The Olympic Federation of Ireland has officially named the men’s hockey team that will compete this summer at the Olympic Games in Paris. Captained by Sean Murray (Lisburn) the team clinched one of the coveted places at the Final Qualification event in Valencia earlier this year, when they defeated Korea 4-3 in a scintillating final match.
Having narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Tokyo Olympics, the men’s team last competed at the Rio Olympics, with two of that squad returning for the Paris Olympics, goalkeeper David Harte (Cork) and Shane O’Donoghue (Dublin).
The venue for the hockey tournaments is the Yves-du-Manoir Stadium, which was the main arena for the eighth Olympiad in 1924. In this stadium, Team Ireland first walked out as a competing nation at the Olympic Games 100 years ago. It is the only stadium in France that will host events from two separate Olympic Games and will stage the hockey competitions in Paris 2024.
Competition for the hockey runs from 27 July to 9 August 2024. Ireland competes in Pool B where they face Belgium, India, Australia, Argentina and New Zealand. Their first match will be against Belgium on the 27 July.
Speaking on the official selection, Captain of the team, Sean Murray, said,
“This is a hugely exciting moment for us as players, and it’s an honour to be able to represent this team and our country at the highest level of our sport. The team and the wider group have worked so hard to get here. No doubt the experience will stay with us forever but right now, we just want to get out there and compete.”
Olympic Federation of Ireland Chef de Mission for Paris 2024, Gavin Noble said,
“We are delighted to welcome the men’s hockey team back onto the Olympic team for these Games. The qualification journey for these Games is never easy, and the players demonstrated such resilience and dedication to get to this point. We are especially looking forward to supporting the team as they compete in the same stadium that the Irish Olympic team first walked in as a nation at the Olympic Games.”
Speaking on the official selection, Head Coach, Mark Tumilty said,
“We’re delighted to announce the team today, those selected have earned this opportunity and it’s a moment for them and their families that they deserve. I’ve always said the toughest part of my job is selecting only sixteen to compete, and our thoughts are also with those members of the group who have missed out on selection. I am proud of them all for getting us to where we are today.”
This brings to sixty-four the official number of athletes who have so far been selected to represent Team Ireland at Paris 2024, a Games that will see us celebrate our centenary competing as a nation at the Olympic Games. The team announcements for each sport will follow over the coming weeks, with the final team announcement scheduled for the beginning of July. The Olympic Games in Paris will run from the 24th July to the 11th August 2024, with the Opening Ceremony taking place on the 26th of July.
TEAM IRELAND PARIS HOCKEY ANNOUNCEMENT:
Men’s Hockey Team:
David Harte (GK)
Lee Cole
Shane O’Donoghue
Kyle Marshall
Peter McKibbin
Tim Cross
Daragh Walsh
Nick Page
Sean Murray (Captain)
Michael Robson
Peter Brown
Johnny McKee
Jeremy Duncan
Matthew Nelson
Ben Walker
Ben Johnson
Jonny Lynch (R)
Alistair Empey (R)
Jaime Carr (R GK)
Staff:
Lisa Jacob – Performance Director
Mark Tumilty – Head Coach
Raymond Geddis – Team Manager
Neville Rothman – Coach
Cameron Steele – Physio
Ross Willis – Performance Analysis
Eoin Cunniffe – Head of Athletic Performance
David Fitzgerald – AP GK Coach
