Hockey Club, Farmers Cross Hockey for boys on Friday 6.30pm-7.45pm – Contacts: Paul Nicholson 085 1525477 or Paul Lombard 086 3748699 Belvedere Hockey Club, Ballincollig Community School Contact: Colette Coomey 0868534219