Wicklow Hockey Club

Historically, Wicklow Hockey Club was a formidable club going back to the 1920s and early ’30s when the club had two regulars, Messrs C Gelletlie and J Kerr, participating at provincial level for Leinster. Other ‘names’ that might ring a bell now, include Messrs McCarroll, C Hopkins, Paskins and O’Reilly.
————–
The modern day, Wicklow Hockey Club was formed in 1996 after a very successful ‘Family Hockey Day on the old grit pitch in Clermont Convent, Rathnew run by Tom Gelletlie, Craig Bishop etc in 1992. It was conceived in the first two summers by just playing mixed summer hockey on tuesday evenings on the brand new Grit pitch in the Dominican Convent, Wicklow Town. Tom Gelletlie and Brian O’Rorke were the organisers.
————–
During the winter and summer of ’97/’98 both summer hockey on tuesday evenings and youth training on saturday afternoons brought together up to 70 players ranging from 10 to 50+ years old, 25 of whom were eligible to play ‘senior’ mens hockey and another 25 formed the ladies club (since disbanded.) Kim Tyner (nee Hopkins), Brian O’Rorke and Craig Bishop were the coordinators of the youth training at that time.
————–
Tom Gelletlie took on the roll of Club captain for both the ’98/’99 and ’99/2000 seasons with the likes of old hands Stewart Andrew, David Crawford, David Woodroofe, Brian O’Rorke…….and Tom himself forming the backbone of the team, but it was a different game for them as they had mostly been brought up playing on grass! The astroturf pitches in Dublin creating further difficuties due to the speed of the playing surface. Some of the lads who came out of the youth coaching policy included: John Ward, Philip Gardiner, Richard Woodroofe, Robert and Michael O’Rorke, Sam Bishop, Peter Thompson and Eamon Madden.
————–
2000/2001 saw the real surge in success for the club as Neil Horner, ex Avoca HC took over as club captain. They won Division 10 in their first season, got promoted again in ’01/’02 during which season a seconds team was formed, under Tom Gelletlie’s guidance, vital for the continuance of the club’s success. Ken O’Dwyer, TedHiggins and Nial Burke replaced some of the struggling ‘pensioners!’ on the firsts’ team.They were promoted again to division 7 for the ’02/’03 season, but found it tough especially with some of their young marrieds going off to have families. Peter Thompson and Richard Woodroofe took over the club leadership and administration in ’03/’04, a decision at the club’s AGM in ’05 saw the seconds team fold, as some of the younger players and the youth were heading to the limelight of the Dublin clubs and their astroturf pitches, so the club was left with one team in Division 8.
————–
Between ’03 and ’05 Conor Fleetwood started and ran a very successful youth program for the club, at first using the Dominican Convent’s grit pitch to gather in the local support then moving operations to Bray’s Loretto School and their astroturf pitch, because he felt the kids needed to get used to the surface as most of their matches and blitzes were played thereon. Klaas de Vries then took over the youth policy reins for the club in ’05, reverting to the Dominican Convent for convenience. Hopefully, the promised astropitch for The East Glendalough School will see the club become strong again through Klaas’s sterling efforts.
————–
Having maintained the club in a holding capacity for the three previous seasons, Peter Thompson and co. coerced several ‘new’ players to the club including Forbes Vigors, Steven Stewart and the comeback kids Neil Horner and Eamon Madden, ’09/’10 saw the start of the rebirth of the club. Division 8 was conquered! However the Leinster Branch in their wisdom reduced the size of the leagues so a 9th division was formed leaving the top four of the old 8th in situ and the bottom four of the 7th were relegated to that new 8th division. Enthusiasm is very evident in the club now having done so well and the promise of the new pitch in the offering

.