Women’s EuroHockey U21 Championship preview – Ireland
Appearances: 9
Best performances: 3rd (1984)
Ireland are competing in their fifth successive women’s EuroHockey U21 Championship campaign as they looks to breach the top five – apart from 2017’s curtailed competition – for the first time since 1984.
Under head coach Graeme Francey, now entering his second season in charge, the side secured a 13th-place finish at the Junior World Cup in Chile in December and gained invaluable experience at international level with wins over Namibia, Korea and Wales.
Nine members of that Junior World Cup squad return for this summer’s European challenge, giving Ireland a strong core of players familiar with tournament hockey.
Mikayla Power will play in her third Euro U21s while she also played in the senior competition in 2025 in Mönchengladbach. With 21 outdoor and 27 indoor caps, she is the experienced hand in their line-up.
** 24 EuroHockey U21 Championship matches from Pitch 1 in Valencia will be broadcast live on www.eurohockeytv.org with an €8.99 event pass (Click the graphic for more information)
Eva Gaston and Gabriella Scott are more recent senior debutantes having played in the FIH Hockey Pro League in Rotterdam and Berlin earlier this year.
Goalkeeper Lucy McGoldrick is back between the posts after featuring in all six matches in Santiago. The UCD stopper is joined by Muckross’ Grainne Molloy who is in her debut tournament.
Several players enjoyed breakthrough domestic campaigns during the 2025/26 season. Portadown duo Rebekah Lennon and Katie Herron impressed during their debut EY Hockey League campaigns, while Railway Union pair Maedbh Le Roux and Hollai Quinn arrive fresh from helping their club complete an Irish Senior Cup and EY Champions Trophy double.
In midfield, Loreto’s Mollie Lennon will once again be central to Ireland’s ambitions after another outstanding season at club level, winning the EY Hockey League.
UCD starlet Milla Fulton represents one of Ireland’s most potent threats. Fulton scored three times at the Junior World Cup in Chile and collected two Player of the Match awards, highlighting her ability to influence games on the biggest stage.
Ireland’s squad also contains exciting young talent including teenager Leah Callaghan, who is set to join Ards this summer from Mossley. She was part of the Irish Under-18 panel at Easter but makes a swift move up the ranks.
Clifton Robinsons-based Darcy Shields has gained valuable experience in the English club system. Assistant coach Zoe Wilson was a member of the Irish women’s side who World Cup silver in 2018.
| # | Name | Caps | Goals | Goals |
| 2 | Lucy McGoldrick (GK) | 6 | 0 | UCD |
| 3 | Alex Byrne | 6 | 0 | Ulster Elks |
| 4 | Leah Callaghan | 0 | 0 | Mossley |
| 5 | Eabha Curran | 6 | 1 | UCC |
| 6 | Isobel Field | 0 | 0 | UCD |
| 7 | Milla Fulton | 11 | 3 | UCD |
| 8 | Eva Gaston | 6 | 0 | Queen’s University |
| 10 | Katie Herron | 6 | 0 | Portadown |
| 11 | Millie Jerman | 6 | 0 | UCD |
| 12 | Mollie Lennon | 6 | 0 | Loreto |
| 13 | Rebekah Lennon | 6 | 1 | Portadown |
| 14 | Maedbh Le Roux | 0 | 0 | Railway Union |
| 15 | Mikayla Power | 10 | 0 | UCD |
| 16 | Hollai Quinn | 6 | 2 | Railway Union |
| 17 | Gabriella Scott | 0 | 0 | Ulster Elks |
| 18 | Darcy Shields | 0 | 0 | Clifton Robinsons (ENG) |
| 19 | Orla Young-Hughes | 5 | 0 | UCD |
| 21 | Grainne Molloy (GK) | 0 | 0 | Muckross |
| Anita Patterson | Team Manager | |||
| Graeme Francey | Head Coach | |||
| Andrew Smyth | Assistant Coach | |||
| Zoe Wilson | Assistant Coach | |||
| Simon Lowry | Stand-In Manager | |||
| Stephen Corridan | Physiotherapist | |||
| Finlay Marney | Video Technician | |||
