Ireland are competing in the women’s EuroHockey U21 Championship for the fourth successive edition, looking to continue their stay at this elevated stage with one of the newest sides in the competition.
Only Leah O’Shea, flying winger Ali Griffin and Mikayla Power having played international at this level before in their sixth place finish in Ghent in 2022. They stayed up dramatic fashion with two goals in the last 10 minutes earning them a 2-1 win over Wales.
This group has some strong international family connections in their ranks. Both of Milla Fulton’s parents – Natalie and Craig – played at the Olympic Games with South Africa with her father now the current Indian men’s head coach.
Power’s mother Carol Metchette is a golden whistle recipient and umpired at the Olympic semi-finals in 2012 among numerous other high profile appointments. Along with Fulton, she is a senior indoor international, too.
Head coach Una McCarthy, meanwhile, is the mother of twins Michelle and Niamh Carey who have been strong presences for the Green Army for the past few years with Michelle playing at the Tokyo Games.
Ella Pasley comes from a strong hockey family; her brother Ben is with the Irish Under-21 men while younger brother Oscar plays this week with the Under-18 boys in Granada.
Seven of the team hail from UCD who won the EuroHockey Club Trophy II in Alanya Türkiye in May; that trip saw the side joined by an exam invigilator to help them complete college courses while also playing at an elite level.
Julia McCarthy and Robyn Murphy were instrumental in helping UCC earn promotion to the top division of the EY Hockey League.
Power is also among those stepping up from the Under-18s of last summer in Krefeld along with Fulton, Sophie Kidd and Orla Young-Hughes.
Their only prior medal came in 1984 in Dundee when they got bronze. Since then, 2017’s share of fifth place was their best performance with every other of their six entries ending in either a sixth or seventh place finish.
Best performance: Bronze (1984)
