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Ayeisha McFerran
Age: 26
County: Antrim
Caps: 113
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Club: SV Kampong (Netherlands)
Position: Goalkeeper
Occupation: Professional hockey player
The Larne native was goalkeeper of the tournament at the 2018 World Cup, her exploits in the shoot-outs against India and Spain helping send Ireland all the way to the final. Has been playing professionally in the Dutch top flight since 2019.
Elizabeth Murphy
Age: 24
County: Dublin
Caps: 13
Club: Loreto
Position: Goalkeeper
Occupation: Student (Animal science, UCD)
Has the thankless task of being understudy to McFerran, but Murphy isn’t short of pedigree herself, garnering plenty of big tournament experience at underage level with Ireland and with Hermes and Loreto in European competition.
Lena Tice
Age: 24
County: Wicklow
Caps: 122
Club: Old Alexandra
Position: Defence
Occupation: Student (Economics, UCD)
One of just five survivors from the 2018 World Cup squad – along with McFerran, Katie Mullan, Deirdre Duke and Róisín Upton – the multi-talented Tice made her senior cricket debut for Ireland at just 13.
Róisín Upton
Age: 28
County: Limerick
Caps: 89
Club: Catholic Institute
Position: Defence/Midfield
Occupation: Primary school teacher
A key member of the team that won World Cup silver, the University of Connecticut graduate was a key figure in Catholic Institute winning the Irish Senior Cup for the first time this season. Her penalty corner drag-flicks make her a major goal threat.
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Hannah McLoughlin
Age: 22
County: Dublin
Caps: 26
Club: UCD
Position: Defence/Midfield
Occupation: Student (Economics and finance, UCD)
One of four players in the squad who started out at Avoca Hockey Club (along with Ellen Curran, Sarah McAuley and Siofra O’Brien), McLoughlin is now an established member of the team having made her debut when she was just 17.
Sarah McAuley
Age: 20
County: Dublin
Caps: 9
Club: UCD
Position: Defence
Occupation: Student (Social policy and Sociology, UCD)
Another of the squad’s sporting all-rounders, Torrans played Gaelic football with Kilmacud Crokes and was an accomplished tennis player and athlete too. Played in all five of Ireland Olympic matches before returning to the under-21 set-up for April’s Junior World Cup.
Ellen Curran
Age: 24
County: Dublin
Caps: 27
Club: Pembroke Wanderers
Position: Defence/Midfield
Occupation: Student (Masters in biomedical engineering, UCD)
Played underage Gaelic football for Dublin before concentrating on hockey. A driving force behind Pembroke’s Hockey League and Champions Trophy double this season, Curran is primarily a midfielder but has been tried out at full-back in the build-up.
Caoimhe Perdue
Age: 22
County: Tipperary
Caps: 0
Club: UCC
Position: Defence
Occupation: Student (Nutritional Science, UCC)
One of five uncapped players in the squad, the Cashel woman’s form for the Irish under-21 side at the Junior World Cup, earned her a senior call-up. Won a minor All Ireland camogie title with Tipperary and has played for their seniors too.
Erin Getty
Age: 23
County: Antrim
Caps: 11
Club: Queen’s
Position: Defence/Midfield/Forward
Occupation: Student (PhD in Virology and immunology, Queens)
The former Irish under-21 captain made her senior debut in 2017 but her progress was derailed by a serious hamstring injury that kept her out of the game for almost a year. She earned a recall, though, last year, her versatility a major plus for Sean Dancer.
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Christina Hamill
Age: 22
County: Dublin
Caps: 0
Club: Loreto
Position: Defence/midfield
Occupation: Student (Business and management, TU Dublin)
Another newcomer, Hamill’s inclusion bringing to four the number of Hollypark ‘old girls’ in the squad, along with Ellen Curran, Siofra O’Brien and Sarah McAuley. Enjoyed a successful underage career with Ireland, impressing at last April’s Junior World Cup.
