News Archive

12 May 2009

Another successful hockey season for Galway Hockey club has been boosted as the club have received a nomination for emerging club of the year along with Wexford and Limerick hockey club's. The National Hockey Awards will bring together Ireland's top players, coaches, umpires, officials and volunteers to honour twelve individuals for their outstanding contributions to Irish hockey.

Also at the Awards evening new inductees will enter the Irish Hockey Hall of Fame – a institution, which is now in its fourth year, honouring legends of the past from Irish hockey's enviable hockey history, which stretches back to the 19th Century.

This latest honour build's on the club's recent success following head coach Richard Malone capturing the Coach of the year award last year. This year's nomination is due mainly to the huge work rate of the volunteers, coach's and sponsors within the club and their efforts in making it one of the most successful years for the club. During the 2008 and 2009 season the club reached new heights as the club competed in their first ever european club competition, becoming the first ever Connacht Club to do so in the history of the IHA. Another bit of history as for the first time ever the Connacht Senior Cup final was contested by Galway 1st and Galway 2nds with the latter coming out on top, while the 2nds also reached the quarter finals of the Irish Junior Cup.

Commenting about the nomination club President Donal Dempsey remarked "While the players are often to the forefront of sporting club's it is often the work that goes on behind the scenes that goes unrewarded! I'm delight to see that after a successful season on the pitch the work of those off it is also recognised!"