WOMEN'S HOCKEY/European Championship: "I don't think there were too many who thought they'd ever see the day we would be turning people away from hockey matches in Ireland," said Paul Varian, chief executive of the Irish Hockey Association, as a highly successful European Championships drew to a close at Belfield on Saturday.
"When I turned up on Wednesday morning there was a queue of people sitting outside, waiting for the ticket booth to open - it was like Wimbledon," he laughed. Perhaps Varian's only regret was that Belfield's capacity wasn't larger than 2,000, but for a sport generally so poorly supported in Ireland he could hardly be faulted for not anticipating the remarkable level of interest shown in the tournament through the week.
Even the president of one of Ireland's leading clubs had to be turned away for one of the hosts' games, with every seat occupied by the time she turned up. Not since the 1994 World Cup in Dublin has Irish hockey seen anything like it.
Another full house on Saturday saw Ireland match their highest ever finish in the tournament when they beat Ukraine 4-1 in the fifth place play-off - the final goal was scored by captain Lynsey McVicker who announced her retirement after the game.
"From a team point of view this event has been a tremendous success: we lifted our world ranking, we retained our A division status and we've qualified for the World Cup Qualifier, so we have achieved everything we set out to achieve this week," said Varian, who confirmed Riet Kuper would stay on as coach for next April's World Cup Qualifier in Rome. Kuper described the tournament as the most successful of her eight-year reign, expressing delight with the team's display against Ukraine.
"For 20 minutes you saw how we can play," Kuper said after Ireland final game, "we showed how we have come on in two years and how improved our fitness levels are."
As they had to do against Scotland on Friday, Ireland came from behind to win the game, Ciara O'Brien scoring her first international goal from a short corner in the 18th minute to level after an unmarked Tetyana Salenko had given Ukraine the lead three minutes before.
Three goals in the first eight minutes of the second half, from Jill Orbinson, Jenny Burke and McVicker, completed what was one of Ireland's better displays in a tournament game in recent years. And, having scored just once in their first three games in the tournament, they finished with a flourish, seven goals against Scotland and Ukraine.
There is, though, a long way to go before this Irish team can have designs on a European medal. While finishing fifth, a placing not achieved since 1984, was commendable, it simply matched the team's ranking in the tournament.
Holland, who beat Germany 2-1 in Saturday's final to win their sixth European title in seven years, and the Germans remain some distance ahead of the rest - although England, who beat Spain 4-0 for bronze, were hugely impressive through the week.
Reaching the World Cup in Madrid in September of next year is Ireland's next target - to do so they must finish in the top five in April's Qualifier in Rome - where hosts Italy, China, Korea, Japan, the USA, England, Scotland, Ukraine, Australia or New Zealand and the top two from the B division of the European Championships will complete.
A top-five placing in Rome, therefore, is a tall order. If Ireland manage it then even the most sceptical of Kuper doubters would have to doff their caps.
IRELAND (v Scotland): A Platt, F Connery, C O'Brien, B McKeever, K Smyth, L Caulfield, J Orbinson, J Burke, J McDonough, E Cregan, L McVicker (capt). Subs: N Symmons, C McKean, C Carey, D Casey, E Stewart.
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