Ireland’s U18 girls have a rare opportunity to claim continental glory on home turf as the EuroHockey Youth Championships get underway in Dublin today.
Ireland is hosting the tournament at UCD for the first time in 10 years, bringing the cream of European underage players to these shores as part of The Gathering, while PwC and the Dublin Airport Authority are among the sponsors who have come on board to help the girls in green.
Richie Malone’s side are captained by Loreto’s Jessica McGirr and are dominated by Leinster and Ulster players, with Elaine Carey (Connacht), Emma Duncan and Aisling Cronin (South East) and Abby Oakes (Munster) completing the squad.
They begin their campaign this afternoon against Wales (5pm) with their toughest test coming against the Netherlands — winners of the last two tournaments in 2009 and 2011 — tomorrow before a clash with France on Thursday ahead of next weekend’s classification games.
Malone says Ireland’s preparations have been somewhat truncated compared to previous years but told The Hook he is hopeful Ireland can challenge for the podium and “maybe create a little bit of history”.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s senior men took the wooden spoon at the Hamburg Masters as Nick Caitlin’s late goal gave world number four England a 3-2 win following heavy defeats to hosts Germany (6-0) and the Netherlands (4-0).
Electric Ireland EuroHockey Youth (U18) Championships, UCD, Dublin
Monday, July 29 – Group A: Netherlands vs France, 3pm; Ireland vs Wales, 5pm;Group B: Germany vs Belgium, 11am; England vs Russia, 1pm
Tuesday, July 30 – Group A: France vs Wales, 3pm; Ireland vs Netherlands, 5pm
Wednesday, July 31 – Group B: Belgium vs Russia, 3pm; England vs Germany, 5pm
Thursday, August 1 – Group A: Netherlands vs Wales, 11am; Ireland vs France, 1pm;Group B: Germany vs Russia, 3pm; Belgium vs England, 5pm
Saturday, August 3/Sunday, August 4: Classification matches
IRELAND U18 squad: E Carey (Colaiste Iognaid/Galway), E Duncan (Kilkenny College/Old Alexandra), A Cronin (Loretto Wexford/Wexford), A Oakes (Mount Mercy/Cork Harlequins), R Gray (Alexandra College/Old Alexandra), M O’Donnell (Alexandra College/Old Alexandra), A Gleeson (Alexandra College/Old Alexandra), S Hawkshaw (Mount Sackville/Railway Union), J McGirr (Loreto Beaufort/ Loreto, capt), C Foley (St Gerards/Pembroke), S Twomey (Mount Anville/Hermes), A McFerran (Larne Grammar/Randalstown), R Chambers (Rainey Endowed/Ballymoney), H Grieve (Lurgan College/Lurgan), R Maguire (Larne Grammar/Ulster Elks), Z Thom (Methodist College Belfast/Harlequins), E Kernaghan (Ballymena Academy), N Costley (Lurgan/Lurgan College).
Hamburg Masters, Germany (Senior Men): Ireland 0 Germany 6; Ireland 0 Netherlands 4 C Jonker 3, M Van Der Weerden); Ireland 2 (K Good, C Harte) England 3 (T Carson, D Cheeseman, N Caitlin).
They begin their campaign this afternoon against Wales (5pm) with their toughest test coming against the Netherlands — winners of the last two tournaments in 2009 and 2011 — tomorrow before a clash with France on Thursday ahead of next weekend’s classification games.
Malone says Ireland’s preparations have been somewhat truncated compared to previous years but told The Hook he is hopeful Ireland can challenge for the podium and “maybe create a little bit of history”.
Meanwhile, Ireland’s senior men took the wooden spoon at the Hamburg Masters as Nick Caitlin’s late goal gave world number four England a 3-2 win following heavy defeats to hosts Germany (6-0) and the Netherlands (4-0).
Electric Ireland EuroHockey Youth (U18) Championships, UCD, Dublin
Monday, July 29 – Group A: Netherlands vs France, 3pm; Ireland vs Wales, 5pm;Group B: Germany vs Belgium, 11am; England vs Russia, 1pm
Tuesday, July 30 – Group A: France vs Wales, 3pm; Ireland vs Netherlands, 5pm
Wednesday, July 31 – Group B: Belgium vs Russia, 3pm; England vs Germany, 5pm
Thursday, August 1 – Group A: Netherlands vs Wales, 11am; Ireland vs France, 1pm;Group B: Germany vs Russia, 3pm; Belgium vs England, 5pm
Saturday, August 3/Sunday, August 4: Classification matches
IRELAND U18 squad: E Carey (Colaiste Iognaid/Galway), E Duncan (Kilkenny College/Old Alexandra), A Cronin (Loretto Wexford/Wexford), A Oakes (Mount Mercy/Cork Harlequins), R Gray (Alexandra College/Old Alexandra), M O’Donnell (Alexandra College/Old Alexandra), A Gleeson (Alexandra College/Old Alexandra), S Hawkshaw (Mount Sackville/Railway Union), J McGirr (Loreto Beaufort/ Loreto, capt), C Foley (St Gerards/Pembroke), S Twomey (Mount Anville/Hermes), A McFerran (Larne Grammar/Randalstown), R Chambers (Rainey Endowed/Ballymoney), H Grieve (Lurgan College/Lurgan), R Maguire (Larne Grammar/Ulster Elks), Z Thom (Methodist College Belfast/Harlequins), E Kernaghan (Ballymena Academy), N Costley (Lurgan/Lurgan College).
Hamburg Masters, Germany (Senior Men): Ireland 0 Germany 6; Ireland 0 Netherlands 4 C Jonker 3, M Van Der Weerden); Ireland 2 (K Good, C Harte) England 3 (T Carson, D Cheeseman, N Caitlin).