With the end of summer, a new season begins: the hockey season. Enniscorthy Hockey Club has an exciting year ahead, now with approximately 300 members across the club, with two ladies teams, two mens teams and boys and girls teams from under 8 right up to under 16. After a great first season last year for our ladie’s teams who made a welcome return to the South East League after a year’s absence, they not only came back with one team but two, with many of the ladies taking up a hockey stick for the first time.
Enniscorthy Hockey Club was found in 1982 when the first ladies took to the field. In initial years, there was a very close association with Enniscorthy Rugby Club. The grit pitch in Bunclody’s FCJ became their home ground. The club grew, fielding three and even four ladies teams at times, winning leagues and cups throughout the years.
In 2002, the ladies won The Irish Junior Cup, a great achievement for a club without their own Astro pitch. The nearest Astro pitches were Kilkenny and Waterford. It became apparent that if it was to survive and develop, the club needed the essentials of new young members and a pitch. Senior players and parents started junior hockey coaching in Hillbrook Tennis Club with many familiar faces still in the club today. Alongside this, a pitch development group set about finding a site or a school in town to develop a pitch, and research grants and the building process, a goal that is still a live and well. This was a good working group but no suitable venue was secured. Then CWCW secured land and a grant and built their Astro Active Pitch, which made it possible for hockey to develop in Enniscorthy and junior hockey took off.
The outgoing season has been a great year for the club. Along with the ladies team rising again, they also had five representatives Leah Chapman, Olive Lett, Fiona Rothwell, Julie Watchorn and Sonja Rynhart selected for the South East Team that took part in the Interprovincial Tournament in Sligo last May. The South East Team come joint 2nd with Ulster and did Enniscorthy Hockey Club proud. The men won the Walters’ Cup a cup they came runners up the previous season. Meaning they have won either a league or cup since they first started in 2013. Two from the men’s ranks were also selected to represent the club at provincial and national level, with Martyn Vietch selected for Leinster at the Interprovincial Tournament and Mick Jordan representing Ireland at the Master’s World Cup in Australia. In what was a great year for our under 14 boys they won the Leinster B League and came agonisingly close to beating the Leinster A League winners Monkstown, but penalty flicks at the end separated the two teams. With many underage boys and girls taking part in development squads and that went forward for Interprovincial trials it seems the future is bright in Enniscorthy Hockey Club.
Looking forward to the new Season. The two ladie’s team in Enniscorthy Hockey Club who are managed by Irene Doyle and coached by Ivanna Yeats and Donal Doyle who will join them for the first time this year, return to league action in late September. With both teams playing away in Kilkenny College, with the first team up against Kilkenny first and the seconds against Kilkenny seconds on September 25th. Familiar foes Carlow, Gorey, and Wexford make up the rest of the opposition in the South East League. Like the rest of the club, all home matches will take place at Enniscorthy's Astro Active Centre.
Over in the men’s section, coach Donal Doyle and manager Fraser Rothwell will hope to continue how they left off last year, when they won the Walter’s Cup last May. They have been putting their men through their paces with a thorough pre-season training programme over the last few weeks and will continue in the coming weeks leading up to their season opener. The first team will meet hockey teams from UCD, Wicklow, YMCA, St. Brendan’s Phoenix Park, Pembroke Wanderers, Clontarf, Glenanne, Monkstown and Avoca through out the year when the begin Leinster Division five. First up for them is a trip to Dublin where they will take on Pembroke Wanderers on the 24th September. The second team will meet some familiar faces for the 2016-17 season in Leinster Division seven. Their opposition for the season have not been confirmed as of yet but are expected in the coming weeks.
Enniscorthy Hockey Club are always looking for new members throughout the club ranks of boys, girls, men and ladies. If you're interested in joining, please contact us by clicking here.
Enniscorthy Hockey Club was found in 1982 when the first ladies took to the field. In initial years, there was a very close association with Enniscorthy Rugby Club. The grit pitch in Bunclody’s FCJ became their home ground. The club grew, fielding three and even four ladies teams at times, winning leagues and cups throughout the years.
In 2002, the ladies won The Irish Junior Cup, a great achievement for a club without their own Astro pitch. The nearest Astro pitches were Kilkenny and Waterford. It became apparent that if it was to survive and develop, the club needed the essentials of new young members and a pitch. Senior players and parents started junior hockey coaching in Hillbrook Tennis Club with many familiar faces still in the club today. Alongside this, a pitch development group set about finding a site or a school in town to develop a pitch, and research grants and the building process, a goal that is still a live and well. This was a good working group but no suitable venue was secured. Then CWCW secured land and a grant and built their Astro Active Pitch, which made it possible for hockey to develop in Enniscorthy and junior hockey took off.
The outgoing season has been a great year for the club. Along with the ladies team rising again, they also had five representatives Leah Chapman, Olive Lett, Fiona Rothwell, Julie Watchorn and Sonja Rynhart selected for the South East Team that took part in the Interprovincial Tournament in Sligo last May. The South East Team come joint 2nd with Ulster and did Enniscorthy Hockey Club proud. The men won the Walters’ Cup a cup they came runners up the previous season. Meaning they have won either a league or cup since they first started in 2013. Two from the men’s ranks were also selected to represent the club at provincial and national level, with Martyn Vietch selected for Leinster at the Interprovincial Tournament and Mick Jordan representing Ireland at the Master’s World Cup in Australia. In what was a great year for our under 14 boys they won the Leinster B League and came agonisingly close to beating the Leinster A League winners Monkstown, but penalty flicks at the end separated the two teams. With many underage boys and girls taking part in development squads and that went forward for Interprovincial trials it seems the future is bright in Enniscorthy Hockey Club.
Looking forward to the new Season. The two ladie’s team in Enniscorthy Hockey Club who are managed by Irene Doyle and coached by Ivanna Yeats and Donal Doyle who will join them for the first time this year, return to league action in late September. With both teams playing away in Kilkenny College, with the first team up against Kilkenny first and the seconds against Kilkenny seconds on September 25th. Familiar foes Carlow, Gorey, and Wexford make up the rest of the opposition in the South East League. Like the rest of the club, all home matches will take place at Enniscorthy's Astro Active Centre.
Over in the men’s section, coach Donal Doyle and manager Fraser Rothwell will hope to continue how they left off last year, when they won the Walter’s Cup last May. They have been putting their men through their paces with a thorough pre-season training programme over the last few weeks and will continue in the coming weeks leading up to their season opener. The first team will meet hockey teams from UCD, Wicklow, YMCA, St. Brendan’s Phoenix Park, Pembroke Wanderers, Clontarf, Glenanne, Monkstown and Avoca through out the year when the begin Leinster Division five. First up for them is a trip to Dublin where they will take on Pembroke Wanderers on the 24th September. The second team will meet some familiar faces for the 2016-17 season in Leinster Division seven. Their opposition for the season have not been confirmed as of yet but are expected in the coming weeks.
Enniscorthy Hockey Club are always looking for new members throughout the club ranks of boys, girls, men and ladies. If you're interested in joining, please contact us by clicking here.
