The Ireland men’s national field hockey team are heading to France in July to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics, and while many observers expect the Irish to be tournament makeweights in July, ‘The Green Machine’ will be determined to play with joie de vivre in Paris.
Mark Tumilty’s underdogs will be just the third men’s hockey side to represent Ireland at the Olympics following the nation’s involvement in 2016 and 1908, though that achievement alone won’t be enough to satisfy the cravings of a squad with lofty aspirations and a determination to punch above their weight.
Ireland earned the right to fly the flag in Paris following a tense victory over South Korea in a pre-qualification tournament in Valencia in Spain back in January. However, the hard work starts now.
Heavy defeats at the weekend to Great Britain (5-1) and Germany (7-0) did little to allay fears that Ireland’s summer sojourn in France could be a short one, though Tumilty will hope that the bigger platform in Paris will bring the best out of his players.
Ireland will share Group B with Belgium, Australia, India, Argentina and New Zealand in Paris, and will commence their Olympics campaign against the Belgians on 27th July.
Head coach Tumilty, who has admitted that there “are still a few places up grabs”, must whittle his current 20-strong squad down to 16 members for the Olympics, and we’ve profiled his options below.
David Harte
• Age: 36
• Position: Goalkeeper
• Club: Kampong (Netherlands)
Cork native and 234-cap veteran David Harte was a member of the Irish hockey team that finished 10th at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He is also a former Euro Hockey League winner with current club Kampong.
Harte, who captained Ireland at the 2016 summer games in Brazil and at the 2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup, brings a wealth of tournament experience to the table. Speaking after Ireland’s qualification triumph in January, Harte said:
Whenever there’s an Olympic ticket or Olympic place, spot, whatever you want to call it, on the line you know what it means it’s the biggest one that there is for an athlete and in any sport so of course there was pressure but it was all down to what you did with that pressure.
It was a phenomenal feeling and something I won’t forget for a long time, hearing the final hooter sound on that Sunday in Valencia.
James Carr
• Age: 27
• Position: Goalkeeper
• Club: Leuven (Belgium)
Leuven keeper James Carr has already amassed 60 caps for The Green Machine, and the 27-year-old will be vying with David Harte for the number one position between the sticks in Paris. Carr is one of two Irishmen currently on the books at Leuven.
Luke Madeley
• Age: 28
• Position: Defence
• Club: Gantoise (Belgium)
Son of another former Irish men’s hockey international, Luke Madeley has been involved in the national team setup since making his debut in 2017. The Dublin-born defender has collected 54 caps and scored 21 goals for his country.
Timothy Cross
• Age: 33
• Position: Defence
• Club: Annadale (Ireland)
Tim Cross was born in Australia and represented the country of his birth eight times between 2015 and 2016 before switching allegiances to Ireland three years later. Cross picked up a bronze medal for Ireland at the 2021 EuroHockey Championship II.
Kyle Marshall
• Age: 25
• Position: Defence
• Club: Old Georgians (Ireland)
Ulster-born Kyle Marshall was a Junior international for Great Britain before making the move to represent Ireland back in late 2020. Fullback Marshall has earned 44 caps for The Green Machine since.
Peter McKibbin
• Age: 27
• Position: Defence
• Club: Lisnagarvey (Ireland)
Hailing from Comber in County Down, Peter McKibbin first donned the green in 2019 and earned a move to Hamburg-based club Gossflottbeker THGC the following year. The 27-year-old is now back in his homeland, playing for Lisnagarvey.
In conversation with the local press after Ireland’s place at the Olympics was secured, McKibbin said:
It’s hard to try and put into words. I know it sounds cliche, but as a hockey player the Olympics really is the pinnacle.
It’s going to be tough, but you never know in sport and we’re very much looking forward to what’s ahead.
Lee Cole
• Age: 29
• Position: Defence
• Club: Monkstown (Ireland)
Multi-sport specialist Lee Cole has also represented Ireland in cricket, though the 29-year-old defender has been fully focused on field hockey in recent years. Cole has been involved in the international setup since 2015 and has amassed 113 caps.
Cole made his debut for Ireland against France just a year after he represented the country at Under-21s level at the EuroHockey Junior Championship II in Lousada.
Nicholas Page
• Age: 27
• Position: Defender
• Club: Oxted (England)
Plying his club trade in England with Oxted in Surrey, 27-year-old Nicholas Page played a key role as a starter in the crucial qualification win over South Korea in January that booked Ireland’s place in the Summer Olympics.
Daragh Walsh
• Age: 26
• Position: Midfield
• Club: Braxgata (Belgium)
A Wesley College Dublin alumni and former Three Rocks Rovers schemer, Daragh Walsh is expected to be a midfield mainstay for Ireland at the Summer Olympics. Walsh, who plays his club hockey in Belgium, is closing in on a century of caps for his country.
