Thursday, February 19: Ireland Men’s Hockey Team head coach Mark Tumilty has announced his 20-player squad to travel to Santiago, Chile to play in the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers from March 1 – 8. The crucial tournament provides Ireland the opportunity to secure their place at the 2026 Hockey World Cup, which would end the eight-year wait for the Men’s Team to compete in hockey’s top international competition.
Jaime Carr will be Ireland’s first choice between the sticks, with the shot-stopper continuing his world class form into 2026 with both Ireland and Belgian club Gantoise. Alongside him is Luke Roleston, who joins the squad once again having impressed with Banbridge.
Kyle Marshall, Peter McKibbin, Mark McNellis, and Sam Hyland will lead Ireland’s defensive efforts centrally, with Lee Cole, Luke Witherow, and Fergus Gibson supporting from the fullback positions.
Greg Williams also joins the squad as part of the backline, playing in just his second major Senior international tournament after an exceptional display for the Ireland U21 Squad at the FIH Hockey World Cup in India where he scored on six occasions.
In midfield, Sean Murray and Peter Brown will be the focal points, with Johnny McKee, Jonny Lynch and Adam McAllister linking up with them as Ireland transition from defence to attack.
Up front, the experienced head of Jeremy Duncan leads the line, with the Monkstown forward fast approaching his 150th International cap. Matthew Nelson will play alongside him looking to add to his goal tally, with Ben Walker, Ali Empey and Louis Rowe completing Ireland’s attacking line.
Speaking at the announcement, Head Coach Mark Tumilty said:
“The squad have worked exceptionally hard to ensure we are in the best position to earn qualification for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup. We have a very strong group travelling to Chile whom I have the upmost confidence in to get the job done.
Our objective is simple: return to the FIH Hockey World Cup. We know it won’t be an easy task, but we are ready for the challenge.”
The IRL Men have been drawn in Pool B of the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers and will begin their qualification bid against Canada (#19) on Sunday, March 1 at 15:00 Irish Time, in their first meeting since Canada denied Ireland a place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in 2019. The team will then face Korea (#16) on Tuesday, March 3 at 14:15 Irish Time, whom Ireland beat in 2024 to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games, before ending their campaign with a meeting with Poland (#24) on Wednesday, March 4 at 12:00 Irish Time, as the team look to avenge their shootout loss in the EuroHockey Championship Qualifiers in Dublin in 2024.
The team could come up against France (#9), Wales (#15), Scotland (#20), or Chile (#22) should they manage to progress out of the pool. Ireland will need to achieve a top 3 finish overall in the competition to secure their place, finishing in the top two places in the pool and winning either their semi-final tie or the 3rd/4th Place Play-Off match if required.
Ireland Men’s Squad
Jaime Carr
Luke Roleston
Greg Williams
Luke Witherow
Fergus Gibson
Lee Cole
Kyle Marshall
Mark McNellis
Sam Hyland
Peter McKibbin
Peter Brown
Johnny McKee
Adam McAllister
Sean Murray
Jonny Lynch
Jeremy Duncan
Ben Walker
Matthew Nelson
Louis Rowe
Ali Empey
FIH Hockey World Cup – Fixtures
Mar 1 – 15:00 Irish Time – IRELAND vs Canada
Mar 3 – 14:15 Irish Time – Korea vs IRELAND
Mar 4 – 12:00 Irish Time – IRELAND vs Poland
Mar 6 – 8 – Crossover Matches (SF, F, & Ranking Matches)
