Kilkenny Hockey club add a chapter to local sport’s success story

Seven years ago the Kilkenny Hockey Club began the season with just seven players at training. They start 2024 with three women’s teams and the senior side playing in Leinster Division One.

It’s been some success story. At the conclusion of the club’s 50th year they now have 80 female players, making them one of the biggest adult women’s sports clubs in the county - and that’s to go with 320 registered underage players and 40 adult men’s players.

All in the backdrop of the club competing against the county’s other stick sport obsessions – camogie and hurling. Kilkenny hockey club, however, brings its own unique appeal.

“We came down to train and on the first night there were seven women there,” explained Niamh Spratt-O’Shea, who is a player and club secretary. “We knew if we let this go this year, we might not have a team.

“Seven years on, we now have three teams playing in Leinster. Our women’s team went in at Division Five. We won that in the first year, scored 120 goals, didn’t lose a match. We then won Division Four, and while Division Three was kind of a Covid year but we got promoted and then got promoted from Division Two and last year we had our first year in Division One.

“That’s five years in a row from Division Five to Division One. Last year we also qualified for the National League. Our second team had to go in at Division 13 and again they’ve won all their divisions. They’re now in Division Seven. We’ve a Thirds team and they’re thriving too, but it’s probably a little bit more recreational and wanting to have a bit of craic.

“We made a concerted effort to just get more organised and be much more active in terms of recruitment and how we ran the club,” she added. “I think there’s the passion and the drive from the people within the club, the use of social media and advertising and running things like summer hockey, but just really trying to be open and encourage people, even if they’ve never played before to come along.”

The success of the Irish women’s team in reaching the World Cup final in 2018 also helped drive recruitment, with parents and kids realising the elite pathway available to them.

“Even kids where neither of their parents ever had any interest in hockey, they saw that and were like, that’s a nice sport,” Spratt-O’Shea continued. “I think it really helped to gain access to more people. Even for those in a really big hurling school. If you’re not as good at hurling, that’s kind of it. But there’s that crossover with stick sports; maybe you’re not going to make the Kilkenny hurling team but you know the option is there to play hockey and to play at a level that suits you.

“That can be very high level or just socially,” she said. “I think hockey does that so well and it’s a sport that isn’t reliant on weather and pitches and stuff like that.

Also I think the sports can dovetail nicely. My daughter’s 10 and she plays camogie during the summer and then camogie finishes up and she’s able to play hockey during the winter. And they really complement each other, stick and ball. We’ve also recently started an inclusive hockey section for children with intellectual disabilities. We’re a really, really inclusive club and we try and be open to anyone who wants to play.”

The Leinster Hockey Association recently launched a new three-year strategy plan, with aims including boosting the number of clubs and registered players through more competitions and active hockey programmes, and to build the game for the future by ensuring improved infrastructures with model/competition reviews, performance pathways, and focus on underutilised facilities.

The association also aims to build participation numbers among boys and men across both clubs and schools, following on from the huge success in attracting women and girls to the game. Hockey is one of the few team sports that is played by more female than male players.

“We also have two men’s teams and that can be hard to sustain in a really hurling strong county but the men are holding their own,” added Spratt-O’Shea.

“Our club has put a real focus on boys’ hockey as well and trying to get the younger kids in - we really recognise that you have to build that pathway. I think maybe in the past we didn’t have that; we just kind of relied on adults coming in. And they’re starting to become teenagers and they’re getting close to the stage where they’ll be able to play for the men’s team.

“In Kilkenny, there are three schools there for the girls, whereas with the boys it’s only Kilkenny College and I think rugby has been a real focus there. But they’re building hockey back up again. They’re putting a focus on that, trying to get really good coaches in.

“So hopefully the men’s club will see the fruits of that. I definitely think having the schools is really, really important. But having a kid section in the club is really important to make sure that you have that full pathway.

“Overall I think the past few years have been an amazing story for our club, and I’m always saying who can we tell about this? It’s a local club and it’s the players who are the committee as well. So it’s us, you know, we’re playing Division One. We’re training. We’re the ones who get coaches in. Then we’re the ones who run the fundraisers and who look after fixtures, pitches, and all of that. So it’s a player-driven club.”

And it’s clearly working. After 50 years, Kilkenny hockey club go into 2024 confident of continuing both their own progress and playing a part in the county’s rich tradition of stick sports.