In what amounts to a perfect storm for Irish hockey, the Irish senior men and women, women's A side, Irish U-18 and U-16 boys and girls are all in action this weekend in 20 fixtures in three different countries.
Undoubtedly, the biggest matches of the weekend are in Kazan where the senior women are fighting for world ranking points at the Champion's Challenge II. They play their semi-final against an up-and-coming Belgian outfit at 3pm today (Irish time), hoping that captain Eimear Cregan can recover from an injured ankle to add to their fire-power up front.
To date, Ireland have impressed in terms of possession and territory but only truly cut loose in their tournament opener against Russia and will need to be wary of livewire forward Sophie Gierst.
In Scotland, a much-changed Ireland men's side lines out for the Celtic Cup with a number of the squad on course to pick up there first caps while the women's equivalent tournament sees the Irish playng three uncapped games with the A selection lining out.
The Irish U-18s are also in Scotland and will play a three-match series against the host country. The squad has yet another wrist injury to contend with as Davy Carson is ruled out for the weekend and so Andy Smyth travels with 17 players. Carson could yet be fit, though, in time for the European Championships.
On hometurf, Ireland's U-18 girls take up residence in Pembroke for the weekend with their three-match series against Scotland at 6pm this evening. They will be followed on pitch by the U-16 girls (8pm) who will subsequently move to UCD for the remaining two games of their series with England.
Completing the set are the Irish U-16 boys who will have 19 players - announced earlier this week - available to play in their three-game series against England, all to be played at UCD.
The panel features eight of the players who lined out in the Leinster U-16 final with four representatives from both Three Rock and Railway. Corinthian's Robbie Burke, Fingal's Mark Ryan and Monkstown's David Cole make up a total of 11 Leinster players in the panel.
Match Schedule:
Friday, June 26: (12pm) Women's A vs France, Edinburgh; (2pm) Senior men vs France, Edinburgh; (3pm) Ireland Senior women vs Belgium, Kazan; (6pm) U-18 Girls vs Scotland, Pembroke; (8pm) U-18 Girls vs Scotland, Pembroke; (8pm) U-16 Boys vs England, UCD
Saturday, June 27: (10am) Women's A vs Wales, Edinburgh; (12pm) Senior men vs Wales, Edinburgh; (4pm) U-16 Girls vs Scotland, UCD; (5pm) U-18 Girls vs Scotland, Pembroke; (6pm) U-16 Boys vs England, UCD
Sunday, June 28: (TBC) Ireland Senior women vs TBC, Kazan; (2pm) Women's A vs Scotland, Edinburgh; (4pm) Senior men vs Scotland, Edinburgh; (9am) U-18 Girls vs Sco
tland, Pembroke; (9.30am) U-16 Girls vs Scotland, UCD; (11.30am) U-16 Boys vs England, UCD
Ireland U-18 Boys: Alistair Thom (GK, Cookstown/Cookstown HS), Stephen West (GK, Three Rock Rovers/St Andrews), Phillip Brown (Banbridge/Banbridge Academy), Scott Forbes (Banbridge/Banbridge Academy), Stephen Cole (Monkstown/St Andrews), Karl Lynch (Cork C of I/Bandon GS), Stephen Hunter (Lisnagarvey/Wallace HS), David Carson (Corinthian/St Andrews), Stuart Loughrey (capt, Pembroke Wanderers/St Andrews), Peter MacDonnell (Lisnagarvey/Wallace HS), Peter Purcell (Annadale/Sullivan Upper), Mark Crooks (Cookstown/Cookstown HS), Ian Sloan (Cookstown/Cookstown HS), Kyle Good (Three Rock Rovers/Wesley College), Stephen Dowds (Banbridge/Banbridge Academy), Shane O’Donoghue (Glennane/High School), Jonathan Ames (Cookstown/Cookstown HS), Stuart O’Grady (Cork C of I/Ashton)
Ireland U-18 Girls: Sammy Jo Greer (GK) (Coleraine/Ballymoney), Emilie Molloy (GK) (Colaiste Iognaid/Galway), Niamh Atcheler (St Andrews/Hermes), Natalie Barr (Lurgan/Lurgan), Naomi Carroll (St Patricks Comprehensive/Catholic Institute), Katie Codyre (Colaiste Iognaid/Greenfields), Deirdre Duke (Alexandra College/Hermes), Brenda Flannery (Captain) (Colaiste Iognaid/Greenfields), Orla Fox (Mount Sackville/Pembroke Wanderers), Sarah Greene (Loreto Foxrock/Hermes), Hannah Matthews (Loreto Beaufort/Loreto), Ali Meeke (High School/Loreto ), Anna Mae Morton (Royal School Armagh/Armagh), Dora Gorman (Taylors Hill/Greenfields), Gillian Pinder (St Andrews and Hermes), Vanessa Surgeoner (Ballyclare/Randalstown), Lynsey Trainor (Colaiste Iognaid/Galway), Chloe Watkins (St Andrews/Hermes)
Ireland U-16 Boys: Michael Anderson (Banbridge Academy/Banbridge), Robert Burke (Wesley/Corinthian), Nicholas Burns (Midleton/Cork C of I), Ross Canning (St Columba’s/TRR), David Cole (St Andrew’s/Monkstown), Jeremy Duncan (Kilkenny/ Railway Union), Mark Ingram (Oatlands/Railway Unuion), Matthew Lecky (Royal & Prior/Raphoe), Shane Madeley (Wesley/TRR), Owen Magee (Banbridge Academy/Banbridge), Fiachra Maher (St Andrews/Railway Union), David McCrea (Wesley College/TRR), Joshua Moffett (Banbridge Academy/Banbridge), Paul Ritchie (Regent House/North Down), Mark Ryan (Sutton Park/Fingal), Thomas Samuel (Wesley/TRR), Robin Smyrl (Banbridge Academy/Banbridge), Jeffrey Spillane (Blackrock College/Railway Union), Scott Sullivan (Bandon Grammar/Bandon), Darren Sweetnam (Bandon Grammar/Bandon)
Ireland U-16 girls: Vikki Hynes (GK) (Salerno/Knocknacarra), Martha Hume-Barber (GK, High School/Corinthian), Lucy Camlin(GK, Ballyclare High/Ballyclare), Freddie Timmons (Taylors Hill/Galway), Amy Kate Trevor (Scoil Mhuire/Cork C of I), Juliette King Hall (Newpark Comp/Hermes), Louise Murray (Lurgan College/Lurgan), Gemma Frazer (Omagh High/Omagh), Roisin Upton (Cresent Comp/Catholic Inst), Amy Cooke (Ballyclare HS/Ballyclare), Leah Ewart (Royal Sch Armagh/Armagh), Kerri Mc Donald (Banbridge Academy/Dromore), Lisa Mc Carthy (Mount Anville/Railway Union), Katie Morris (Strathearn Sch/Belfast Victorians), Rebecca Barry (Laurel Hill Colaiste/Catholic Inst), Joanne Orr (Royal Sch Armagh/Armagh), Lucy McKee (Banbridge Academy/Armagh), Emily Beatty (Alexandra College/Old Alex), Aisling Naughton (Mount Anville/Corinthian), Elaine Carey (Jesuits, Galway/Galway), Chloe Brown (Nendrum College/North Down)
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