Mikayla Power and Emily Kealy named in Irish squad for Nations Cup in Chile

Sarah Hawkshaw succeeds Katie Mullan as captain as new head coach Gareth Grundie names first squad

New Irish captain Sarah Hawkshaw in action at the 2023 European Championships. Photograph: Frank Uijlenbroek/Inpho
New Irish captain Sarah Hawkshaw in action at the 2023 European Championships. Photograph: Frank Uijlenbroek/Inpho

Eight months since their last competitive outing, the Irish women’s hockey team will be back in action later this month at the FIH Nations Cup in Chile, with head coach Gareth Grundie including two new faces in his first squad since his appointment last October.

Mikayla Power and Emily Kealy are called up after impressing for UCD and Loreto, respectively, this season. Power also helped the Irish under-21 side qualify for the 2025 Junior World Cup.

Sarah Hawkshaw will captain the side for the first time having succeeded Katie Mullan in the role. But Mullan is included again, alongside goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran, who returns having missed out for a year through injury.

Ireland are ranked third in the eight-nation tournament with the winners qualifying for next year’s FIH Pro League. They have been drawn in a pool with New Zealand, Korea and Scotland and will open their campaign against the latter on February 23rd.

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Ireland Squad: A McFerran, E Murphy, C Beggs, N Carey, M Carey, N Carroll, E Curran, C Hamill, S Hawkshaw (capt), E Kealy, S McAuley, H McLoughlin, K Mullan, E Neill, C Perdue, M Power, S Torrans, R Upton.

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan

Mary Hannigan is a sports writer with The Irish Times