Avoca Hockey Club

Avoca Hockey Club
UnionHockey Ireland
Full nameAvoca Hockey Club
Founded1895
GroundNewpark Comprehensive School
Newtown Park Avenue
Blackrock
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown
Ireland
53°17′20″N 6°10′19″W / 53.288844°N 6.171961°W / 53.288844; -6.171961
Websiteavocahockeyclub.com

Avoca Hockey Club (Irish: Cumann Haca Abhóca) is a field hockey club based at Newpark Comprehensive School in Blackrock, Dublin. The club was originally founded in 1895 and a women's team was added in 1973. Avoca enters various men's and women's teams in junior, senior and veterans leagues and cup competitions affiliated to the Leinster Hockey Association. Avoca men have won both the Men's Irish Senior Cup and the Men's Irish Junior Cup.[1][2] Avoca Women won the Irish Hockey Trophy in 2022. The club has also represented Ireland in European competitions, finishing third in the 1993 EuroHockey Club Trophy.

History

Men's Firsts 2005–06 Leinster League First Division

Avoca Hockey Club was originally formed in 1895 by past and current students at Avoca School. In 1897 the club won its first national trophy when the second team won the Irish Junior Cup. The modern club was re-formed in 1929. When Avoca School amalgamated with Kingstown Grammar School in 1973 to become Newpark Comprehensive School, the field hockey club retained the Avoca name. In 1996 Avoca celebrated its centenary season by winning the Irish Senior Cup for the first time.[1][3]



Men's Irish Senior Cup
Season Winners Score Runners Up
1983 Belfast YMCA [4] 2–1 Avoca
1985 Belfast YMCA 2–1 Avoca
1989 Lisnagarvey 1–0 Avoca
1993 Lisnagarvey 1–0 Avoca
1996 Avoca[3][5][6] 3–2 [note 1] Lisnagarvey
Notes
  1. ^ After replay and two periods of extra time. First game finished 2–2.
Men's Irish Junior Cup
Season Winners Score Runners Up
1897 Avoca II
1965 Avoca II[7] 6–0 Deighton Wanderers
1997 Avoca II 2–0 Cork Harlequins II

Home grounds

The club has played at the Avoca School/Newpark Comprehensive School site since 1936. The club also shares an astroturf pitch with Dominican College Sion Hill and rents a pitch at Loreto College, Foxrock.[1][8]

Notable players

Men's internationals

 Ireland

When Ireland won the silver medal at the 1908 Summer Olympics, the squad included two former Avoca players, Jack Peterson and his brother Walter Peterson. Jack and Walter's four brothers – Cecil, Herbert, Nicholas and William – also played for Avoca and Ireland.[9]

  • R. F. Leitch (field hockey)
  • D. Coulson (field hockey) Irish Captain
  • Jonathan Cole (field hockey) Irish Captain
  • David Richardson (field hockey)
  • Simon Filgas (field hockey)
  • Mark Cullen (field hockey)
  • Johnny Watterson (field hockey)
  • Peter Agnew (field hockey)
  • Nigel Kingston (field hockey)
  • Anton Scott (field hockey)
  • Orla Bell (field hockey)
  • Fion Breheny (field hockey)
  • Carolyn Shankey (field hockey)
  • Galahad Goulet (field hockey)
  • Brian Long (field hockey)
  • Liam Canning (indoor hockey)
  • Colin Hade (field hockey)
  • Peter Darley (field hockey)
  • Robert Ryan (field hockey)
  • Philip Shier (Indoor hockey)
  • Jakim Berndsen (Indoor Hockey)

Notable coaches

Honours

Men

References

  1. ^ a b c "Club History". avocahockeyclub.com. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  2. ^ "Seniors". avocahockeyclub.com. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  3. ^ a b "Avoca crown centenary celebrations with cup win". www.irishtimes.com. 15 April 1996. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  4. ^ "unnamed article". Ireland's Saturday Night. 23 April 1983. p. 3.
  5. ^ "unnamed article". Belfast Newsletter. 15 April 1996. p. 30.
  6. ^ "Avoca Hockey Club: Irish Senior Cup Winners 1996". hockeygods.com. 3 June 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  7. ^ "Avoca Hockey Club - Irish Junior Cup Champions 1965". hockeygods.com. 30 May 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2019.
  8. ^ "Location". avocahockeyclub.com. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  9. ^ "Peterson, Walter Ernest". dib.cambridge.org. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  10. ^ "Irish legend David Judge passes away at 79". www.hookhockey.com. 18 October 2015. Archived from the original on 1 March 2020. Retrieved 30 April 2019.
  11. ^ "David Judge". www.threerockrovershc.com. 19 October 2015. Archived from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  12. ^ "Irish hockey legend David Judge dies aged 79". www.irishtimes.com. 18 October 2015. Retrieved 28 April 2019.
  13. ^ "Avoca Hockey Club - British and Irish Club Champions 1984". hockeygods.com. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2019.