Katie Mullan
Age: 28
County: Derry
Caps: 206
Club: Ballymoney
Position: Midfield/Forward
Occupation: Medical Visualisation Engineer
Captain since 2016, it’s a decade since the Coleraine native made her debut, amassing 206 caps along the way. She has somehow managed to keep playing camogie too, her goal sending Derry’s Eoghan Rua to victory in last March’s All-Ireland junior club final.
Michelle Carey
Age: 23
County: Dublin
Caps: 10
Club: UCD
Position: Midfield/Forward
Occupation: Student (Biomedical engineering, UCD)
The niece of GAA President Larry McCarthy, Carey and her twin Niamh both played underage Gaelic football for Dublin until their hockey careers took off. Niamh’s college placement in the United States makes her unavailable this time around.
Sarah Hawkshaw
Age: 26
County: Dublin
Caps: 46
Club: Railway Union
Position: Midfield/Forward
Occupation: Hockey coach
Yet another former underage Dublin Gaelic footballer, the University of Massachusetts graduate has been an ever-present for Ireland since making her debut in 2019. Her brother David is an Irish under-20 rugby international.
Charlotte Beggs
Age: 19
County: Derry
Caps: 0
Club: Ulster Elks
Position: Midfield
Occupation: Student (University of Ulster).
The youngest player in the squad, Beggs had the misfortune to miss the Junior World Cup through injury but has impressed Sean Dancer sufficiently to earn her senior chance having been a travelling reserve for the World Cup qualifiers last October.
Katie McKee
Age: 22
County: Armagh
Caps: 0
Club: Pegasus
Position: Midfield/Forward
Occupation: Fashion Management
Comes from a family steeped in hockey, both her parents – John and Glenda – having played for Ireland, her brother Johnny a current international and her older sister Lucy a former underage International.
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Deirdre Duke
Age: 30
County: Dublin
Caps: 154
Club: Old Alexandra
Position: Forward
Occupation: Trainee solicitor
The only member of a youthful squad now in her 30s, Duke has been a fixture for Ireland since making her debut nine years ago. A former Dublin Gaelic footballer and Irish under-17 soccer international.
Naomi Carroll
Age: 29
County: Clare
Caps: 121
Club: Catholic Institute
Position: Forward
Occupation: Secondary school teacher
A reserve for the 2018 World Cup, the Clare woman was the Hockey League’s top scorer this season and won the Irish Senior Cup with Catholic institute. Played Gaelic football and camogie for her county and soccer for Ireland at schools’ level.
Sarah Torrans
Age: 23
County: Dublin
Caps: 33
Club: Loreto
Position: Forward
Occupation: Student (Nursing, DCU)
Has established herself in the senior set-up since narrowly missing out on selection for the 2018 World Cup. Scored a memorable overhead volley against South Africa in last year’s Olympic Games. A talented sprinter before focusing on hockey.
Zara Malseed
Age: 25
County: Down
Caps: 7
Club: Ards
Position: Forward
Occupation: Student (Medicine, Queens)
A chemical engineering graduate from the University of Edinburgh, Malseed is now studying medicine at Queens. A prolific goalscorer with Ards, she made her senior debut last year and was a member of the Olympic squad.
Siofra O’Brien
Age: 22
County: Dublin
Caps: 0
Club: Loreto
Position: Forward
Occupation: Student (Business and management, TU Dublin)
Another newcomer who caught Sean Dancer’s eye with her performances at the Junior World Cup, her reward a call-up to the senior squad that travelled to Japan in May for a series of uncapped matches.
Ireland’s pool schedule (Irish times):
Saturday, July 2nd: Ireland v Netherlands, 6.30.
Tuesday, July 5th: Ireland v Chile, 1.0.
Wednesday, July 6th: Ireland v Germany, 3.30.
All three pool games will be played at Amsterdam’s Wagener Stadium. The pool winners go directly in to the quarter-finals, the second and third-placed teams must win a cross-over game to reach the last eight. The team that finishes bottom of the pool enters the ninth to 16th place playoffs.
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