Shane O’Donoghue
• Age: 31
• Position: Midfield
• Club: Glennane (Ireland)
One of the star performers in Mark Tumilty’s squad, Shane O’Donoghue is Ireland’s all-time top scorer with 121 goals. A former World Young Player of the Year nominee in 2015, O’Donoghue was in the Irish roster at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
O’Donoghue showcased his class again in January when he scored Ireland’s fourth goal from a penalty corner 10 minutes into the third quarter of their 4-3 win over South Korea in January’s crucial Summer Olympics qualifier. O’Donoghue, who plays for boyhood club Glennane, has been an Ireland international since 2010.
Sean Murray
• Age: 27
• Position: Midfield
• Club: Gantoise (Belgium)
Born in Detroit but raised in Northern Ireland, Sean Murray will captain the Irish team in Paris this summer. Murray is one of the three Irishmen who formed part of the Gantoise outfit that recently won the Belgian championship.
Murray comes from a family of field hockey players, and having established himself as a top player for Lisnagarvey, the midfielder moved to the Netherlands to try his hand at the professional club game with Rotterdam. Murray moved to Belgium shortly afterwards, first joining Leuven before settling at current club, Gantoise.
Speaking after Ireland overcame their January Olympics qualification hurdle, Murray said:
Those are the little details where guys sacrifice a lot on and off the pitch to make these moments really special.
The match was a bit of a blur but everyone just dug deep to get us over the line. It’s very special.
Michael Robson
• Age: 29
• Position: Midfield
• Club: Annadale (Ireland)
Another Belfast native and Ulster representative, Michael Robson has pulled on the green shirt 148 times since his first call-up in 2014. Robson was a reserve player for Ireland at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Jonathan Lynch
• Age: 23
• Position: Midfield
• Club: Lisnagarvey (Ireland)
The youngest member of the current Irish contingent, Jonathan Lynch was part of The Green Machine side that won the Euro Hockey II Championship in July 2023. The Lisnagarvey starlet helped his club to win the EuroHockey Club Trophy for 2024 after a 4-2 win against Cardiff & Met in April.
Sam Hyland
• Age: 25
• Position: Midfield
• Club: YMCA (Ireland)
Sam Hyland, who turns out for the YMCA Hockey Club in Dublin, has been an Irish international since making his debut against Malaysia in 2021. Hyland already has an impressive set of medals for Ireland and added to his haul after last year’s Euro Hockey II Championship success.
John McKee
• Age: 27
• Position: Attack
• Club: Banbridge (Ireland)
Sharp finisher John McKee has scored 43 times in 91 appearances for Ireland, making him the second-highest scorer in the current Irish squad behind record goal-getter Shane O’Donoghue. McKee tasted victory with his club Banbridge in the EuroHockey Club Trophy II in 2023. The 27-year-old comes from a sporting family, and his sister Katie represents Ireland’s women’s hockey team.
McKee was among the four Irish goal-scorers in January’s historic triumph over South Korea in the Olympic qualifiers.
Matthew Nelson
• Age: 26
• Position: Attack
• Club: Lisnagarvey (Ireland)
Matthew Nelson began his senior international adventure when he was first capped in 2016. Nelson was part of the Irish team that earned silver medals at the 2018/19 FIH Series Finals in Le Touquet, France.
The 26-year-old is a regular for Lisnagarvey in County Down at club level. Nelson scored the deadlock breaker in Ireland’s qualification-earning win over South Korea in January.
Jeremy Duncan
• Age: 29
• Position: Attack
• Club: Monkstown (Ireland)
Kilkenny man Jeremy Duncan became an international centurion in January when he represented Ireland for the 100th time in a fixture against Ukraine. Duncan played two seasons with pro Belgian club Royal Herakles in Antwerp and one campaign with Royal Orée in Brussels before returning to his homeland. Duncan now splits time between his duties as a chartered physiotherapist and his club Monkstown.
Duncan had long been tipped for stardom at international level, having been involved in the nation’s Under-16s and Under-18s sides. Duncan was a graduate of UCD’s Ad Astra programme before his first senior call-up in 2014.
Ben Johnson
• Age: 23
• Position: Attack
• Club: Three Rock Rovers (Ireland)
Big things are expected from up-and-comer Ben Johnson this summer. The 23-year-old forward played a pivotal role in Ireland’s successful qualification tournament in Valencia in January, netting four goals across three games against Ukraine, Belgium and South Korea. Johnson was a late call-up to the squad in January when he was drafted in to replace the injured Ben Walker.
Johnson first caught the eye as a junior in the All-Ireland Schools tournament for Newtown, and speaking about his rapid recent rise, Waterford-born Johnson said:
I just got stuck in. There was an element of right place, right time and I forgot about any distractions. But I knew I had a role to deliver for the team.
As we eagerly anticipate great things from The Ireland men’s national field hockey team in July, keep up to date with all Olympic sports fixtures with TonyBet!
