HOCKEY: The nominations for the inaugural Irish Hockey Awards, which will be presented at the Mansion House in Dublin on June 24th, have been announced by the Irish Hockey Association, with 36 contenders chosen in nine categories.
Hermes, who won the All-Ireland club title, the Irish Senior Cup, European Cup Winners' Trophy gold and the Leinster League last season, are, unsurprisingly, nominated in the 'Club of the Year' category, along with Lurgan (women), Lisnagarvey (men) and All-Ireland men's champions Pembroke Wanderers. Irish internationals Jason Black, John Jermyn, Paddy Brown and Stephen Butler will vie for the senior men's award, while Linda Caulfield, Eimear Cregan, Bridget McKeever and Ciara O'Brien are the nominees in the women's section.
There are, though, some notable omissions from the list, not least the coaches of both the men's and women's All-Ireland champions, Craig Fulton (Pembroke) and Rudi Wortmann (Hermes).
Club of the year: Hermes (women), Lisnagarvey (men), Lurgan (women), Pembroke Wanderers (men). Female player of the year: Linda Caulfield (Hermes), Eimear Cregan (Push, Holland), Bridget McKeever (Ballymoney), Ciara O'Brien (Railway Union). Male player of the year: Jason Black (Cork Harlequins), John Jermyn (Church of Ireland), Paddy Brown (Instonians), Stephen Butler (Glenanne). Junior female player of the year (Under-18): Maebh Horan (Loreto Wexford), Catriona McGilp (St Andrews/Hermes), Shirley McCay (Omagh Academy), Julia O'Halloran (Mount Mercy/Cork Harlequins). Junior male player of the year (under-18): Stephen Forbes (Banbridge), Barnaby Gaughan (Galway), Jason Lynch (Church of Ireland), Alan Sothern (Pembroke Wanderers). Coach of the year: Noel Bailey (Bray), Darren Collins (Mount Mercy), Peter McCabe (Lisnagarvey), Una McCarthy (Railway Union). Umpire of the year: Julie Beamish, Colin Hutchinson, Chris McConkey, Carol Metchette. Volunteer of the year: Toni Canavan (Munster), John Dooley (Leinster), Joan McCloy (Ulster), Catherine Moore (Connacht). Emerging club of the year (with three teams or less): Knocknacarra, Moynes-Thurles, Priorians, Yeats County.
