Men’s Munster Division 1 Season Preview

The Munster Men’s Division 1 season kicks off this weekend with two exciting fixtures. With Ashton’s relegation to Division 2, the league now consists of five teams, each facing one another three times throughout the season. The top three teams from last year—Harlequins, C of I, and Bandon—will also compete in EY2, which begins after the Christmas break. Meanwhile, Waterford and Institute will vie for success in the Charity Cup.

This season is set to be fiercely competitive, with teams likely to take points off each other throughout the campaign. Cork Harlequins, who narrowly missed EY1 qualification last season, are expected to be slight favourites. However, they will face strong competition from their old rivals, C of I. The three fixtures between these two sides will be crucial in determining the league’s outcome.

Bandon and Waterford fought closely for the third spot in EY2 last season, with Bandon narrowly securing it. Institute will be aiming to build on last season’s performance, having come close to toppling the leading teams on several occasions.

Below is a team by team summary:

Club: Bandon Hockey Club
Coach: Alastair Smith
Manager: Mark Deane
Captain: Fionn O’Leary
Players in: Matthew Jennings (Australia), Sean Landy (Harlequins)
Players out: Iarlaith O’Neill (Harlequins)
Ambitions for the season ahead: To win everything in Munster, qualify out of EYHL2 group and win the IHT.
Key player(s): Strong squad this year and great to have Colin Kingston back from injury. His leadership will benefit the younger lads.
Players breaking through/rising stars: Alan Buttimer and Harry McCourt will be key players this season.

Club: Catholic Institute Hockey Club
Coach: Gary O’ Connor
Manager: Ken Stockil
Captain: Jack Stockil
Players in:
Players out: Zac Moloney (Corinthians), Dave Pearse (Pembroke)
Ambitions for the season ahead: With a new management group for our 1s team this season, the goal for us is to implement a new style of play and create a culture where our players can enjoy their hockey. We want to focus on developing our players that are coming through and build a strong team that can compete for silverware in the second half of the season. Our focus will be on level of performance rather than results in the early part of the season, building towards the cup competitions after Christmas. We are delighted to have Gary O’ Connor on board to coach our 1s team this season, he has had huge success with Munster Interpro Squads over the past number of years and is heavily invested in developing the club for the future.
Key player(s): Hugh Walsh, Nick Lampp, Cillian Archer
Players breaking through/rising stars: Akshay Sugathan, Teige Moloney, Sean O’ Donoghue

Club: Cork Church of Ireland Hockey Club
Coach: Jonny Bruton
Manager: Clive Olden
Captain: Ian Balding
Players in: Stuart O’Grady (Ashton), James Cumming (Gryphons HC)
Players out: N/A
Ambitions for the season ahead: Coming out of a promising season, we’re looking to add another layer of consistency and professionalism to our game. Competition for places on the team will help to further drive standards as we look to obtain silverware in Munster and compete in EYHL2 playoffs.
Key player(s): Our squad depth will be key to challenging for success
Players breaking through/rising stars: Jamie Horgan, Andrew Sweetnam

Club: Cork Harlequins Hockey Club
Coach: Denis Pritchard
Assistant Coach: Jason Black
Manager: Mark O’Driscoll
Captain: Julian Dale
Players in: Iarlaith O’Neill (Bandon), Clyde Buttimer (Ashton).
Players out: Jack O’Meara (Hampstead & Westminster). John Whyte (Corinthians).
Ambitions for the season ahead: We are looking to go one game further than last season and get promoted to EY1.
Key player(s): Iarlaith O’Neill, Sam Dale & Ross Bailey.
Players breaking through/rising stars: Sean Curtin, Flor Scully & Denis McCarthy.

Club: Waterford Hockey Club
Coach: Richard Jones
Manager: Jonathan Earl
Captain: Ben McInerney
Players in: Sam Johnson (Pembroke Wanderers HC), Malachy Shute (Railway HC)
Players Out: Oisin Gavin (Corinthians HC)
Ambitions for the season ahead: To continue to improve, integrate our young talent and secure place in EY2.
Key players: Isaac Johnson, Ben McInerney, Hayden Jones
Break through players: Alfie O’Shea, Cathal Duffy, William McInerney