Background:
The Ursuline Convent Thurles has a longstanding tradition of Hockey and have achieved great success in school competitions for many many years. The Ursuline is considered one of the strongest hockey schools in Munster and currently boasts 13 competitive hockey teams competing at the highest level in all age categories. Each year our teams compete in the Munster Schools (league and cup) competitions from September through to March/April. We are proud to say, we, at the Ursuline cater for a wide range of hockey abilities across 4 age categories. This year we have a Senior A, B, C, Junior A,B, C, Minor A,B,C and 1st year A,B,C,D teams entered in competition.
There are 5 dedicated coaches on the school staff who coach hockey on a daily basis, one of which is a former Irish hockey Captain and is currently an external selector for the Irish Senior women’s hockey team who recently competed in the Tokyo Olympics. We are blessed to have 2 full sized hockey pitches on-site and training takes place every lunch time & after school.
Each student is afforded the opportunity to be a member of a hockey team as soon as they arrive in to first year. We have on average 90-100 first years signing up for hockey each year and all levels of ability from beginners to advanced are catered for. No experience is required prior to entering in first year. We feel that training together within a team environment is a valuable life long skill for all of our students and one that we support wholeheartedly. We encourage all students from 1st to 6th year to remain involved in our extra curricular sports programme.
Current Players 2021/2022 season
· 50 Senior hockey players (TY/5th/6th)
· 70 Juniors (3rd/TY)
· 70 playing minor (2nd year)
· 140 1st year hockey players.
Our most recent successes in hockey here at the Ursuline have been winning Munster Junior A cups in 2015, 2016 and in 2019 and we reached the final of the Munster Senior A cup in both 2013 and 2015. In 2017, we won the Munster Senior A schools cup after a 20 year gap beating Crescent College (Limerick) who, at that time were aiming for a 5th title in a row. That year the team went on to represent the school in the Kate Russell All Ireland tournament in Banbridge. A great achievement.
School Hockey Main Achievements:
Munster Senior A cup winners in 97
Kate Russell All Ireland winners in 97
Munster Senior A Cup finalists 2013 & 2015
Munster Junior A League and Cup winners 2015, 2016
Munster Junior B Cup winners 2017
Munster Senior A cup winners in 2017; Qualified for Kate Russell All Ireland 2017
Junior A Cup Winners 2019
Minor A Cup Finalists 2020
Junior A Cup Finalists 2020
Several players past & present gaining representative honours:
Interprovincial Teams represented by the Ursuline on a yearly basis
Munster u16
South East u16
Munster u18
South East u18
Irish u16
Irish u18
Current Interprovincial players
Munster u16: Miah Bourke and Aoife Kavanagh
Munster u18: Kate Ryan
Past Irish underage Internationals
Edel Nyland
Susie Osborne
Brona Dowling
Caoimhe Perdue
Kate Ryan (present 6th year)
The most important thing about hockey in the Ursuline is that students participate in a team sport and most of all have fun.